An Online Exhibit


PRIDE! OUR STORY

curated & designed by
John N. Daniello

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Welcome To

PRIDE! Our Story


The LGBTQ+ movement in the United States has made significant progress over the last century, with the most notable advancements occurring in the past two decades. Reaching this point has been an arduous journey, and the progress that has been made is thanks to the groundbreaking work of those who were unafraid to challenge the norms.

Within this online exhibit, you will discover the story behind those remarkable individuals who not only pioneered change but also fiercely championed the rights of future generations, even when the odds were stacked against them.

Why June?

Why do we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride in the month of June?
Learn More

Pride Flags

What is the meaning behind the different Pride Flags?
Learn More

Timeline

Scroll through the important milestones in LGBTQ+ history.
Explore

Stories

Learn about the people & groups that dared to make a change.
Explore
Why Is June

Pride Month?


Pride Month is celebrated in the month of June in the United States and numerous countries across the globe, but have you ever wondered why?

The Stonewall Riots, which took place in New York City in June 1969, were the catalyst for the LGBTQ rights movement in the United States.
Prior to Stonewall, activists staged protests outside Independence Hall on July 4th as “Annual Reminders” that gays and lesbians were being denied basic rights of citizenship.

In November 1969, a march in response to Stonewall was proposed at the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations in Philadelphia.

The proposed slogan for the march was “gay power”, but it was ultimately decided that the march’s theme would be “gay pride”.

On June 28, 1970, the Christopher Street Liberation Day march took place, coinciding with the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The march was named after the Street which served as the epicenter of New York City’s Gay Community.

Thereafter, Gay Pride came to be celebrated in the United States on the last Sunday in June.

Pride was officially recognized by the U.S. government when President Clinton declared June 1999 “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month”.
Subsequently, President Obama proclaimed June “LGBT Pride Month” with President Biden further expanding it to “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month”.
Elsewhere in the world, Pride is celebrated at different times of the year, although many cities observe it in June.
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    All About The

    Pride Flags


    There are over 50 Pride Flags recognized among the LGBTQ+ community, each used to symbolize different gender identities and sexual orientations.
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    Rainbow Flag


    The original Rainbow Flag was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 to celebrate members of the gay and lesbian political movement. It comprised eight colored stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of hope.

    Baker assigned a specific meaning to each color: Pink (sex), Red (life), Orange (healing), Yellow (sun), Green (nature), Turquoise (magic), Indigo (serenity), Violet (spirit).

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    Trans Flag


    The Transgender Pride Flag is most commonly used throughout the world to represent the transgender community. The best-known Transgender Flag, was created in 1999, by American trans woman Monica Helms.

    Helms designed the flag so the pattern is always correct; Light Blue (for boys), Pink (girls), White (neutral/undefined/transitioning).

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    Progress Flag


    In 2018, Daniel Quasar released a redesign using the Rainbow Flag, and adding a chevron with Black, Brown, Light Blue, Pink, and White stripes (for people of color, trans people, those living with/lost to HIV/AIDS).

    The arrow points to the right to show forward movement.

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    Rainbow Flag


    The original Rainbow Flag was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 to celebrate members of the gay and lesbian political movement. It comprised eight colored stripes stacked on top of each other to evoke a rainbow, a symbol of hope.

    Baker assigned a specific meaning to each color: Pink (sex), Red (life), Orange (healing), Yellow (sun), Green (nature), Turquoise (magic), Indigo (serenity), Violet (spirit).

    Placeholder Image

    Trans Flag


    The Transgender Pride Flag is most commonly used throughout the world to represent the transgender community. The best-known Transgender Flag, was created in 1999, by American trans woman Monica Helms.

    Helms designed the flag so the pattern is always correct; Light Blue (for boys), Pink (girls), White (neutral/undefined/transitioning).

