If you are headed to Washington, DC this spring, be sure to stop by the Newseum and view their groundbreaking exhibit titled, “Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement,” which explores the modern gay rights movement and marks the 50th anniversary of a June 1969 raid of the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village. 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.
The exhibit explores key moments of gay rights history, including the 1978 assassination of Harvey Milk, one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials, the AIDS crisis, Rep. Barney Frank’s public coming out in 1987, the efforts for hate crime legislation, the implementation and later repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and the fight for marriage equality.
“Rise Up” also examines popular culture’s role in influencing and reflecting attitudes about the LGBTQ community through film, television, sports and music and explores how the gay rights movement harnessed the power of public protest and demonstration to change laws and shatter stereotypes.
A yearlong program series, launched in June 2018, focuses on historic and contemporary topics from “Rise Up” and features journalists, authors, politicians and other newsmakers who have led the fight for equality. The exhibit, which will travel nationally, includes educational resources for students and teachers.
Additionally, the Newseum will also be showing “Into the Streets,” a 17 minute film that explores how the LGBTQ rights movement harnessed the power of public protest to change policy and shift culture. The film may be viewed in theRobert H. and Clarice Smith Big Screen Theater, Level 5
The exhibit will be displayed at the Newseum through Dec. 31, 2019.
