Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future

Tuesday, September 17 - Sunday, September 22, 2024

Year 2: New York City, New York, United States

LGBTQ+ individuals and their communities have been organizing to assert their rights for over a century, especially in Germany and the United States—two countries that were early pioneers and that have currently achieved more equality than many other places. But many challenges still persist, especially as a backlash to greater LGBTQ+ rights has been visible in both countries.

A comparative examination of the history, present, and future of LGBTQ+ rights will generate new understandings, leadership skills, and policy lessons for both countries and many others around the world. This AGI project fosters cross-cultural exchange with participants from diverse backgrounds by sharing personal testimonies, successes and failures, and best practices through week-long study tours in the United States and Germany.


This program is generously funded by the Transatlantik-Programm der Bundesrepublik Deutschland aus Mitteln des European Recovery Program (ERP) des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz(BMWK) (Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany with Funds through the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action (BMWK)), the AGI Harry & Helen Gray Humanities Program and funds from The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).

Organizations with which the project participants will engage:

  • Ali Forney Center
  • The Center NYC
  • Pride Live/Stonewall National Monument
  • American LGBTQ+ Museum
  • New York City AIDS Memorial
  • Leslie-Lohman Museum of Artt
  • Hetrick-Martin Institute
  • City Council Member Chi Ossé
  • All Saints Episcopal Church Park Slope
  • Lesbian Herstory Archives