On Monday, June 26, American Vice President Kamala Harris visited the legendary Stonewall Inn, the site of the Stonewall uprising that marked what many consider to be the start of the modern queer liberation movement. The Vice President’s surprise visit honoured the legacy of the venue while she also encouraged LGBTQ+ Americans to keep fighting as hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed throughout the states this year. 

Harris visited the bar with television host Andy Cohen. The pair sat in conversation with Stonewall co-owner Kurt Kelly as Cohen asked the Vice President about what there is to be“optimistic about this Pride season”.

As Harris spoke to the bar’s patrons, she affirmed her support for the LGBTQ+ community and promised that the federal government will put in the work to support queer folks during a turbulent time in the nation’s history. Harris added, “We are all in this together. We are fighting for the ideals of our country, we believe in its promise of equality and freedom and we fight with pride.”

While not naming any specific federal policy changes aimed at protecting the LGBTQ+ community, Harris did acknowledge the challenges the queer community in the US has faced, stating that “this fight is not over.”  

.@VP Harris made a surprise visit to the Stonewall Inn and National Monument in NYC today. ?️‍?

?: Mary Altaffer pic.twitter.com/1RzhH79FUp

— best of kamala harris (@archivekamala) June 26, 2023

Harris visited the site on the eight-year anniversary of the national legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US, discussing her involvement with what she believes were “some of the first same-sex marriages in our country back in 2004” when she served as San Francisco district attorney.

Vice President Kamala Harris ended her visit to Stonewall with a message of solidarity, affirming that “we’re not going to be silenced, we’re not going to be deterred. We are not going to tire. We’re not going to throw up our hands, we’re going to roll up our sleeves. That’s to me what Stonewall means – strength in numbers.”

The Stonewall Inn, which has been classified as a national monument for its role in the infamous 1969 riots, has been the target of anti-LGBTQ+ vandalism as it continues to celebrate Pride Month. Authorities are currently looking into three reports of vandalism at the site, all regarding the tearing down and damaging of the Pride flag banners outside of the bar, one of the many attacks against LGBTQ+ businesses in the US in recent months.