A Texas artist has unveiled a new mural dedicated to the transgender heroes of the Stonewall Riots.
Artist Brian Kenny designed and painted the mural as a monument celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The painting, located in Dallas, is said to be the largest transgender-themed mural in the US.
“This mural represents the trans women of color who were key figures in that riot and also key figures in the start of the queer liberation movement,” Kenny told NBC. “This mural is to honor them and to give more visibility, love and attention to the transgender community.”
Kenny’s design features images of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two transgender icons of the Stonewall uprising. The riots, which began in June 1969, lasted several days and found scores of queer protesters taking to the streets to fight back against police harassment and brutality. Historians widely credit the uprising for igniting the LGBTQ rights movement in the United States, and subsequently worldwide.
Kenny painted the mural as part of a beautification project for the Ceder Springs area of Dallas. “I wanted this mural to be a positive reinforcement that we’re all a human family, we’re all in this together, and really, it’s all about love,” he says. “Really, I want the mural to be a bridge.”
