Stonewall National Monument dedicated

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A moving rendition of the national anthem was performed in a place that is now a national monument and the first National Park site dedicated to LGBT history.

National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said the service welcomes Stonewall National Monument, which includes Christopher Park, into the family of the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and the Statue of Liberty.

President Obama officially made the designation today but his senior advisor Valerie Jarrett said it's all thanks to the brave Americans who fought for civil rights decades ago.

Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt is one of the brave Americans. He was among the original group that participated in the 1969 Stonewall riots protesting violent police raids. He also spoke at the dedication.

The official designation came just weeks after the Orlando massacre of 49 people at an LGBT club. But it was years in the making.

Due to the national monument designation, National Park Service rangers will be on site seven days a week to help tell the history of everything that happened here.