America's first GLBT museum has opened in San Francisco's Castro district, with objects ranging from Harvey Milk's pink-framed sunglasses to manuscripts and sex toys. The GLBT History Museum is located on 18th St. It was opened by the GLBT Historical Society, which has been planning the project for a decade. A temporary exhibition opened after the 2008 film Milk proved a permanent museum could be successful, and encouraged local businesses and individuals to donate thousands to the money required to open and operate the permanent museum in its first year San Francisco "should have had one long before this, given that it's known as a mecca for LGBT people," Karen Sundheim from Main Library's James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Centre told the San Francisco Chronicle. "With two exhibits and hundreds of articles, the GLBT History Museum is the world's second museum dedicated solely to gay and lesbian archives and materials," museum officials claimed. "The only other one is in Germany." New Zealand has its own lesbian history museum, The Charlotte Museum based in Auckland.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 13th January 2011 - 2:17pm