    Placeholder Image

    Progress Flag


    In 2018, Daniel Quasar released a redesign using the Rainbow Flag, and adding a chevron with black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes (for people of color, trans people, those living with/lost to HIV/AIDS). The arrow points to the right to show forward movement.
    A Timeline Of

    LGBTQ+ History


    Use the arrows to navigate through the timeline of unforgettable moments in LGBTQ+ history in America, spanning from the early 1900s to the present.
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    1924
    The Society For Human Rights


    Founded by the Bavarian-born Henry Gerber (1892-1972) in Chicago. The society is the first gay rights organization as well as the oldest documented in America. After receiving a charter from the state of Illinois, the society publishes the first American publication for homosexuals, Friendship and Freedom.

    Within a year of its creation, the Society for Human Rights disbanded due to Gerber’s arrest after publication of the Society’s second newsletter.

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    1947
    The Lavender Scare


    In 1947, at the beginning of the Cold War, the State Department began campaigns to rid the department of communists and homosexuals, by establishing a set of "security principles" that went on to inspire the creation of a dual loyalty-security test which became the model for other government agencies, as well as the basis for a government-wide security program under the Eisenhower administration.

    More than 4,380 gay men and women had been discharged from the military and around 500 fired from their jobs with the government.

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    1948
    Sexual Behavior In The Human Male


    Published by biologist and sex researcher Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956), the report concludes that homosexual behavior is not restricted to people who identify themselves as homosexual and that 37% of men have enjoyed homosexual activities at least once.

    While psychologists and psychiatrists in the 1940s consider homosexuality a form of illness, the findings surprise many conservative notions about sexuality.

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    1950
    Christine Jorgensen


    Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989) makes international headlines as the first person in the U.S. to undergo a successful gender-reassignment operation.

    She became an instant celebrity, known for her directness and polished wit, and used the platform to advocate for transgender people.

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    1950
    The Mattachine Society


    In Los Angeles, gay rights activist Harry Hay (1912-2002) founds America’s first sustained national gay rights organization: The Mattachine Society.

    The society aimed to "eliminate discrimination", assimilate homosexuals into mainstream society, and cultivate an "ethical homosexual culture."

    Dec. 15, 1950


    A Senate report titled "Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government" is distributed to members of Congress.

    The report states homosexuals have a mental illness, and "constitute security risks" to the nation.

    April 1952


    The American Psychiatric Association lists homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance in its first publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

    The findings are criticized due to lack of empirical and scientific data.

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    Apr. 27, 1953
    Executive Order 10450


    President Eisenhower signs Executive Order 10450, banning homosexuals from working for the federal government or any of its private contractors.

    The Order lists homosexuals as security risks, along with alcoholics and neurotics.

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    1955
    The Daughters of Bilitis


    In San Francisco, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin co-found The Daughters of Bilitis, the first organization for lesbians in the United States.

    The organization hosts social functions, providing alternatives to lesbian bars and clubs, which were frequently raided by police.

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    1956
    The Ladder


    The Ladder was the first nationally distributed lesbian publication in the United States from 1956 to 1972. It was the primary publication and method of communication for the Daughters of Bilitis, supported by ONE, Inc. and the Mattachine Society.

    The name of the magazine was derived from the artwork on its first cover, simple line drawings showing figures moving towards a ladder that disappeared into the clouds.

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    1958
    One, Inc. v Olesen


    One, Inc. v. Olesen, was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court for LGBT rights in the United States. It was the first U.S. Supreme Court ruling to deal with homosexuality and the first to address free speech rights with respect to homosexuality. The Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that the gay magazine ONE (a spinoff of The Mattachine Society) violated obscenity laws, thus upholding constitutional protection for pro-homosexual writing.

    Jan. 1, 1962
    Illinois Decriminalizes Homosexuality


    Illinois repeals its sodomy laws, becoming the first U.S. state to decriminalize homosexuality.
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    July 4, 1962
    Reminder Day


    At Independence Hall in Philadelphia, picketers begin staging the first Reminder Day to call public attention to the lack of civil rights for LGBT people. The gatherings will continue annually for five years.
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    Apr. 21, 1966
    Julius Bar "Sip In"


    Members of The Mattachine Society stage a "sip-in" at the Julius Bar in Greenwich Village, where the New York Liquor Authority prohibits serving gay patrons in bars on the basis that homosexuals are "disorderly."

