On 51st Anniversary Of Uprising, Stonewall Inn Faces Possible Closure

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Stacy Lentz, a Stonewall co-owner, said the bar is four months behind on its $40,000 a month rent.

“Losing a lot of sleep, trying to figure out how we can save this iconic institution,” Lentz said. “You can do the math, when it’s over $40,000.”

A GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $225,000 by Saturday—above its goal. Lentz said she is grateful, but the future is still uncertain.

“We cannot let this global symbol for LGBTQ rights close and just become an empty storefront with a plaque on the wall,” Lentz said. “We need all these safe spaces. They’re really important to our community.”

In the absence of a formal Pride march this year, hundreds of people still gathered outside the bar Saturday for a combined Pride and Black Lives Matter march.

Lentz said the two movements share common goals.

“We’re not free as a community until everybody in our community is free,” she said.

David from Queens was one of a few hundred people gathered outside the Stonewall Inn on Saturday.

“It’s a great time for Pride and Black Lives Matter to walk hand in hand,” he said.

David said marginalized voices in the LGBTQ movement need to be amplified, particularly trans women of color.

“It’s important that everyone be looped in and protected under this umbrella of unity,” he said.

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