WASHINGTON | Newseum, a museum located in the nation’s capitol dedicated to increasing the public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment, will unveil a new exhibit dedicated to the LGBTQ community March 8.
“Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement,” will explore the modern fight for LGBTQ equality. It began 50 years ago when a police raid of the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village turned into riots and protests from the community due to the treatment by local police.“The protests following the raid are considered to be the catalyst that inspired the modern gay liberation movement and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ civil rights,” a Newseum press release states.
The exhibit—which runs from March 8-Dec. 31—will feature artifacts, images and historical print publications that explore key moments in LGBTQ rights history; including an original eight-stripe rainbow flag signed by its designer Gilbert Baker and the fused wedding rings of the 2015 marriage equality plaintiff Jim Obergefell and his late husband John Arthur.
In celebration of the new exhibit, the Newseum will feature nearly a dozen LGBTQ publications—including Watermark—in their daily exhibit, “Today’s Front Pages” on March 8.
“Today’s Front Pages” showcases the front page from hundreds of newspapers from across the country online, and physically displays a handful of them at the museum daily.
Along with the “Rise Up” exhibit, the Newseum will host several events throughout the rest of the year in honor of Stonewall’s 50th anniversary. A conversation with Tony Award-winning actor Alan Cumming will take place on March 18 where he will speak about his own social activism.
The Fourth Annual Free Expression Awards, hosted by Katie Couric, will subsequently be held on April 4. Award recipients include “Queer Eye” co-hosts Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness.
The Newseum will celebrate the exhibit and Capitol Pride during Pride month with the Newseum Nights Party on June 28.
For more information on the Newseum, the “Rise Up” exhibit and all LGBTQ-related events, visit Newseum.org. You can view the covers of the LGBTQ publications—including Watermark’s current WAVE Award issue—selected for “Today’s Front Pages” online at Newseum.org/TodaysFrontPages on March 8.
