In a historic moment marking the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center is set to open its doors this Friday, June 28. Located adjacent to the iconic Stonewall Inn in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, the visitor center commemorates the pivotal events of June 1969 that catalyzed the modern gay rights movement. The center, managed by LGBTQ+ advocacy group Pride Live, aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for visitors to learn, reflect, and share their stories. Diana Rodriguez, co-founder and chief executive of Pride Live, and her partner for 39 years, Ann Marie Gothard, are the driving forces behind this project. Gothard is also the Board Chair at Pride Live. They both emphasized the importance of creating such a safe space. Curated largely by LGBTQ+ activist Mark Segal, who participated in the 1969 uprising, the center features an art exhibition showcasing replicas of the original bar's jukebox and rotating displays by LGBTQ+ youths and allies. It is being accomplished in collaboration with the Parsons School of Design. Admission is free, made possible by corporate donations from companies like Google, Amazon, AARP, JPMorgan Chase, and Comcast NBCUniversal. Rodriguez hopes that increased exposure to LGBTQ+ history through initiatives like the visitor center will lead to a decrease in assaults on the community. #Queer Up The USA View