George Segal’s statue Gay Liberation stands out and proud in Christopher Park, but not without its own story of struggle. Commissioned in 1979, Segal was asked to create the piece to commemorate the Stonewall Riots. As LGBTQ issues became hot topics in political and social justice throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s, Segal and those who commissioned the work met great resistance from local residents (namely older Italian Catholics from the surrounding neighborhood), political officials, and even some gays and lesbians who were angry that the art piece wasn’t made by a member of the community. As the city of New York and the organizations responsible for approving the piece fought over Gay Liberation’s future, Segal installed another version at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. This piece was vandalized and damaged numerous times in the years following. After almost 10 years of struggle, Gay Liberation was finally installed on June 23, 1992 during New York City’s Pride month celebrations. (2003.)

Gay Liberation lives in Christopher Park, also known as Sheridan Square. When crowds took to the streets during the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969, thousands filled the park for days as the demonstrations continued. This land became a symbol of the modern gay liberation movement. In 1983, the restoration of Christopher Park was initiated by a local volunteer group formed in the late 1970s. The renovation included a new gate, benches, lampposts, walkways, and numerous monuments. By 1999 the site of the Stonewall uprising—the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, and the surrounding neighborhood streets—were placed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and added to the National Register. (2003, 2013.)