The White House is reportedly considering building a monument to gay rights on the site of the Stonewall riots.

If plans for the proposed project go ahead, it will be first ever US national monument recognising the battle for LGBT rights. The monument will be located on a piece of Greenwich Village parkland adjacent to the Stonewall Inn – still a going concern attracting regulars and tourists alike – and part of the surrounding neighbour.

Obama is prepared to designate the area part of the National Park Service as soon as next month, reports The Washington Post, to coincide with gay pride month.

The monument will commemorate the events of 28 June, 1969, when members of New York’s LGBT community fought back against persistent police harassment in a series of spontaneous, violent riots lasting six days. These events, known now as the Stonewall riots, are considered to be the one of the most pivotal in the struggle for LGBT rights.

“We must ensure that we never forget the legacy of Stonewall, the history of discrimination against the LGBT community, or the impassioned individuals who have fought to overcome it,” said State Representative Jerrold Nadler one of the officials responsible for the proposal, said in a statement.

“The LGBT civil rights movement launched at Stonewall is woven into American history, and it is time our National Park system reflected that reality.”

The push to establish a monumen on the historic site has gained traction in recent years. The Parks Conservation Association has collected approximately 20,000 signatures on petitions that have been sent to the White House, reports The New York Times.

The potential project will be debated by officials in New York on May 9.