Introducing the LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance

An Important New Initiative with National Reach including a Grant Program, Resources, and Forum

We are tremendously proud of what the small-but-mighty team behind the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project has accomplished in our first ten years. Since our founding in 2015, our impact has grown beyond the five boroughs and we’re widely regarded as a model for statewide and national LGBTQ historic preservation.

While the Project remains focused on New York City, we’re pleased to be affiliated with the LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance—a new national initiative independently launched with oversight by co-director Ken Lustbader.

The Alliance is dedicated to connecting and supporting those working to identify and document LGBTQ+ place-based heritage across the U.S. It proudly offers the first national grant program focused on LGBTQ+ place-based history, and its website serves as a hub for those engaged in this work.

New Website with Resources and Discussion Board

The Alliance’s new website features a private discussion board where individuals can connect, ask questions, and collaborate on LGBTQ+ place-based initiatives. This forum is supported by a resources page that includes a nationwide survey of existing efforts, key documents from national recognition programs, and historic context statements exploring LGBTQ+ history at both the state and local levels.

New Grant Program

The Alliance is also launching the first-ever national grant program dedicated to funding efforts that identify, document, and interpret historic places connected to the LGBTQ+ community. For more information, please see the grant guidelines on the website.

The application process consists of two steps. First, submit a Letter of Intent by Monday, July 21. Selected applicants will then be invited to submit a full grant proposal by fall 2025. Letters will be reviewed by a national grant committee.

For additional information, please email [email protected].

Please note: Due to heightened political sensitivity surrounding LGBTQ+ issues, we ask that you share this opportunity only within your trusted personal and professional networks and use caution when posting on social media.

Thank you to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for speaking with Ken for “Expanding Collective History with the LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance: A Q&A with Ken Lustbader on the new initiative and its LGBTQ+ place-based grant program.”