February 24, 2024
The Venue in Wilton Manors
www.Stonewall-Museum.org
By Robert Kesten
Not every South Florida Gala invites you to be part of LGBTQ+ history, but on February 24, 2024, at the Venue in Wilton Manors, you can do just that and become part of the permanent archival record at Stonewall National Museum, Archives, & Library.
There will be dinner and an open bar, as you might expect, but we will introduce two national campaigns transforming the way we look at our community and present ourselves to the world. We want you to be part of the “uprising”. We do this as we approach the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising (June 29, 1969) and as our nation determines its future this November.
We need your voice, and we need your support to ensure everyone in our community has access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their future. At the gala we will be doing all this with food, drink, a lot of music, and very little pontification.
We will pay tribute to Diana Nyad, whose steadfast determination has made her a global example of living your dream and making the impossible possible. Her cry “never give up” is the underlying story of our community’s history from Stonewall to today.
The stars of the HBO MAX film, The Stroll have made their mark as survivors. As young LGBTQ+ youth they were kicked out of their homes, lost their jobs, and yet they made it and are changing the lives of other young people who look to them as role models.
Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, is a government official who insists that everyone is family when they come to Broward County. Her insistence that our community is her community has made her the standout business leader in the state of Florida. Stacy does not back down, she doubles down, and we are all better for it.
And, special guest, Zander Moricz who gained fame when he talked about his curly hair after being forbidden to say he was gay at his high school graduation, has now taken on the president of the Sarasota School Board in a viral “educational” moment that no one should miss. This Harvard student puts it on the line and showing up for him ensures the next generation of leaders will be ready.
Stonewall is yours; our vast library, archives, and museum belong to the LGBTQ+ community. We are here to tell your story, to share the materials and history we collect and to intertwine our history into the fabric of American and world history. You have the opportunity of a lifetime to be part of this historic moment when lightning will be caught in a bottle, right here in Wilton Manors. Do not stand on the sidelines when you can be those shoulders we stand on. This is your opportunity to be a hero.
SPONSORS: CAN, Broward County Cultural Division, Visit Lauderdale, American National Bank, Drexel University
