In honor of PRIDE Month, History Fort Lauderdale and Galleria Fort Lauderdale will present “Take PRIDE! A 100-Year Retrospective of LGBTQ+ Milestones” throughout the month of June. This enlightening exhibit at Galleria Fort Lauderdale will highlight major moments in LGBTQ+ history that have impacted South Florida’s arts, culture, business, media, and political landscapes. A ticketed preview reception, serving as the official kickoff to Stonewall PRIDE, will take place on Thursday, May 30, at 6 p.m. Hosted by FayWhat?! of The FayWhat?! Show on the Happening Out Television Network, the reception will honor 10 impactful LGBTQ community leaders and will include special performances by Velvet Lenore and Vauz Allen.
The 2024 “Take PRIDE!” honorees who have made significant contributions to the South Florida community are: Andy Rogow, artistic director of Island City Stage; David Jobin, president/CEO of The Our Fund Foundation; Erika Norell, renowned entertainer; Jacqueline Lorber, president/CEO of South Florida Symphony Orchestra; Josie Smith Malave, former “Top Chef” contestant and owner of Bubbles and Pearls; Mark Gilbert, board chair of OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival; Misty Eyez, transgender advocate and director at SunServe; Robert Boo, CEO of The Pride Center at Equality Park; Shawn Palacious (Kitty Meow), celebrity host and Steven Evans, Ph.D., owner and publisher of OutClique magazine.
“History Fort Lauderdale is proud to stand in unity with the LGBTQ+ community to commemorate its influential history and celebrate its resilience,” said Patricia Zeiler, executive director of History Fort Lauderdale. “As we reflect on their contributions, we are reminded of the importance of inclusivity and acceptance for all. We remain committed to preserving and sharing these stories through ‘Take PRIDE!” and championing diversity in our city and beyond.”
This historic exhibit will highlight major moments in national, state and local history such as Executive Order 10450 which banned homosexuals from working for the federal government in 1953, the Stonewall riots in 1969, Harvey Milk elected to office as the first openly gay man in 1978 and same sex marriage legalized in the United States in 2015. In addition, it will also include the Miss Florida F.I. Pageant Wall of Fame which celebrates 53 years of the art of female impersonation. Pageant title holders from 1972 to present will be displayed.
“Galleria Fort Lauderdale is honored to host this third installment of History Fort Lauderdale’s ‘Take PRIDE!’ program,” said Melissa Milroy, senior marketing manager at Galleria Fort Lauderdale. “Our city’s remarkable growth is due, in part, to the contributions of these illustrious and dedicated community leaders who strive to ensure equality and representation. We welcome our shoppers to learn more about them during their visit.”
Additional contributions to the exhibit are courtesy of Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library, History Miami, Wilton Manors Historical Society, GLBT Historical Society, and New York Public Library, National Archives.
The exhibition, located near Swarovski, between Macy’s and Dillard’s, will be free and open to the public during mall hours from June 1 – 30.
History Fort Lauderdale’s “Take PRIDE! A 100-Year Retrospective of LGBTQ+ Life in South Florida” is sponsored by Galleria Fort Lauderdale, OutClique, HotSpots Media Group/Happening Out Television Network, The Our Fund Foundation and GPR | Goodman Public Relations.
Tickets for the May 30 “Take PRIDE! A 100-Year Retrospective of LGBTQ+ Milestones” preview reception/official Stonewall PRIDE Month kickoff event are $50 and are available at www.historyfortlauderdale.org. Guests will enjoy a preview of the exhibit, an open bar, light bites by The Capital Grille Fort Lauderdale and Tulio’s Tacos & Tequila Bar and special performances.
History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, hosts a variety of engaging multicultural experiences, year-round. It seeks to bring awareness to the community through both traveling exhibits and multiple permanent exhibits including “Women Trailblazers,” “Fort Lauderdale – the Early Years,” “The African American Experience,” “Fashion & Musical Theatre,” “From Dugouts to Dream Yachts: the story of boatbuilding along the New River,” Seminole Arts & Culture,” “New River Archaeology,” “Viva Fort Lauderdale: Celebrating Hispanic Art & Culture” and more. The nonprofit museum also hosts an artists’ collective collaborative space.
For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, please call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ftlhistory, on Instagram @ftlhistory and on Twitter @FTLHistory. Subscribe to us on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.
History Fort Lauderdale
History Fort Lauderdale, celebrating 62 years of being the proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, brings the stories of our diverse community to life through engaging educational experiences, innovative cultural exhibits, research and preservation of artifacts. Guests to Fort Lauderdale are invited to explore the city’s rich past that is housed in historic buildings on a lushly landscaped campus – the History Museum of Fort Lauderdale situated in the 1905 New River Inn, the 1907 Pioneer House Museum, the 1899 Ivy Cromartie Schoolhouse Museum and the Hoch Research Library, South Florida’s foremost history center housing print resources and newspapers from 1910 – present plus 400,000 archival photos, 2,500 maps and 5,000 architectural blueprints. History Fort Lauderdale is located at 231 SW Second Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are available online at http://bit.ly/HistoryFortLauderdaleTickets. History Fort Lauderdale is a nonprofit agency supported by memberships, grants and charitable contributions.
