The American lgbtq+ Museum

12/08/2022

Weaving Witchcraft | New-York Historical Society

Join us TOMORROW for a salon discussion about the historical entanglement of textiles and witchcraft with lace specialist and textile historian Elena Kanagy-Loux and self-identified witch, fiber artist, and knitter Mame Tenczar, whose craft reclaims the power of textile-making today.

The conversation will be moderated by Keren Ben-Horin, fashion historian and Curatorial Scholar in Women’s History, who co-curated New-York Historical Society’s “The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming,” on view now in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery through January 22, 2023.

Register here.

At the time of Salem’s infamous witch trials, the area just north of Salem Village was famous for something entirely different: its handmade lace industry.

12/06/2022

At the time of Salem’s infamous witch trials, the area just north of Salem Village was famous for something else: handmade lace, made almost entirely by women, featuring distinct floral, geometric and abstract patterns.

Join us this Thursday on Zoom for a dynamic salon discussion about the historical entanglement of textiles and witchcraft with New-York Historical Society.

Register here: https://bit.ly/weaving-witchcraft

12/01/2022

Throughout history, the word witch has been used against women and q***r individuals who refuse to conform to societal expectations of heteronormative gender norms. How did this appear in visual culture? And how have contemporary practitioners of witchcraft reclaimed and reshaped this imagery?

Join us TOMORROW with New-York Historical Society's Center for Women’s History for "Picturing Q***r Witchcraft," a fascinating look at the history of q***r identity and the witch archetype.

Register: https://bit.ly/picturing-witchcraft

11/29/2022

What more impactful thing could you do on Giving Tuesday, than helping create a national museum for LGBTQ+ history and culture, which will open to the public in 2026.

This is happening! Our community will finally have the museum we deserve. Please donate today, so we realize the power of our history, our stories and our visibility – for generations.

Early supporters are helping build this museum from the ground up. Join us! History is calling!

11/04/2022

"So many people at the end of their lives had the records of their q***rness destroyed, by family members, by loved ones, sometimes by themselves because of the stigma and the shame. And so our goal really is to bring those stories out into the light, out of the closet of history, and to inspire future generations to not feel that stigma." —Ben Garcia

We’re delighted that ABC7NY spotlighted our progress in creating an with New-York Historical Society!

Watch the full story: https://7ny.tv/3Uas4A9

11/03/2022

In 1987 — as rightwing politicians attacked LGBTQ+ people and the AIDS epidemic raged — more than half-a-million q***r people and their allies gathered in Washington, D.C. to demand their full civil rights and immediate action to address the AIDS crisis. Around the United States, LGBTQ+ people gathered in local communities to plan for the march, building organizations that drove the movement in the years ahead. The 1987 March on Washington was a landmark, galvanizing event in the history of LGBTQ+ civil rights.

On October 11th, a panel of movement activists, Leti Gomez, Joyce Hunter, and Steve Ault, joined moderator Ann Northrop to discuss the march, their roles in organizing it, and its impact. Were you unable to make the event? No problem! Watch the full program video below.

11/02/2022

“To lead the American LGBTQ+ Museum into this next phase is a dream realized … Together, we will tell the stories of q***r peoples in this country from its indigenous beginnings to the present; thousands of stories that haven’t been told before in museums.”

Always on message! Our Executive Director Ben Garcia was named to Blooloop’s museum influencer list, and it’s no surprise why given his passion and ability to laser focus on what we’re trying to build. Congratulations, Ben!

Read all about it: https://bit.ly/bengarcia-blooloop

11/01/2022

A heartfelt thanks to everyone in our community who made it out, virtually and in-person, to celebrate with a series of very successful events! Whether you came and found these events thought-provoking and enjoyable, or missed the lineup this time around, please sign up for our newsletter to be first in line to know about our future programming.

👉 https://bit.ly/lgbtq-museum-enews

We started by celebrating the groundbreaking 1987 March On March on Washington, and we were inspired for the discussion panel by the great 1990s documentary by JEB. We were thrilled that movement activists Leti Gomez, Joyce Hunter, Steve Ault, and moderator Ann Northrop could join us for this inspiring conversation about an incredibly impactful day in LGBTQ+ history.

