Programs

Join Senior Historian and Curator of Social History Ashley Hopkins-Benton for an engaging guided tour of New York Pride: The Fight for Marriage Equality. This program explores the decades-long struggle for marriage equality in New York, from early LGBTQ+ activism in the 1970s through landmark court battles and the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011.

Through artifacts, photographs, and personal stories, participants will examine how marriage equality became both a deeply personal and profoundly political issue shaped by the AIDS crisis, grassroots organizing, and evolving legal challenges. The tour also highlights New York’s pivotal role in advancing national change.

This guided experience offers a powerful look at how community activism transformed civil rights in New York State and beyond.