Preserving LGBTQ+ History in Our Communities

Ben Garcia, Executive Director of the new American LGBTQ+ Museum, and Joan Ilacqua, Executive Director of The History Project, will discuss the intersections of their work preserving and sharing Queer History at two remarkable organizations. They’ll share insights into how Queer History can help us understand the present and envision our future, the role of communities in preserving Queer History, and how audience members can connect to this ongoing work.

The American LGBTQ+ Museum preserves, investigates, and celebrates the dynamic histories and cultures of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, as well as those of the emergent and adjacent identities among our communities. Using exhibitions and programs, the Museum seeks to advance LGBTQ+ equality through the lens of social justice movements, including, but not limited to, race, gender, class, immigration, and disability.

The History Project is focused exclusively on documenting and preserving the history of New England’s LGBTQ communities and sharing that history with LGBTQ individuals, organizations, allies, and the public. The History Project is a community archives – a repository, historical society, and museum for the LGBTQ+ community’s history.