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Learn about the grassroots organizing and community groups in Albany whose efforts led to the passing of the 1992 Human Rights Ordinance.
Prior to passage of state-wide laws protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, activists in communities across New York State worked for passage of local laws to provide protection against discrimination. In Albany, this effort was undertaken by a coalition of community organizations, and resulted in the 1992 passage of the Human Rights Ordinance. While events and actions focused on LGBTQ+ rights in New York City were often more visible and had a more lasting impact on the historical record than those elsewhere in the state, the strategic political work and grassroots organizing in Albany raised awareness of the issues the LGBTQ+ community faced and paved the way for lasting legal protections statewide.
This program will be presented by Ashley Hopkins-Benton, a senior historian and curator of social history at the New York State Museum in Albany, NY. Her research and collections work focuses on women's history, LGBTQ+ history, and immigration, as well as sculpture, toys, and decorative arts. In her recent work on Albany's LGBTQ+ community, Hopkins-Benton has been working to build LGBTQ+ representation in the museum's collection, in part through collecting oral histories with community members.
Hopkins-Benton's recent exhibition projects include a refresh of the Tuck High Chinatown Store exhibition and Lunar New Year feature (January 2025), and an exhibition on the passage of marriage equality, featuring collections and images from some of the first LGBTQ+ couples legally wed in New York State (opening June 2025).
Visit the New York State Museum's website.
All programs are subject to change.
The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library provides a wide range of materials, programs, and services to the residents of Clifton Park and Halfmoon. We are a member of the Southern Adirondack Library System. Our mission is to nurture and foster community connections by providing the space and resources for patrons to be educated, entertained, and enriched. Our vision is to be at the heart of our community. The go-to place to meet, learn, and do.
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