Where did lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) history happen in New York City? In what buildings did influential LGBT activists and artists live and work, and on what streets did groups demonstrate for their equal rights? These are the kinds of historic places – dating from the city’s founding in the 17th century to the year 2000 – that we are continuously documenting so that our project reflects the diversity of the LGBT community throughout the five boroughs. View list of all historic sites currently included on our website.
The NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project is a scholarly initiative and educational resource that officially began in August 2015 and is based on over 25 years of research and advocacy by our founders and directors, Andrew Dolkart, Ken Lustbader, and Jay Shockley. While part of the Organization of Lesbian and Gay Architects + Designers (OLGAD), they helped create the nation’s first map for LGBT historic sites in 1994.
The goal of the project is to broaden people’s knowledge of LGBT history beyond Stonewall and to place that history in a geographical context. Our interactive map features sites that are important to LGBT history as well as those that illustrate the community’s influence on America. You will find sites that show the impact that the LGBT community has had in fields such as the arts, literature, and social justice. You will also discover important gathering spaces, such as bars, clubs, and community centers that, until fairly recently, were the only places where LGBT people could come together and be themselves in a way that they often could not be in their personal and professional lives.