Marking its third anniversary Jan. 13, San Francisco’s GLBT History Museum has grown into an institution recognized by media worldwide as a reference for queer public history. The museum also is increasingly earning notice in travel guides beyond the United States. The visibility of the museum has drawn media attention to the archives of the GLBT Historical Society, as well.
“We’re always delighted when the international media knock on our door,” said Gerard Koskovich, communications consultant for the GLBT Historical Society. “When journalists from outside the U.S. report on the museum, ask for the historical angle on current news stories or come looking for archival images, they give us an opportunity to share the little-known stories of our past with people around the world.”
In 2013, media reports on the museum and archives appeared in some 20 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Russia and Spain. Among the outlets that ran coverage are La Repubblica, a national newspaper in Italy; Britain’s Sky News; and Tongyu, a website in China for lesbian and bisexual women and transgender people.
The GLBT History Museum also is now widely featured in travel books, websites and apps, including guides published by Eyewitness Travel, Lonely Planet and Time Out, all of which are distributed in numerous languages and countries. The hip French travel publisher Petit Futé even gives the museum a five-star rating in its just-released 2014-2015 California guide.
For a regularly updated sampling of media reports on the museum and archives, visit the GLBT Historical Society website.
