Follow The Yellow Brick Road Exhibition: The events prior to Stonewall in 1969 were important moments in LGBTQ+ history but like Kansas, they remained in black and white, it was Stonewall that thrust us into the age of color, flags, and pride. This exhibit marks key moments in our history along with moments in Stonewall National Museum-Archives-Library history. These two trajectories travel along the same yellow brick road heading towards Oz, which has always been just a little out of reach, although we may have thought we arrived there at least a few times only to be disappointed. The exhibit will use references from the Wizard of Oz (something that has become part of our community’s culture) as an illustration of our own ups and downs over the past 50 years.

Hey, Groomer Exhibition: Code words have often been used to marginalize people, turn them into villains, and make them pariahs, even in their own communities. These tactics have been used throughout history and are evident today. What lessons have been shared with us, have we learned from them? How do we use these tools to fight back, how do we ensure that the past does not repeat, how do we build the world we want and save future generations from the bias, hate, prejudice, and scapegoating recent years have once again subjected us to? We can be sure of one thing, “Silence=Death” and words on a wall are only as powerful as how we incorporate them into our daily lives. If we are unable to make them part of our DNA, if we are unable to act on them, we change nothing.

Katz (not the musical) Exhibition: Jonathan Ned Katz, one of the foremost scholars of LGBTQ+ history donated a significant part of his library to Stonewall very recently. The collection of over 850 volumes is the largest the organization has received from any one donor. This will be our first chance to put some of this extensive collection on display, including some rare books and materials that inform what we know about ourselves and our community at large. Some of the books have Mr. Katz’s notes and markings on display, giving us insight on how he derived at his conclusions and why his books remain important even as he approaches his mid-80s. It is collections like these, and our ability to display them in context, that keeps Stonewall National vibrant and relevant to both the general public and the academic communities we serve. As we approach our 50th anniversary and walk down memory lane, it is good to take stock of what is still out there and how much work lies ahead of us. This exhibit brings all that into view and the book titles alone should help people recognize just how amazing our community is and how much we have impacted the rest of the world.