    Following the sip-in, The Mattachine Society sues the New York Liquor Authority. Although no laws are overturned, the New York City Commission on Human Rights declares that homosexuals have the right to be served.

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    Aug. 1966
    Compton's Cafeteria Riot


    After transgender customers become raucous in a 24-hour San Francisco cafeteria, management calls police. When an officer manhandles one of the patrons, she throws coffee in his face and a riot ensues.

    Following the riot, activists established the National Transsexual Counseling Unit, the first peer-run support and advocacy organization in the world.

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    June 28, 1969
    The Stonewall Riots


    Patrons of the Stonewall Inn in NYC's Greenwich Village riot when police officers attempt to raid the popular gay bar around 1am. While police raids on gay bars were routine in the 1960s, officers quickly lost control of the situation. Tensions between New York City Police and gay residents of Greenwich Village erupted into more protests the next evening and again several nights later.

    The three-day riot included thousands of protestors but received only minimal news coverage.

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    June 28, 1970
    Christopher Street Liberation Day


    Christopher St. Liberation Day commemorates the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Following the event, thousands of members of the LGBT community march through New York into Central Park, in what will be considered America's first gay pride parade.

    Dec. 15, 1973
    Homosexuality No Longer A Mental Illness


    The board of the American Psychiatric Association votes to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.
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    June 7, 1977
    Crusade Against Gay Rights


    Singer and conservative Southern Baptist Anita Bryant leads a successful campaign with the "Save Our Children" Crusade to repeal a gay rights ordinance in Dade County, Florida. Bryant faces severe backlash from gay rights supporters across the U.S.
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    Nov. 7, 1978
    Milk Assassination


    Harvey Bernard Milk (1930-1978) was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. A year later, on November 27, 1978, former city supervisor Dan White assassinates Milk. White's actions are motivated by jealousy and depression, rather than homophobia.

    May 21, 1979


    Former San Francisco city supervisor Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter and is sentenced to seven years in prison for the assassination of Harvey Milk and George Moscone. More than 5,000 outraged protesters ransack San Francisco's City Hall.

    The following night, approximately 10,000 people gather on San Francisco's Castro and Market streets for a peaceful demonstration to commemorate Milk's 49th birthday.

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    Oct. 14, 1979
    National March on Washington


    An estimated 75,000 people participate in the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights - demanding equal civil rights and urge for the passage of protective civil rights legislature.
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    June 5, 1981
    First Reports of AIDS


    AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, was identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its cause—HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus—was identified in the earlier part of the decade.

    AIDS was first clinically reported on June 5, 1981, with five cases in the United States. The initial cases were a cluster of injecting drug users and gay men with no known cause of impaired immunity.

    July 3, 1981
    GRID


    The New York Times prints the first story of a rare pneumonia and skin cancer found in 41 gay men in New York and California. The CDC initially refers to the disease as GRID, Gay Related Immune Deficiency Disorder.

    When the symptoms are found outside the gay community, Bruce Voeller, biologist and founder of the National Gay Task Force, successfully lobbies to change the name of the disease to AIDS.

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    Mar. 10, 1987
    ACT UP


    AIDS advocacy group ACT UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) is formed in response to the devastating affects the disease has had on the gay and lesbian community in New York.

    The group holds demonstrations against pharmaceutical companies profiteering from AIDS-related drugs as well as the lack of AIDS policies protecting patients from outrageous prescription prices.

    Oct. 11, 1987
    March on Washington


    Hundreds of thousands of activists take part in the National March on Washington to demand that President Reagan address the AIDS crisis.

    It is not until the end of his presidency that Reagan speaks publicly about the epidemic.

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    May/June 1988
    Understanding AIDS


    The CDC mails a brochure, Understanding AIDS, to every household in the U.S. Approximately 107 million brochures are mailed.
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    Aug. 8, 1990
    Ryan White Care Act


    President George Bush signs the Ryan White Care Act, a federally funded program for people living with AIDS.

    Ryan White (1971-1990), an Indiana teenager, contracted AIDS in 1984 through a tainted hemophilia treatment. After being barred from attending school because of his HIV-positive status, White becomes a well-known activist for AIDS research and anti-discrimination.

