On Friday afternoon, CNN hosts Boris Sanchez and Brianna Keilar devoted a section to letting gay-rights activist and fundraiser Stacy Lentz complain in regards to the Donald Trump administration eradicating the phrase “transgender” from gay-related authorities web sites. There was numerous speak about getting “erased,” when CNN airs one-sided segments that erase the conservative facet of the controversy.
After a clip of homosexual rights protesters chanting in New York, co-host Brianna Keilar set issues up by recalling that the Nationwide Park Service has changed “LGBTQ+” with “LGB” on its web sites, together with the location for the Stonewall Nationwide Monument which commemorates homosexual rights.
Co-host Boris Sanchez jumped in to recount that the Stonewall Inn had been the location of a essential homosexual rights protest in 1969 after the raid of a homosexual bar, after which introduced aboard the co-owner of Stonewall, Stacy Lentz, to react to the Trump administration on the problem. The CNN host started with an open-ended softball query: “I’m wondering what you make of the removing of ‘transgender’ and ‘queer’ from this web site? What is the significance?”
Lentz lamented that she will not be “shocked” by the event due to President Trump’s different actions, and known as the transfer “outlandish” as she responded:
LENTZ: I wish to say I am — I am actually, actually shocked, however I am not. We have seen this present administration not solely simply marketing campaign on attacking trans and nonbinary people, however then additionally along with actually going after them and making an attempt to erase them from public life. However it was nonetheless very painful on the birthplace of the LGBTQ rights motion to see them attempt to erase trans people from queer historical past. We’d not be sitting the place we’re at this time on the Stonewall Inn if it wasn’t for trans individuals in 1969 who stood up with the remainder of the group. So it is outlandish that they suppose they’ll erase a complete a part of our group from LGBTQ historical past which is American historical past.
Keilar adopted up with one other softball, asking Lentz how she deliberate to react, main Lentz to name for extra motion from Democrats. She requested “How do you propose to combat this?”
LENTZ: So proper now we have organized a large protest at this time, along with we are going to proceed to protest, converse up, and converse out, and actually name on Democratic leaders to actually not be silent on this concern. We actually wish to see our Democratic leaders step up and combat for us. We can not enable a complete group of our inhabitants to be utterly erased not simply from public life however from historical past. However they’re actually going after them on all ranges.
Sanchez adopted up by teeing his liberal visitor as much as theorize about what different strikes the Trump administration may make: “While you speak about these people being focused in any respect ranges, are there some other packages or monuments that you simply suppose may very well be affected?”
Lentz went on to name it “appalling” that President Trump had declared that there are simply two genders:
…we’re seeing them actually being, you recognize, erased from each type of authorities program, proper? I imply, we have seen that with beginning certificates not having gender, X markers on passports and issues of that nature. So that they actually have been scrubbed from all authorities web sites.
And, once more, as soon as we noticed President Trump come out throughout inauguration and say there’s solely two genders, we will not actually be stunned. However to say it is appalling is definitely an understatement, and so we are going to arrange because the LGBTQ+ group and ask all our allies to prepare with us as we arise and combat again in opposition to the erasure of American individuals.
By the point the liberal activist had wrapped up by complaining a second time that she thought the Trump administration’s actions had been “outlandish,” the CNN hosts had nonetheless given no pushback and easily concluded the free publicity for his or her visitor’s liberal trigger.
Transcript follows:
CNN Information Central
February 14, 2025
2:27 p.m. Japanese
CLIP OF PROTESTERS: — is not going to erase us! They won’t erase us!
BRIANNA KEILAR: Demonstrators — demonstrators sounding off on the Stonewall Nationwide Monument in New York at this time after references to transgender and queer individuals had been scrubbed from the Nationwide Park Service web site. The park service has additionally shortened the phrase “LGBTQ+” to easily “LGB” on the Stonewall webpage.
BORIS SANCHEZ: The Stonewall monument honors the beginning of the fashionable LGBTQ+ rights motion which started after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village homosexual bar, again in 1969. The raid sparked days of protests, cementing Stonewall as an emblem of resistance for these throughout the homosexual, lesbian and transgender group. Stacy Lentz is the co-owner of the Stonewall Inn and the CEO of the Stonewall Offers Again Initiative, and he or she joins us reside now. Stacy, thanks a lot for sharing a part of your afternoon with us. I’m wondering what you make of the removing of “transgender” and “queer” from this web site? What is the significance?
STACY LENTZ, STONEWALL: Yeah, I imply, I wish to say I am — I am actually, actually shocked, however I am not. We have seen this present administration not solely simply marketing campaign on attacking trans and nonbinary people, however then additionally along with actually going after them and making an attempt to erase them from public life. However it was nonetheless very painful on the birthplace of the LGBTQ rights motion to see them attempt to erase trans people from queer historical past. We’d not be sitting the place we’re at this time on the Stonewall Inn if it wasn’t for trans individuals in 1969 who stood up with the remainder of the group. So it is outlandish that they suppose they’ll erase a complete a part of our group from LGBTQ historical past which is American historical past.
KEILAR: And also you say you are going to combat this. How do you propose to combat this?
LENTZ: Yeah. So proper now we have organized a large protest at this time, along with we are going to proceed to protest, converse up, and converse out, and actually name on Democratic leaders to actually not be silent on this concern. We actually wish to see our Democratic leaders step up and combat for us. We can not enable a complete group of our inhabitants to be utterly erased not simply from public life however from historical past. However they’re actually going after them on all ranges. So we have to ensure that all people, together with allies, all people combating for trans and nonbinary people proper now.
SANCHEZ: While you speak about these people being focused in any respect ranges, are there some other packages or monuments that you simply suppose may very well be effected?
LENTZ: Yeah, nicely, we’re seeing them actually being, you recognize, erased from each type of authorities program, proper? I imply, we have seen that with beginning certificates not having gender, X markers on passports and issues of that nature. So that they actually have been scrubbed from all authorities web sites. And, once more, as soon as we noticed President Trump come out throughout inauguration and say there’s solely two genders, we will not actually be stunned. However to say it is appalling is definitely an understatement, and so we are going to arrange because the LGBTQ+ group and ask all our allies to prepare with us as we arise and combat again in opposition to the erasure of American individuals.
KEILAR: What is the temper proper now? It is not good clearly, however what are you listening to? What are the issues in the neighborhood?
LENTZ: Yeah, I believe the issues are that persons are upset — persons are devastated. I believe that this takes a really private be aware as a result of it’s — it’s Stonewall. Stonewall is such a world image to our group that, you recognize, it is outrageous {that a} authorities entity might come into what we take into account our residence and attempt to erase a gaggle of those that had been current for hundreds of years. Trans individuals exist — they’ve at all times existed — and so for the federal government to return into Stonewall of all locations and attempt to scrub them not simply from the web site however from current — is de facto simply madness to us.
SANCHEZ: Stacy Lentz, thanks a lot for sharing your standpoint. We respect it.
