In celebration of Pride Month, History Fort Lauderdale and The Galleria Fort Lauderdale will be hosting “Be Pride! A Retrospective of 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Milestones” throughout the month of June. This enlightening exhibit, held at The Galleria Fort Lauderdale, will highlight key moments in LGBTQ+ history that have impacted South Florida’s arts, culture, business, media and political landscape. A ticketed preview reception will be held on Thursday, May 30th at 6pm, marking the official kickoff of Stonewall Pride. Hosted by Fay What?!, the show Fay What?! on the Happening Out Television Network, the reception will honor 10 influential LGBTQ community leaders and feature special performances by Velvet Lenore and Vose Allen, as well as music from DJ Jay McCracken of Spike Entertainment.
The 2024 Take PRIDE! honorees who have made significant contributions to the South Florida community include: Artistic Director of Island City Stage Andy Rogow; President and CEO of The Hourfund Foundation David Jobim; renowned entertainer Erica Norell; President and CEO of South Florida Symphony Jacqueline Rober; former Top Chef contestant and Bubbles and Pearls owner Josie Smith Malave; OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Board Chair Mark Gilbert; transgender advocate and Sunserve Director Misty Eyes; CEO of the Pride Center at Equality Park Robert Vu; celebrity host Shawn Paracious (Kitty Miao); and Owner and Publisher of OutClique magazine Dr. Steven Evans.
The historic exhibit will highlight key moments in national, state and local history, including Executive Order 10450, which banned gays from working for the federal government in 1953, the Stonewall Riots in 1969, the first openly gay man elected to public office, Harvey Milk, in 1978, and the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. in 2015. Additionally, it will include the Miss Florida FI Pageant Wall of Fame, celebrating 53 years of the art of cross-dressing, and will feature pageant titleholders from 1972 to present.
Additional contributions to the exhibit are courtesy of Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library, History Miami, Wilton Manors Historical Society, GLBT Historical Society, and the New York Public Library and National Archives.
The exhibit will be located between Macy’s and Dillard’s, near Swarovski, and will be free and open to the public during mall hours from June 1-30.
History Fort Lauderdale’s “Take a Pride! Celebrating 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Life in South Florida” is sponsored by The Galleria Fort Lauderdale, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, OutCreek, Hotspot Media Group/Happening Out Television Network, Miss Florida FI Pageant and GPR|Goodman Public Relations. Additional funding is provided in part by the Broward County Board of Commissioners at the recommendation of the Broward County Cultural Council, Visit Lauderdale – Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and The Hour Fund Foundation.
Tickets for the “Take PRIDE! A Retrospective of 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Milestones” Preview Reception/Official Stonewall PRIDE Month Kickoff Event on May 30 are $50 and can be purchased at www.historyfortlauderdale.org . Guests will enjoy a preview of the exhibit, special performances, an open bar and light refreshments provided by The Capital Grille Fort Lauderdale and Tulio’s Tacos & Tequila Bar.
For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ftlhistory, on Instagram at @ftlhistory and on Twitter at @FTLHistory. Subscribe to us on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.
