Johnathan Walker:Biden speaks at NYC's Stonewall National Monument marking 55 years since riots

Biden to visit Stonewall National Monument for Pride Month

NEW YORK -- President Joe Biden is in New York City on Friday to mark 55 years since the Stonewall Riots in Manhattan and attend the opening of the new Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. 

As Pride Month comes to an end, politicians, celebrities and other advocates are coming together to honor the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and its fight for equal rights.

Biden and other dignitaries delivered remarks at the opening. 

Opening the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center

The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center officially opens to the public Friday on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, and it's free of charge. 

The space memorializes the site of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Officials say it honors the legacy of the rebellion and is a hub for learning about the history and continued struggles of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. 

"For generations, LGBTQI+ Americans have summoned the courage to live proudly, even when it meant putting their lives at risk. 55 years ago at the Stonewall Inn in New York, brave LGBTQI+ individuals did just that and formed a movement that would transform our nation," Biden wrote on X. 

"It's here to honor all of the elders that fought for our rights. It's to give hope to all the youth that are still suffering or are feeling oppression," said Steve Love Menendez. 

Menendez told CBS New York he visits Stonewall every day to check on the rainbow flags on display. 

"I'm the creator of the rainbow flag display here at the park," he said. "So I come every morning to restore any missing flags and make sure everything looks beautiful for everyone to enjoy."

The Stonewall Inn became a national monument in 2016, so this will be the first LGBTQ+ visitor center to be recognized by the National Park Service. 

Marking 55 years since the Stonewall Riots

Friday marks 55 years since the Stonewall Uprising, which set off six days of clashes between police and LGBTQ+ protesters.

The Stonewall Inn at 52 Christopher Street is considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement.

On June 28, 1969, when homosexual acts were still outlawed in New York City, police raided the bar -- a place of refuge for the gay community and frequent target of harassment. 

The community had enough, and the riots that followed spearheaded LGBTQ+ activism in the United States.

"To be here in this place where literal history has been made, it's pretty powerful. And to hear that it's being celebrated in such a way, just adds that much more power to it," said Monica Jaso, who is visiting Stonewall from Chicago. "It just will kind of solidify that we have a place in history."

NYC Pride March and weekend events

New York City's annual Pride March is this Sunday, June 30. It dates back to 1970, one year after the uprising. 

The march starts at noon and steps off from 25th Street and Fifth Avenue near Madison Square Park.

This year's theme is "Reflect. Empower. Unite," with a focus on the power of people coming together for "Queer liberation and joy."

Pride events have been held all month, looking toward a future without discrimination, where all people have equal rights under the law. 

Here are some upcoming events this weekend:

• Youth Pride, 12 p.m. Saturday at South Street Seaport Museum
• SATURGAY by Hot Rabbit, 9 p.m. Saturday at CIRCO Times Square
• The Main Event by Masterbeat, 10 p.m. Saturday at Terminal 5
• PrideFest street fair, 11 a.m. Sunday in Greenwich Village
  
• Bliss Days, 2 p.m. Sunday at The DL

See the full list of Pride events and more details here.

In:
• Pride
• Pride Month
• LGBTQ+