Though LGBTQ+ history is being erased from government-run websites, The History Project in Boston is rescuing information erased by the National Park Service.
The campaign to erase LGBTQ+ history from broader American historical documentation began in January when Trump’s executive orders asked the diversity, equity and inclusivity efforts be scrubbed from government agency websites.
According to LGBTQ Nation, one of the most “egregious” examples of this is the removal from the NPS website of the names of trans women who sparked the Stonewall uprising of 1969.
These occurrences have erased or muted LGBTQ+ history in every corner of the country, including in Boston where the History Project had an LGBTQ+ audio tour of Beacon Hill and Downtown Boston removed from the NPS site in February.
The tour included information on the roles of queer figures in Boston throughout the 19th century and explored popular gay gathering spots throughout the city. The History Project hopes to preserve the history included in the tour and is now offering the virtual audio version on their own website.
“The History Project exists to document, preserve, and share queer and trans stories; our work is especially vital when institutions fail to protect or respect our history. We’ve made this tour accessible again, and we invite you to walk through queer and trans history in resistance against those who want to erase us,” the group said.
Upon releasing the virtual tour, the History Project also released a brief statement on the guide’s removal from the NPS website writing “Work created by government employees in the course of their official duties is public domain and belongs to the American people. While recent Executive Orders may attempt to sanitize or obscure aspects of our shared history, The History Project is committed to preserving and sharing queer and trans narratives. We will not allow our community to be erased.”
The Boston Globe investigated six instances of censorship by the NPS of stories on local LGBTQ+ activism as well as Black history. The NPS also shortened all tags of “LGBTQ+” to “LGB.”
