The Stonewall National Museum, Archives, and Library, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will hold its annual Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes Gala February 24, honoring athlete Diana Nyad, the stars of The Stroll, and Visit Lauderdale CEO Stacy Ritter.
The event will be held at the Venue in Wilton Manors, Fla., running from 6 to 10 p.m., and will include cocktails, dinner, entertainment, awards, and live and silent auctions. It is the organization’s biggest fundraising event of the year, generating about 50 percent of its operating funds.
“The gala celebrates SNMAL’s vibrant 51-year history and current achievements,” says a press release from the museum. “We pay tribute to those who have made our community stronger and safer over the years, and to those who take risks every day to ensure our continued progress.”
“Our 2024 honorees bring our history to the present as they inspire us with their acts of courage and fearlessness,” the release continues. “They are a visual reminder that we are part of every community under the sun and as such, the natural bridge between diverse communities here in the United States and around the world.”
Nyad, a marathon swimmer, is best known for completing a swim from Cuba to Florida in 2013, at the age of 64. “Her legendary determination, attempting the swim five times before succeeding, is an example to all of us that age, gender, and orientation only spur us on, they are not a deterrent from achieving our goals,” the release notes.
Kristen Lovell, the director and star of the HBO Max documentary The Stroll, will be honored along with the rest of the women featured in the film, which tells the stories of trans women who have survived the brutality of the streets of New York’s Meatpacking District. “These trans women of color have overcome the greatest odds and have given hope to many,” says the release.
At the helm of Visit Lauderdale, Ritter “has made Broward County one of the most welcoming places for our community to live, work, and visit” and “goes far beyond allyship,” according to the museum.
The museum houses a variety of exhibitions and archives, hosts educational programs and discussions, and sends traveling exhibits around the nation. It has fought for LGBTQ+ visibility and equality in a state that has become notorious for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
“‘Don’t say gay’ may have started in Florida, but has impacted other states, even corners of states we could never have imagined,” Robert Kesten, executive director of the museum, said in a year-end summary of 2023 events. “And while 2023 began with a pile-up of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation and violence, we at Stonewall had more requests for information, traveling exhibitions, and conversations; the momentum of those espousing homophobia became and continues to become less and less palatable to a majority of Americans, giving us all hope for the future, and a strong national push into 2024.”
This includes plans to open satellite museums in Philadelphia and New Orleans, a celebration of the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, and more. “SNMAL’s 2024 pipeline of programming is a testament to the community’s resolve and resilience — we will use its collections and demonstrate how connected we all are,” Kesten said. “In this 55th anniversary year of the Stonewall uprising, we celebrate the achievements and acceptance that have been hard fought. There is a long road ahead, but we are helping to change the conversation.”
Go here for details on the gala and honorees, here for tickets, and to this link to sponsorship opportunities.
Pictured, from left: Nyad, Lovell, and Ritter
The museum's "Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes" exhibit
