Nearly 70 people attended the “RAGS: A Survey of LGBT Periodicals” presentation at the Gulfport City Library on June 1 as the kickoff to a series of events that celebrate June as national Pride Month. Chris Rudisill, executive director of the Stonewall National Museum and Archives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was the guest speaker. According to the event’s publicity poster, the exhibit is on loan from the archive and outlines “the history of gay newsweeklies across the country and the significant role they played in the bringing of LGBT people together” in eras that predate the public use of the internet.
“The time is now for a national LGBT history museum,” Rudisill said. “We started as a library based on a person’s collection. Locally and nationally, look to see what you have. It’s a treasure hunt. You may have picked up something at a march on Washington or at the first St. Petersburg Pride parade. It’s important to preserve these things.”
Contact the archives to see if they have your item by calling 954-763-8565. Also visit stonewall-museum.org. For a full list of Gulfport Library’s Pride month events, visit mygulfport.us/gpl.
