When Benjamin Franklin traveled to Paris in 1776 seeking support for the Revolution, the old charmer became a popular guest at the city’s glittering salons. His successor Thomas Jefferson continued his PR work and established contacts with the city’s most prominent salonnières. Thomas Paine too was a visitor of various salons. Thanks to their socio-diplomatic involvement, the American Revolution became a central topic of discussion at such gatherings. [Read more…] about Salons: American Rebels, French Etiquette and Lesbian History
LGBTQ
Division of Human Rights Hosting GENDA Virtual Town Hall
In honor of the second anniversary of the passage of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), the Division of Human Rights (DHR) and other NYS agencies, in conjunction with Gender Equality New York (GENY) and New York Trans Advocacy Group (NYTAG), are hosting a virtual town hall on Monday, January 25th. [Read more…] about Division of Human Rights Hosting GENDA Virtual Town Hall
LGBTQ Pride Month Is History In Action
LGBTQI+ Pride Month is normally associated with colorful parades and marches and speeches by local, regional, and national leaders, but it’s part of an important political history as well.
Out of all the months in the year, why June? [Read more…] about LGBTQ Pride Month Is History In Action
The Education of Eleanor Roosevelt
Born in Brest, the daughter of a novelist and educated in Paris, she was a lesbian, a feminist, and a formidable educationist. Today her presence may be largely forgotten, but she left a legacy on both sides of the Atlantic.
Marie Souvestre was born on April 28, 1830 in Brest, the daughter of a novelist. In 1846, her father Émile published the dystopian novel Le monde tel qu’il sera. Set in the year 3000, the story features remarkable predictions on the role of science in society, and contains reflections on future parenthood and education. He would certainly have inspired his daughter’s alternative ideas about learning in general, and the teaching of young women in particular. Having remained in the shadow of the mighty Jules Verne who stole the limelight, Émile Souvestre deserves renewed critical attention. [Read more…] about The Education of Eleanor Roosevelt
Geographies of Gender at Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is set to celebrate their exhibit Out of Place: A Feminist Look at the Collection during Women’s History Month on March 7th, as part of their First Saturday programs.
Throughout the evening, women and nonbinary artists from across Brooklyn explore how gender maps onto our bodies, our histories, and our political movements. Highlights include an artist talk with Naima Green, a Night Market, and music from Sammus. [Read more…] about Geographies of Gender at Brooklyn Museum
New York State Museum’s LGBTQ+ Collection
The New York State Museum has announced the first History Cafe program of the season, “Protest, Pride & Community: Representing LGBTQ+ Stories in the Museum’s Collection,” set for Tuesday, October 22nd at 6 pm.
New York State history is rich in stories of LGBTQ+ people, their accomplishments, and their fight for equality. Until recently, these stories were underrepresented in the New York State Museum’s collections. Senior historian Ashley Hopkins-Benton will talk about the LGBTQ+ artifacts the Museum currently has, the hidden stories in the collection, and how the museum plans to work to grow the collection in the future. [Read more…] about New York State Museum’s LGBTQ+ Collection
Art 50 Years After Stonewall Exhibit Opening in Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Museum has announced “Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall,” an exhibition featuring twenty-two contemporary LGBTQ+ artists whose work honors the fight for queer liberation in the years since the 1969 Stonewall Uprising – on view May 3 through December 8, 2019. [Read more…] about Art 50 Years After Stonewall Exhibit Opening in Brooklyn
NYC Community Center Archiving the LGBTQ Revolution
Tucked away on the 4th floor of a much-repurposed 1850s school building in Greenwich Village, the LGBT Community Center’s National History Archive is a cultural and historical refuge-within-a-sanctuary.
The Community Center has been operating at 208 W. 13th Street since 1983. The entire building is intended to be a safe and welcoming place “where everyone is celebrated for who they are.” Today, the Center is an effervescent hub, and sponsors a broad-range of activities and programs for the lesbian, gay and transgender community, including health and wellness, arts and entertainment, and counseling. [Read more…] about NYC Community Center Archiving the LGBTQ Revolution