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    1991
    Red Ribbon


    Created by the New York-based Visual AIDS, the red ribbon is adopted as a symbol of awareness and compassion for those living with HIV/AIDS.

    Dec. 21, 1993
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell


    The Department of Defense issues a directive prohibiting the U.S. Military from barring applicants from service based on their sexual orientation. "Applicants shall not be asked or required to reveal whether they are homosexual, " states the new policy, which still forbids applicants from engaging in homosexual acts or making a statement that he or she is homosexual. This policy is known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
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    May 20, 1996
    Romer v. Evans


    In the case of Romer v. Evans, the United States Supreme Court decides that Colorado's 2nd amendment, denying gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, is unconstitutional, calling them "special rights."

    Sept. 21, 1996
    DOMA


    President Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act into law. The law defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman and that no state is required to recognize a same-sex marriage from out of state.
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    Oct. 6, 1998
    Matthew Shepard


    On the night of October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard (1976-1998) was offered a ride home by two men at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, WI. The men drove to a remote rural area and proceeded to rob, pistol-whip, and torture Shepard, tying him to a barbed-wire fence and leaving him to die. Still tied to the fence, Shepard remained in a coma for eighteen hours when he was discovered by a cyclist who mistook him for a scarecrow.

    Shepard was pronounced dead six days after the attack.

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    Apr. 26, 2000
    Legal Unions In VT


    Vermont becomes the first state in the U.S. to legalize civil unions and registered partnerships between same-sex couples.

    June 26, 2003
    Lawrence v. Texas


    In Lawrence v. Texas the U.S. Supreme Court rules that sodomy laws in the U.S. are unconstitutional.

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    May 18, 2004
    Gay Marriage in MA


    Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize gay marriage. The court finds the prohibition of gay marriage unconstitutional because it denies dignity and equality of all individuals.

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    Nov. 5, 2008
    Prop 8


    Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections, and came into immediate effect the day after the elections. Demonstrations and protests occurred across the state and nation.

    June 17, 2009
    Same-Sex Partner Benefits


    President Obama signs a Presidential Memorandum allowing same-sex partners of federal employees to receive certain benefits. The memorandum does not cover full health coverage.

    Oct. 28, 2009
    Matthew Shepard Act


    The Matthew Shepard Act is passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on October 28th. The measure expands the 1969 U.S. Federal Hate Crime Law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

    Aug. 4, 2010


    A federal judge in San Francisco decides that gays and lesbians have the constitutional right to marry and that Prop 8 is unconstitutional.

    Dec. 18, 2010
    DOMA Repealed


    The U.S. Senate votes 65-31 to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. Military.

    Feb. 23, 2011


    President Obama states his administration will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

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    June 24, 2011
    Marriage Equality in NY


    New York State passes the Marriage Equity Act, becoming the largest state thus far to legalize gay marriage.

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    June 26, 2013
    U.S. v Windsor


    In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court found Section 3 of DOMA to be unconstitutional after widower, Edith Windsor (1920 - 2017), sought to claim the federal estate tax exemption for surviving spouses, but was barred from doing so.

    Justice Anthony Kennedy declared Section 3 of DOMA to be unconstitutional "as a deprivation of the liberty of the person protected by the Fifth Amendment".

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    June 26, 2016
    Obergefell v Hodges


    In the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The 5–4 ruling requires all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the Insular Areas to perform and recognize the marriages of same-sex couples on the same terms and conditions as the marriages of opposite-sex couples, with all the accompanying rights and responsibilities.

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    June 12, 2016
    The Pulse Nightclub Massacre


    In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016 forty-nine people lost their lives, and fifty-eight injured, during an anti-LGBTQ+ shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, FL. As one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, the Pulse Massacre ignited action from LGBTQ+ people all over the world against gun violence and in solidarity with those affected. The tragedy is the biggest recorded hate crime directed toward LGBTQ+ people in United States History.

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    2019


    President Trump becomes the first Republican president to acknowledge LGBTQ Pride Month, which he did through tweeting.

