Press

ALBANY – To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the event that gave birth to the contemporary Gay Rights Movement, the New York State Museum will host free events in recognition of Gay Pride Month, including a panel discussion featuring Joe Norton, the 90-year-old co-founder of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council, the oldest organization of its kind in the nation.

The panel discussion, “Stonewall 40 Years Later,” will be held Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. in the Huxley Theater. It will also feature people from the capital region who participated in the Stonewall Rebellion, as well as founders of the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council, which was formed shortly following Stonewall. They will talk about Stonewall’s impact on the upstate area.

The State Museum will also sponsor “Family Diversity Day” on Saturday, June 13, from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. This program celebrates the diversity of family life. It will feature tours, storytelling, crafts and other activities. A complete listing of all of the Gay Pride events throughout the Capital District and beyond is available at http://www.cdglcc.org/Pride_Events.htm.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Started in 1836, the museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The state museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. It is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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