On Friday, President Biden flew to New York City, where he spoke at the opening ceremony of the newly constructed Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. The memorial is built on the site of a gay and trans-friendly bar called the Stonewall Inn, which was raided by New York City police on June 28, 1969. As officers began dragging some of the patrons out, the community, led largely by trans women, fought back, sparking three days of rioting and resistance that launched the modern-day LGBTQ movement. This is President Biden.

President Joe Biden: “Fifty-five years ago today on this hallowed ground, a pivotal story for our nation unfolded. The soul of the nation was literally tested. That’s not hyperbole. The soul of the nation was tested. And the heart of this movement was ignited, and the course of history has changed forever, not just here, but I’ve traveled around the world. They look to us. They look to us, and it’s part of our foreign policy, as well, now.”

As Biden addressed the Stonewall National Monument’s grand opening, queer and trans activists held protests, unfurling banners reading “Queers to Biden: Stop Arming Israel” and “From New York to Gaza: Stonewall was an Intifada.” Stonewall veteran and legendary trans activist Miss Major Griffin-Gracy said in a statement, “Stonewall was about kicking the cops out of our lives. Biden can’t come here and pretend to support us while he drops bombs on people in Gaza. The girls and guys will keep on fighting, chanting, marching til every damn person is free, including Palestinians.”