The crowd outside the Stonewall Inn during the 2012 LGBT Pride Parade. | MICHAEL LUONGO
The Historic Landmarks Preservation Center, the private group controlled by wealthy Democratic donor Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, abruptly canceled a 3 p.m. ceremony today that was to place one of the group's round plaques on the Stonewall bar to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion.
As Gay City News reported yesterday, no veteran of the Stonewall Uprising had been involved in the wording of the plaque or in planning the event and of four or five speakers, none had participated in the uprising.
State Senator Brad Hoylman, who had suggested the idea of marking the Stonewall with a plaque to the group, said, “I hope we can get the process rebooted with community participation and with the veterans themselves.”
Lack of participation by public, vets from 1969 derails commemoration effort
He added, “What I've learned is that there isn't a public process for these plaques. These types of markers are handled by private individuals and it is an area in which the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission should involve themselves. It should not be up to private groups to recognize the city's cultural and historic landmarks.”
When Gay City News called Diamonstein-Spielvogel for comment, the person who answered the phone said she was not available and hung up as I tried to leave a message.
