Louisiana Gets First Historical Marker Noting a Gay Person
A Louisiana Historical Marker honoring physicist and philanthropist Peter Putnam was placed recently near 3127 East Main Street in Houma, Louisiana. In 1979, Putnam funded the Gay Liberation Monument, a sculpture by George Segal that is now a centerpiece of the Stonewall Historic Site in New York City. The marker was financed by attorney John J. Sullivan and sponsored by the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana. Read more about Putnam here.
Dyke Digest Available on AP Website
Dyke Digest was a New Orleans based publication in the late 1970s. The Archives Project recently acquired the February-March 1979 issue, which is available to the general public here on our website. If you have other issues of Dyke Digest, we would love to digitize those and make them available as well. Lesbian History will be the Archives Project’s 2026 programming focus. Stay tuned for more information.
Gay Appreciation Awards to Benefit the Archives Project
The 35th annual Gay Appreciation Awards will take place Saturday, August 16, at the Marigny Opera House. This annual event recognizes those in the LGBT+ community whose contributions are often overlooked. Proceeds after expenses will benefit the Archives Project and Southern Decadence. Doors open at 6:00pm; awards ceremony begins at 7:00pm. Tickets are available here.
Southern Decadence
Pictured above is the very first Southern Decadence invitation. Did you know Southern Decadence started with a house party among friends in 1972? Since then, the has party evolved into an extravagant parade that attracts tens of thousands of revelers to the French Quarter every Labor Day weekend. From 1972 to 1980, co-founder Robert Laurent designed invitations to each celebration, all of which you can see here in our website’s Southern Decadence gallery.
Become a Member
You are obviously receiving our newsletter, but have you officially joined the Archives Project? Membership is crucial to our continued success. Membership levels are: $10 – Student, $20 – Individual, $30 – Couple, and $50 – Business. All memberships are for one year. To Become a Sustaining Member, please choose the monthly recurring option. Join today and help us get our history out of the closet! Click here to join.