On October 14 we explored q***ring the narrative of witchcraft at New-York Historical Society with a turnout that blew us away. There was a fantastic panel conversation led by our own Ben Garcia, performances, and a special exploration—complete with environmental dance performances—of New-York Historical Society’s exhibition The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming, on view now through January 23, 2023. Run, don't walk to see it before it’s gone!

We closed our events with a 20th anniversary screening of the fantastic documentary “The Cockettes” at NewFest, followed by a Q&A conducted by award-winning filmmaker Stephen Winter with co-directors David Weissman and Bill Weber.

11/01/2022

The will tell the evolving histories of LGBTQ+ people in our own voices. We are envisioning a world where **all** people work toward and experience the joy of liberation. It’s past time for the broader culture to reflect back the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Learn more at AmericanLGBTQMuseum.org.

10/24/2022

Thanks to all who joined us last week New-York Historical Society for “Reckoning with the History of Witchcraft”! We were thrilled to have such a great turnout for this and the rest of our events, and to host incredible conversation and performances by Catherine Cabeen (with dancers Marie Lloyd Paspe and Diovanna Òbafunmilayo Lábeija), Marcelitte Failla, and Raquel Salas Rivera. 📸 Leandro Justen

See our photo album from the festivities below, and join our mailing list to hear about our future events as we get closer to making the a reality! 👉 https://bit.ly/lgbtq-museum-enews

10/16/2022

JOIN US TONIGHT (5pm) at NewFest to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "The Cockettes," including a screening of the film and a Q&A between directors David Weissman and Bill Weber, and award-winning filmmaker Stephen Winter.

TICKETS: https://bit.ly/newfest-cockettes

10/14/2022

“When the call for the first national march on Washington was made, most gay and le***an organizations did not support it, fearing that not enough people would risk being visible.” But people’s need for unity overcame objections and on October 14, 1979, 100,000 people marched on the capitol.

Only days after we celebrated the landmark 1987 March on Washington, today we mark the anniversary of the 1979 National March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights.

📸 From Joan E. Biren's documentary “For Love and for Life: The 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights” (1990).

10/14/2022

"The program comes at a time when misunderstandings about witchcraft and Paganism remain widespread. Similarly, underrepresented voices in the Pagan community itself, including LGBTQ+ practitioners, Black witches and witches of color, are still struggling to be recognized."

Thanks for covering The Wild Hunt! Read the article and, if you haven't, register for "Reckoning With the History of Witchcraft" New-York Historical Society —happening TONIGHT—below.

REGISTER: https://bit.ly/reckoning-witchcraft

10/14/2022

Thank you for joining us in honoring the legacy of the 1987 march, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of this landmark event. If you attended and haven’t already, we encourage you to stream “For Love and for Life: The 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights” (1990), JEB’s documentary, to understand more about this history-making event in the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights. Available during the month of October.

10/13/2022

Salem’s witch trials remain a defining example of intolerance and injustice in America, even 300 years later. Organized by Peabody Essex Museum, New-York Historical Society’s newest exhibition asks: In moments of justice, what role do we play? Book a spot on our event “Reckoning With the History of Witchcraft,” this coming Friday.

REGISTER: https://bit.ly/reckoning-witchcraft

You’ll get an enhanced experience of New-York Historical Society’s wonderful new exhibit, complete with environmental performance pieces throughout. Choreographer Catherine Cabeen and poet Raquel Salas Rivera will both treat the audience to performances of dance and poetry, respectively.

You’ll also get access to a panel discussion moderated by Executive Director Ben Garcia and featuring Black scholar Marcelitte Failla, modern witch and author Christopher Penczak, and Raquel Salas Rivera, who is a founding member of the Yerbamala Collective. 📸 2️⃣ Tim Summers

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10/13/2022

We believe the time has come to tell the story of LGBTQ+ people, commemorate and celebrate our journey, and inspire pride. Our museum's visitors will be by turns enlightened, entertained, and exposed to our culture and to a documented history of people, a history which has been historically unavailable or difficult to access.

Learn more: https://americanlgbtqmuseum.org/about/

10/12/2022

Catherine Cabeen is an artist and teacher who directed her own interdisciplinary performance company "Hyphen," which the The New York Times described as “highly kinetic, complex... visually exquisite,” and “beautifully performed.”

