President Biden visits Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center ahead of Pride weekend
GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- President Joe Biden traveled to New York City on Friday where he visited the Stonewall Inn to mark the 55th anniversary of the riots.
Biden, along with the first lady, visited for the opening day of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, where music and plenty of hope was on full display.
Against the historic backdrop of Greenwich Village, the Stonewall Inn stood as a beacon of resilience on June 28, 1969, when the Stonewall Rebellion took place.
The president was joined at the new visitor center by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and other democratic leaders.
He told the cheering crowd, "its your love for each other and your community that brought this center to life."
Biden warmly hugged Gov. Hochul and then danced over to Sen Kirsten Gillibrand, who yelled "He's the best! He's a fighter!"
"When there are assaults on LGBTQ rights across America, we are the vanguard, we are the fighters," Hochul said. "The torch has been passed to us as New Yorkers. Passed to the next generation."
Legendary singer, songwriter and pianist Elton John was also in attendance for the ceremony.
"I can say as a proud English, gay man, that this is one of the greatest honors of my life to be here today," he said. "The fight for freedom and equality is an ongoing one."
The center pays homage to the Stonewall Rebellion while serving as a space for learning about LGBTQIA+ and the ongoing struggle for freedom.
"I think it's the missing piece of the monument. Having the visitor center some can go and then someone can come to the actual Stonewall Inn and then go out in the park. So it's all completed now," said Kurt Kelly, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn.
This center has been in the works since President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall National Monument in 2016.
Biden's stance on LGBTQ+ issues has evolved throughout his decades of public service.
As a U.S. senator, he voted in 1996 for the Defense of Marriage Act, which forbade federal recognition of same-sex unions.
Then, more than a decade later, Biden as vice president declared in 2012 on "Meet the Press" that he supported gay marriage, upstaging his boss, President Obama, who had not yet stated his position on the issue. Obama said he supported gay marriage shortly thereafter.
As president, Biden has acted to protect the rights of gay and transgender people, such as reinstating antidiscrimination provisions eliminated by then-President Donald Trump. Biden also ended a ban on transgender people serving in the military.
The Democratic incumbent will then headline an evening Pride Month fundraiser with LGBTQ+ advocates.
Biden arrived in New York after rallying supporters at a post-debate event in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has other fundraisers Saturday on New York's Long Island and Red Bank, New Jersey, before a scheduled return to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
In addition to the president's visit, the Christopher Street subway station was renamed in honor of the Stonewall National Monument.
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber was part of the unveiling ceremony.
The No. 1 train stop will be known moving forward as "Christopher Street - Stonewall National Monument Station" in observance of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising.
The state legislature passed a bill renaming the station during its last session and Gov. Hochul is expected to sign it into law to coincide with Pride weekend.
Fridays events come ahead of the NYC Pride March on Sunday.
ABC 7 New York is your home for the NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 30. Watch the broadcast from noon until 3 p.m. on Channel 7 and anywhere you stream ABC7NY.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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