The states of Mississippi and North Carolina made it illegal just last month to protect LGBTQ people from
discrimination. In 2016! And other state legislatures are rushing to propose
similar laws.
This
is exactly why LGBTQ history is so important. By educating the public about decades
of discrimination, we confront the mistakes of the past. By sharing the story
of our struggles and triumphs, we inspire our community and our allies to work
for equality.
At
the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco, we've built an extraordinary
trove of personal and organizational histories going back over 100
years. Historians, authors, filmmakers and students from around the world rely
on these materials to tell our stories.
With
the help of our community over the past 30 years, we've brought together collections so extensive that
we have run out of space. Now our lease is up at our current location — and we
need more room so the archives can continue to grow.
Fortunately,
we have found a bigger space — which was no easy task in San Francisco. It's accessible,
secure and climate controlled to protect the archives. We'll have plenty of
room to add to the archives in the coming years.
But
the move will not be cheap. Archives must be handled by expert movers, and the
sheer volume of irreplaceable papers, recordings, film, photographs, art
and artifacts is challenging. The total cost will exceed $35,000.
The
good news is that members of our board have pledged a dollar-for-dollar match
for the first $10,000 in donations. So with $25,000 in donations from the
community, we'll be ready to move on May 1, 2016.
MAY 1 UPDATE: We just received a new $5,000 challenge grant from the Excelerate Foundation, so we're extending the campaign for two weeks through May 14 to give new supporters a chance to help us reach our goal while doubling the impact of their donations. Thank you to all who have already donated — and to the Excelerate Foundation!
You
can help give the queer past a big future by making a donation today — and by
spreading the word on social media. We're aiming to surpass our fundraising
goal. That will give us a jump on meeting the increased costs in the new space.
Your
donations in any amount will make a big difference. And donations at various
levels will qualify you for fantastic perks. Simply take a look at the list on
this page.
We
know you share our belief that preserving and presenting the history of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities is critically important to creating
respect for LGBTQ people everywhere.
Let's
make sure our country doesn't go the way of Mississippi and North Carolina. Let's make sure we
know and learn from our past. A first step to that knowledge starts right here
in the archives of the GLBT Historical Society.
Thank you for supporting our history!
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Terry Beswick, executive director
Joanna Black, managing archivist
NOTE:
The GLBT Historical Society is a registered 501(c)3 educational nonprofit. Donations
are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.