Stonewall National Museum and Archives is a local South Florida museum and library devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender culture and literature. The Stonewall Library and Archives began in 1973 in a small location in Hollywood and moved to the former Gay and Lesbian Community Center on Andrews Avenue, before relocating one final time to its current location in downtown Fort Lauderdale, minutes away from Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale’s thriving ‘gayborhood.’
The Exhibitions
Stonewall’s current free exhibition is Our Stars: Gifts from Celebrities. Among the gifts from the famous? Openly gay US Representative Barney Frank donated the gavel used by Nancy Pelosi to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Lambda Literary Award winning author KG MacGregor donated her hiking boots, and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Carson Kressley donated his trademark pink sports coat. Some of Stonewall’s previous exhibitions include Out of the Shadows: Gay America from Kinsey to Stonewall and The Harlem Renaissance: As Gay as It Was Black. Entrance to the exhibition is free.
The Library
This is the place to go to read all of your LGBT favorites in one place. It’s the perfect hangout for bookworms. While entrance to Stonewall National Museum and Archives is free of charge, a yearly membership is required in order to check out materials. The circulating library boasts over 20,000 books and 1,000 DVDs. Stonewall’s popular Distinguished Author Series has included lectures from Edmund White, graphic novelist Alison Bechdel, and historian Lillian Faderman.There’s also a weekly film series.
The Collection
Stonewall National Museum and Archives is home to a fascinating 5,000-item collection of LGBT history in America, a road map of culture. From personal letters and journals to artifacts donated by celebrities, the Archives are an amazing representation of gay life, past and present and may be viewed by appointment.
If You Go
The Stonewall Library and Archives is located at 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale and is attached to the Artserve Broward County Library Building, which borders Holiday Park. Entrance is free. Go here for more details.