She was a member of the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance company and Jones' assistant choreographer on "Spring Awakenin," and has received support for choreography work from Mellon Foundation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and more.

You can see Catherine perform this Friday at RECKONING WITH THE HISTORY OF WITCHCRAFT, part of our event series. 📸 Tim Summers

Register: https://bit.ly/reckoning-witchcraft

10/11/2022

🚨🚨 LAST CHANCE to join us TONIGHT at 6:30pm (*virtually*) for MARCHING MAD: The 1987 March on Washington and its Impact on our Nation, a 35th Anniversary *Virtual* Panel.

Details and registration: https://bit.ly/marching-mad

“Getting over a half a million people from *everywhere* to Washington was a major achievement. People saved their money and scheduled time off work.” — from Joan E. Biren’s documentary “For Love and for Life: The 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights” (1990)

10/11/2022

Seattle Times on "The Cockettes" documentary

Before rising to solo stardom, disco sensation Sylvester performed with The Cockettes. Play “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” on repeat this weekend, then join us as the Museum partners with NewFest to host co-directors David Weissman and Bill Weber on Sunday, October 16th, for a screening and discussion of the documentary, “The Cockettes.” 📸 © Clay Geerdes

Details and tickets: https://bit.ly/newfest-cockettes

The Seattle Times

10/11/2022

After much planning, the organizers of the 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights adopted the following as the demands for the march:

🔶 The legal recognition of le***an and gay relationships

🔶 The repeal of all laws that make so**my between consenting adults a crime

🔶 A Presidential order banning anti-gay discrimination by the federal government

🔶 Passage of the Congressional le***an and gay rights bill
An end to discrimination against people with AIDS or those perceived to have AIDS

🔶 Massive increase in funding for AIDS education, research, and patient care. Monday for AIDS not for War

🔶 Reproductive freedom. The right to control our own bodies, and an end to sexist oppression

🔶 An end to racism in this country and apartheid in South Africa

Learn more — from movement activists who were there! — about the 1987 march at our virtual program TOMORROW: MARCHING MAD: The 1987 March on Washington and its Impact on our Nation, a 35th Anniversary *Virtual* Panel.

Details and registration: https://bit.ly/marching-mad

10/10/2022

Salem’s witch trials remain a defining example of intolerance and injustice in America, even 300 years later. Organized by Peabody Essex Museum, New-York Historical Society ’s newest exhibition asks: In moments of justice, what role do we play?

For the best possible view of this great show join us on Friday 10/14 for a panel discussion, and dance performances and poetry readings. Plus, attendees will get an exclusive view of the show, featuring environmental art performances throughout!

REGISTER: https://bit.ly/reckoning-witchcraft

10/10/2022

Our events are fast upon us! Programming kicks off tomorrow, October 11, with a virtual panel celebrating the 35th anniversary of the history changing 1987 March on Washington. Joining us virtually will be movement activists Leti Gomez, Joyce Hunter and Steve Ault, along with Ann Northrup (GAY USA) as moderator. If you’ve registered and want to prepare, watch Joan E. Biren’s documentary film (optional). If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for!

See full events list: https://bit.ly/lgbtqmuseum-events

On October 14, you can join us at for a panel and wonderful interpretive performances around its new exhibition — special exhibition tour is included with registration — focusing on the Salem witch trials, which asks: In moments of justice, what role do we play?

Finally, next Sunday, join us to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the documentary “The Cockettes” at NewFest. Join us for the film followed by a Q&A with directors David Weissman and Bill Weber, moderated by filmmaker Stephen Winters.

10/09/2022

Le***ans and gay men themselves have not always believed they deserved equality — the result of a lifetime of external forces insisting they were sick, or deviants. Many q***r people were convinced that their “situation” was “a personal problem, not a motivation to political action.” But then, in the 1960s, “a more militant wing of the movement emerged” who asserted that only through visible, public action could they effectively demand respect for their humanity. The first picket for gay rights took place in 1965 at the White House; 10 people participated. The next year, Annual Reminder Days were established in Philadelphia, PA (these would continue until 1970, when they evolved into today’s Pride March, following the 1969 Stonewall uprising). Twenty-two years later, in 1987, half a million people would march on the capitol.

