On the day that tens of thousands marched in or cheered on the 48th annual NYC Pride March, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled his plans for the state’s first official LGBTQ monument.
Artist Anthony Goicolea will create the memorial, which will be located in Hudson River Park. It aims to honor the LGBTQ community, those who were killed in the June 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, as well as other victims of hate, violence and intolerance, a statement from the governor said.
“This monument will serve as an enduring symbol of the role New Yorkers play in building a fairer, more just world,” Cuomo said. “From Stonewall to marriage equality, New York has always been a beacon for justice, and we will never waiver in our commitment to the LGBT community and to creating a more just and inclusive society.”
Goicolea’s design will consist of nine boulders, some of which will be bisected with glass that will create prisms to project rainbow patterns on nearby surroundings. The Brooklyn-based artist told The New York Times that Stonehenge and Easter Island were among his inspirations for its creation.
“I wanted to create a space that feels familiar, even though it is new,” he said. “I wanted something usable and functional, and that was not going to take away part of the space.”
After the Pulse attack on June 26, 2016, in which 49 people were killed, Cuomo created the 10-member LGBT Memorial Commission and announced plans for the monument. Submissions for the memorial began being accepted last October.
