The Sarasota LGBT History Project is a community effort dedicated to uncovering, documenting, and preserving the LGBTQ history of Sarasota and Southwest Florida.
Despite Sarasota’s rich cultural life and long-standing arts community, the history of queer people in our region has never been systematically collected or archived. LGBTQ individuals have always been part of Sarasota’s story—as artists, performers, activists, workers, neighbors, and community members. Our goal is to begin building a shared public record of this history by gathering the stories, materials, and memories that reflect queer life in Sarasota across the decades.
We want to hear from you! If you are part of Sarasota’s LGBTQ community—past or present—we invite you to share your history. Do you have photographs, newsletters, flyers, newspapers, letters, or other materials related to LGBTQ life in Sarasota? Do you have memories of local bars, organizations, activism, performances, or community events? Even small pieces of history can be important. We are also looking for volunteers and community partners who would like to help build this project and preserve our local queer history for future generations. If you have stories to tell, materials to share, or would like to get involved, please get in touch with us. Together we can ensure that the queer history of Sarasota is preserved and made visible.