Stonewall 50: Lessons in Unerasing Underrepresented Histories

About

This June marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a key turning point in the LGBTQ civil rights movement. Despite the enormous advances of the movement, most people know almost nothing about LGBTQ history. Like those of other underrepresented communities, this history is often invisible or not well documented.

Please join us for a discussion on LGBTQ history focused on lessons learned, the current state of the field, and how various projects and initiatives are making this invisible history visible. Like other underrepresented communities, LGBTQ history is at the intersection of social justice and can provide the benefits of pride, memory, identity, continuity, and community.

The greater New York region already has one of the most robust and active collections of LGBTQ historians and history organizations that are nationally recognized. Innovative projects include oral histories and podcasts, curriculum kits, place-based cultural heritage surveys, and the planned American LGBTQ+ Museum, all using social media to disseminate information.

Explore

• The biggest challenges of documenting LGBTQ history, including the limited number of funders who support these efforts
• The need to invest in the growing effort to “un-erase” this key aspect of American history
• The importance of formally recognizing LGBTQ history and the enormous potential for the New York region to take the lead in that effort
• How other underrepresented communities can apply similar methods in making visible their hidden pasts
• Ways to tell, preserve, and share history, especially using social media

Please join us after the session for a reception sponsored by The J.M. Kaplan Fund.

Speakers

• Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, Assistant Professor, Head of Reference, The Graduate Center, CUNY and Co-Coordinator, Lesbian Herstory Archives
• Urvashi Vaid, President, The Vaid Group and Trustee, American LGBTQ+ Museum
• Cortney Worrall, Northeast Senior Regional Director, National Parks Conservation Association (Stonewall National Monument)
• Richard Burns (Moderator), Interim CEO, Lambda Legal and Trustee, Proteus Fund

Respondents

• Ken Lustbader, Co-Director, NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project
• Eric Marcus, Founder, Making Gay History