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 along with music by DJ Jay McCracken of Spiked Entertainment.
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.
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.
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, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, OutClique, HotSpots Media Group/Happening Out Television Network, the Miss Florida F.I. Pageant and GPR | Goodman Public Relations. Additional funding is provided in part by Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward County Cultural Council, Visit Lauderdale – Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and The Our Fund Foundation.
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, special performances, an open bar, and light bites courtesy of The Capital Grille Fort Lauderdale and Tulio’s Tacos & Tequila Bar.
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