I’ve been looking forward to writing today’s post for a while now, peoples! This post is all about places that are culturally and/or historically significant to the LGBTQ+ community that I would love to visit someday… in the US, that is. Someday – maybe next Pride month? – I’ll do a post or two focusing on a difference country or continent, but I thought that including ALL of the LGBTQ+ places I want to visit would be beyond the scope of just one post.
New places and new people intimidate me, and I’ve never traveled any great distance without either my family or adult chaperones (if I was on a trip sponsored by 4-H, for example), but I’M GOING TO DO THE THING SOMEDAY. If any of you live near the places listed below, you’re more than welcome to invite yourself: I want to make friends! I want to go on Really Gay Road TripsTM! So let’s do stuff together!
Without further ado, here are the places I would like to visit, compiled into a list that moves from east to west across the United States.
1. The Stonewall Inn
Location: New York City, NY
Do I even need to explain why? I’ve been to New York before, but we didn’t visit this, and I would love to one day. It had such an enormous effect on our history – it basically kicked off the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement – and so I feel that I should visit it. Also… I just realized that today is the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
2. The Center
Location: New York City, NY
This is where such important organizations as ACT UP, Queer Nation, and more began! It also has archives… ahhh, so much history to peruse here!
3. The National LGBT Museum
Location: New York City, NY
A trip to this place may have to wait a while… since it’s not set to open until 2019! They’re still in the planning stages, I believe, but getting closer and closer to opening every day. I can’t wait to visit here someday because there is just SO much LGBTQ+ history in this city.
4. Giovanni’s Room
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Named after an early work of LGBTQ+ lit, this bookstore sells both new and used books as well as comics, music, and even art. It’s grown so big that TWO buildings are needed to house all the books. I can’t imagine that much would convince me to come out (pun totally intended) once inside… except perhaps the realization that there are so many more LGBTQ+ locations to visit!
5. Charis Books & More
Location: Atlanta, GA
This is the oldest independent bookstore in the south! They specialize in feminist and LGBTQ+ books, and they have loads of diverse children’s books as well. AHHH IT SOUNDS LIKE HEAVEN.
6. The Equality House
Location: Topeka, KS
This is a house painted to resemble the Pride flag… and it’s right next door to the Westboro Baptist Church. They also recently raised enough money to purchase a nearby house and paint it in the colors of the trans flag!
7. The Legacy Walk
Location: Chicago, IL
I had no idea this even existed until a few days ago! The Legacy Walk is an outdoor museum commemorating LGBTQ+ history and people. I’m not quite sure how I was unaware of this for so long, since I grew up not too far away from Chicago. I’ll have to make a trip over there sometime soon to see this and read all the monuments and plaques.
8. The Gerber/Hart Library
Location: Chicago, IL
Libraries! Archives! Museums! LGBTQ+ book groups! I’m so happy. A little research goes a long way, because I didn’t know about this until recently, either.
9. The Castro
Location: San Francisco, CA
I’ve been to San Francisco before too, but never here. This neighborhood has a long LGBTQ+ history – for example, it gained its status as a gayborhood because servicemen who were dishonorably discharged after WWII due to their sexual orientation tended to settle in the Bay Area after being sent home. Its most famous resident, however, was Harvey Milk in the 1970s. So, yeah… a LOT of history.
10. The GLBT History Museum
Location: San Francisco, CA
You may have gathered that I like history. Well, as long as you like history too, we’ll get along just fine if you want to come hang out with me someday as I visit all these places. Some of the permanent exhibits are about LGBTQ+ Asian-Americans, Harvey Milk, early queer publications, and more.
-~-
What about you? Which LGBTQ+-related places would you like to visit, either in the US or another country? And if you live near any of these locations… you should let me know so that we can make plans to meet up in the distant future!
Musings From Neville's Navel 
Okay, all of these places look wonderful! I had no idea Charis Books existed, I’m definitely going to try to visit there sometimes (honestly I’m surprised there was even a Southern place on this list ahaha). And The Castro seems super interesting!
I live in Atlanta. I need to check out Charis Books! I’ve driven past it and looked at it before (it’s a pretty shade of blue) and it’s in a nice little shopping area with some cool stores like a record store, this cool random thing store called The Junkman’s Daughter, (farther away but worth it) a really good restaurant called Fox Brothers (or Fox Bros I don’t remember) (it’s usually got a really long wait time but trust me it’s worth it), and a bunch of little odd clothing stores, so once you visit Charis Books those are some nice things to do in the immediate area.
Pingback: 2016 Pride Recap | Musings From Neville's Navel
Pingback: Quarterly Rewind, Summer 2016 | Shura, Acting, & Studyblr | Musings From Neville's Navel