Christopher Street Station is about to get a new name

Christopher Street in the West Village has a long and illustrious history of being the center of queer life for a lot of New Yorkers. On the Eastern end of the street is the Stonewall Inn, the legendary gay bar. On the west, Christopher Street Pier has come to represent part of the local queer culture as well: trans and queer people used it as a meetup spot for decades.

In an homage to the neighborhood's important past, the Christopher Street subway station will soon be renamed Christopher Street-Stonewall National Monument Station.

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The change in moniker is the result of a new bill sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Deborah Glick in an effort to acknowledge the iconic Stonewall National Monument, a nearby historical landmark that includes the Stonewall Inn—where, in 1969, a riot against the police led to a multi-day protest that ignited the modern-day LGBTQ+ movement—Christopher Park and Christopher Street.

In 2016, President Obama designated the Stonewall Inn a national monument, making it the country’s first and only national park dedicated to LGBTQ+ history. This month, the Stonewall also plans to open its visitor center, where park rangers will educate visitors on the significance of the bar and neighborhood. 

Renaming the subway station is a small but significant assertion of the city’s history, and an affirmation to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers that their history matters.