New York's Stonewall Inn now a national monument to the gay rights movement
Tributes to the victims of the Orlando massacre were recently placed at the Stonewall Inn in New York. (AAP)
President Barack Obama has designated the first national monument to the gay rights movement in the US.
The Stonewall Inn in New York's Greenwich Village, which was the scene of violent riots in 1969, has been commemorated under the 1906 Antiquities Act, the Washington Post reported.
This means the US president has used his executive authority to enforce protection of the area, including Christopher Park, where the rioting occurred.
The Stonewall was a Mafia-owned bar known to be frequented by gay men.
Riots, which would last six days, began on June 28, 1969, after police raids.
In a video endorsing the decision, Mr Obama says the country's national parks should reflect the "full story" of the nation.
"I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us," he says.
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