Join the Museum and movement activists on this Tuesday, October 11, for MARCHING MAD: The 1987 March on Washington and its Impact on our Nation, a 35th Anniversary *Virtual* Panel.

https://bit.ly/marching-mad

Movement activists will reflect on the march, their roles in organizing it, and the march’s lasting impact. The program will include an optional screening of Joan E. Biren’s 1990 documentary on the 1987 march, “For Love and for Life: The 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights,” which participants may watch at any time during the month of October. Pictured, activists Barbara Gittings and Randy Wicker photographed by Kay “Tobin” Lahusen, 1966.

10/07/2022

LGBTQ+ Museum Facts—What?

Our museum will not present a “fixed singular narrative” of LGBTQ+ history. That history would be biased and exclusionary. Instead, visitors will find a core exhibition designed so elements can be revised or reconfigured easily. This will expose visitors to a wide range of evolving topics and themes. We want to create a “living” museum representing a kaleidoscope of subjectivities—complex and true-to-life.

Get a taste of this variety through October. Register for online and in-person events throughout to celebrate through multiple lenses.

For more information and to register: https://bit.ly/lgbtqmuseum-events

10/06/2022

Gang’s all here! Sweet Pam, John Rothermel, and Pristine Condition (photographed by Clay Geerdes) were among The Cockettes whose lavish, gender-bending productions fast became not-to-be-missed events for the hippest of San Francisco’s 1970s free spirits. New shows were created every few weeks: “Paste on Paste”, “Gone with the Showboat to Oklahoma”, and “Tropical Heatwave/Hot Voodoo”, were some of the early titles. The early shows were mostly non-narrative revues, with everybody making their own costumes, and creative spontaneity reigning supreme.

On Sunday, October 16th, join us as we celebrate “The Cockettes” Documentary 20th Anniversary” with NewFest.

Details and tickets: https://bit.ly/newfest-cockettes

10/04/2022

“There are just so many of us. So many! Hundreds and hundreds of thousands. I can’t help remembering when I thought I was the only one.”

“I couldn’t stop grinning. Everywhere the streets, the subway, the restaurants, the zoo, the museums, everything filled with gay people. I particularly enjoyed the discomfort of straight people who suddenly found themselves in the minority.”

—participants of the 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights, as featured in Joan E. Biren’s documentary “For Love and for Life: The 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights” (1990)

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the landmark 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights. On October 11, 2022, the Museum invites you to MARCHING MAD: The 1987 March on Washington and its Impact on our Nation, a 35th Anniversary Panel (details and register at link in bio).

REGISTER: https://bit.ly/marching-mad

Movement activists will reflect back on the experience of the march (the second of its kind for the LGBTQ+ community), their roles in organizing it, and the march’s lasting impact. The program will include an optional screening of Joan E. Biren’s 1990 documentary on the 1987 march, “For Love and for Life: The 1987 March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights,” which participants may watch at any time during the month of October.

10/04/2022

In partnership with New-York Historical Society’s Center for Women’s History, invites you to celebrate the new exhibition, The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming, organized by Peabody Essex Museum and coming to New-York Historical Society October 7.

https://bit.ly/reckoning-witchcraft

As witchcraft practitioners, contemporary religious scholars and cultural (re)organizers, q***r leaders of Pagan and Wiccan communities share experiences in reconciling the historical trauma of past witch trials and attempted cultural erasure with their work building dynamic communities.

🚨🚨 RECKONING WITH THE HISTORY OF WITCHCRAFT: Modern Q***r Wiccan and Pagan Communities
** performances, panel discussion, exhibition tour
**
October 14, 2022 (6pm, FREE Admission)

https://bit.ly/reckoning-witchcraft

Come for a performance by modern dancer and choreographer Catherine Cabeen - Hyphen, and stay for a panel discussion — featuring Museum Executive Director Ben Garcia in conversation with Black scholar Marcelitte Failla, modern witch and author Christopher Penczak, and Raquel Salas Rivera, poet and founding member of the Yerbamala Collective — on the role and power of q***rness in the reclaiming of witchcraft as an identity today.

Following the panel, attendees are invited to tour the exhibition and to experience an environmental performance based on the Tarot created by Catherine Cabeen with dancers Marie Lloyd Paspe and Diovanna Obafunmilayo, as well as a poetry reading by Raquel Salas Rivera.

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