    The governors of New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, and California fly the Pride flag from their state capitals/governor buildings for the first time during LGBTQ Pride Month.

      LGBTQ+ Historic

      Stories of Pride


      Use the tabs to take a deep dive into the lives of the remarkable individuals, influential groups, and significant events that played a crucial role in LGBTQ+ history.

      The People Who Made History

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      Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989) was an American actress, singer, recording artist, and transgender activist who garnered international headlines in the early 1950s as the first person in the U.S. to undergo a successful gender-reassignment operation.

      After serving as a military clerical worker in WWII, Jorgensen attended several schools, worked, and pursued a photography career. During this time, Jorgensen learned about sex reassignment surgery and traveled to Denmark to obtain special permission to undergo a series of operations beginning in 1952.

      Upon her return to the U.S. in the early 1950s, her transition was the subject of a New York Daily News front-page story. She became an instant celebrity, known for her directness and polished wit, and used the platform to advocate for transgender people.

      For years, Jorgensen was the go-to media reference for anything concerning trans people or gender-affirming surgeries. Her 1967 autobiography Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography sold almost 450,000 copies. Throughout her career, she gave lectures at colleges and universities on the topics of transsexuality, though she would later disassociate with the term, and preferred transgender.

      The Groups That Sought Change

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      Founded by the Bavarian-born Henry Gerber (1892-1972) in Chicago, The Society For Human Rights is the first gay rights organization as well as the oldest documented in America.

      Gerber’s experience serving with the US Army of Occupation in Germany for three years, and his exposure to the German homosexual emancipation movement, motivated him to form an organization dedicated to safeguarding the rights of gays and lesbians. Together with some friends, he founded The Society for Human Rights and produced a newsletter called Friendship and Freedom, which they distributed among their small membership.

      In July 1925, the society abruptly disbanded when a co-founder’s wife reported her bisexual husband to her social worker, resulting in police intervention. Following a police raid, Gerber and several others were arrested and prosecuted for their deviancy. Following three costly trials, the charges against Gerber were dismissed. However, he lost his entire life savings defending himself and was fired from his job at the post office for conduct unbecoming a postal worker.

      After the ordeal, Gerber started a personal correspondence club and wrote articles in gay publications under a pseudonym. The club became a national network for gay men to connect and communicate.

      On December 31, 1972, Gerber died at the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home in Washington, D.C., at the age of 80. He lived to see the Stonewall Riots and the start of a new era of activist gay and lesbian liberation organizations.

      Gerber founded and operated the Society for Human Rights out of his apartment at 1710 North Crilly Court in Chicago. Due to his involvement in the Society, Gerber was unjustifiably arrested and had his property confiscated, including the typewriter on which he wrote documents for the Society for Human Rights.

      The Henry Gerber House is now recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

      Let's Keep Making LGBTQ+ History!

      This project is constantly evolving. If you’d like to see something added, send me a message.
      Contact
      About The Designer

      John N. Daniello


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      John, a skilled graphic designer from New York, received notoriety after he curated and designed the inaugural LGBTQ+ exhibit, PRIDE!, for the Northport Historical Society in 2023. It was the first time in the museum’s sixty-two year history that an exhibit for the LGBTQ+ community was on display.

      In June 2024, he curated and designed the follow-up exhibit, PRIDE! Our Story as an online exhibit/resource.

      During his tenure at the historical society, which spanned over two years, he not only managed to double the membership but also successfully facilitated outreach efforts with the local community. Additionally, he created more than three hundred marketing materials, all of which gained widespread usage.

      To learn more, visit the ABOUT page.

      John, a skilled graphic designer from New York, received notoriety after he curated and designed the inaugural LGBTQ+ exhibit, PRIDE!, for the Northport Historical Society in 2023. It was the first time in the museum’s sixty-two year history that an exhibit for the LGBTQ+ community was on display.

      In June 2024, he curated and designed the follow-up exhibit, PRIDE! Our Story, a version of which is currently on display at the museum.

      During his tenure at the historical society, which spanned over two years, he not only designed numerous pop-up exhibits but also created various marketing materials that gained widespread usage.

      To learn more, visit the ABOUT page.