International Visibility of GLBT History
Museum Fosters Ongoing Cultural Exchange
The international visibility of The GLBT History Museum has led to a growing number of requests for information about the museum's approach to queer public history and a strengthening of its contacts with sister institutions outside the United States. During 2011, the museum welcomed representatives from the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives and the Australian Gay and Lesbian Archives. In addition, the organizers of the Institut Arc-en-Ciel (Rainbow Institute), a new LGBT archives initiative in Paris, have called on the museum and the GLBT Historical Society for technical assistance in preparing their project proposal.
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Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit (left) with Gerard Koskovich
from The GLBT History Museum.
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The GLBT History Museum wrapped up the year with further international recognition: an invitation to present in Berlin at the annual conference of Maneo, the German national organization that advocates an end to anti-LGBT violence. On Dec. 1, Gerard Koskovich, a founding member of the GLBT Historical Society and one of the curators of "Our Vast Queer Past," discussed the ways that the museum's public history work promotes social respect and equality for LGBT people. Another longtime museum supporter, former San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, also highlighted the museum in his talk at the conference.
Koskovich's presentation made the following point: "The international response to The GLBT History Museum has reinforced my observation that as members of LGBT communities, we can either seize the opportunity offered by this emerging interest in our past as a means of advancing our demands for a position of dignity in neighborhoods, cities, countries and cultures -- or we can ignore it at our peril. We can either create and disseminate our own historiographies -- or see our history debased or erased by those who oppose us. An awareness of these alternatives is a driving force for all of us who have worked to create The GLBT History Museum in San Francisco."
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| February Program: Contributors to New Anthology Discuss Queer Public Sex
Contributors to the new book Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots? Flaming Challenges to Masculinity, Objectification and the  Desire to Conform (AK Press) will explore the past, present and future of queer public sex and related themes at The GLBT History Museum on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, the editor of the anthology, will host the discussion.
The editor's website offers this snapshot of the collection: "Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots? challenges not just the violence of straight homophobia but the hypocrisy of mainstream gay norms that say the only way to stay safe is to act straight: get married, join the military, adopt kids! This anthology reinvokes the anger, flamboyance and subversion once thriving in gay subcultures in order to create something dangerous and lovely: an exploration of the perils of assimilation; a call for accountability; a vision for change." The panel discussion will take place at The GLBT History Museum at 4127 18th St. in San Francisco's Castro District. Admission: $5 to $10 suggested donation. |
EXHIBITIONS & PROGRAMS
GLBT History Museum
Location: 4127 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94114
Phone: 415-621-1107
Website: www.glbthistorymuseum.org
Admission: $5.00 general; $3.00 with California student ID. Free for members. Free for all visitors on the first Wednesday of each month (courtesy of the Bob Ross Foundation).
Hours:
Mondays: 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: Closed
Wednesdays - Saturdays: 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sundays: Noon - 5:00 p.m.
ARCHIVES & READING ROOM
GLBT Historical Society
Location: 657 Mission St., Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-777-5455, ext. 3#
Website: www.glbthistory.org
Research Hours (by appointment)
Members: Wednesdays - Fridays: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Nonmembers: Fridays: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
First & Third Saturdays: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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MUSEUM EVENTS
February 16
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Panel Discussion The Past, Present and Future of Public Sex
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The GLBT History
Museum displays a
wealth of material
from San Francisco's
vast queer past.
The front gallery of the museum features "Great
Collections From
the GLBT Historical
Society Archives." See
the show now: It's closing
in mid-January.
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The GLBT Historical Society is home to one
of the world's largest
gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender
archival collections.
An extraordinary recent donation from the
Schwules Museum, the
gay museum and archives in Berlin: the 1936 volume of Schweizerisches Freundschafts-Banner (Swiss Flag of Friendship), the only European homosexual periodical
that survived throughout
the Nazi period. Under the title Der Kreis, it continued publishing until 1967.
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Docent-led tours
of the GLBT HIstory Museum are available
by appointment.
For more information,
contact Aimee Forster, museum operations manager, at
aimee@glbthistory.org.
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For in-depth
information on the
GLBT Historical Society
and the GLBT History Museum, visit
our website.
For updates on the
museum and archives, follow us on Facebook.
For an overview of
the goals and history of
the museum and
archives, see our entry
on Wikipedia.
For an array of GLBT videos from our archives and programs, see
our YouTube channel.
Copyright © 2012
GLBT Historical Society
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