Pride After Hours, The New York Public Library rolled out the rainbow carpet for LGBTQ locals and visitors to experience a pre-Pride evening of history and culture.
On Friday, June 23, The New York Public Library held its Library After Hours “Pride Edition” —giving the night before New York Pride weekend extra historic and cultural context. The evening began at 7:30p.m. with lines around the block of people queuing in the rain to enter a famous National Historic Landmark, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building—also known as the central building of the New York Public Library, and a midtown Manhattan icon known for its iconic stone lions, columns and grand staircase.
The one-night-only event attracted a diverse crowd of bookworms, geeks, history buffs, and nostalgia seekers; tourists and die-hard New Yorkers, the queer, and the culturally inclined. The evening featured on display specially curated collections of the Library’s LGBT holdings, including periodicals and ephemera from the post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS era and beyond.
The Manuscripts and Archives Division of the New York Public Library holds over 100 collections pertaining to the history and culture of gay men and lesbians, and to the history of the AIDS/HIV epidemic.
A selection of short 16mm films, pulled from the archives of the Library for the Performing Arts, wre screened on loop, and a lively LGBT-history trivia night featured special guests and the hosts of the “Making Gay History” podcast. Listening stations were available so guests could hear excerpts from the NYC Trans Oral History Project.
There was also a Quiet room with board games, crosswords, and other puzzles to engage with. Others chose to dance to the DJ or chat over drinks.
In keeping with the Pride theme, the grand, flagship building in the New York Public Library system was transformed for the evening with rainbow carpet, multihued lighting, and pub tables with tealight candles where friends could meet and celebrate the history of LGBTQ Pride and community in New York City—and catch a cool break from the steamy city heat outside.