Melissa Etheridge To Attend <nobr>Feb. 23</nobr> Ribbon Cutting/Gala Opening For Historical Society of Long Beach LGBT History Project

LBREPORT.com Community Correspondent Joe Mello first reported on the Historical Society of Long Beach LGBT History Project on August 17, 2012. He continues our coverage of the event's upcoming opening gala (event ticket information, here) with further coverage to follow.

(Feb. 16, 2013) -- Singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge is scheduled to attend the Feb. 23 gala opening and ribbon cutting for the Historical Society of Long Beach's LGBT History Project titled "Coming Out in Long Beach." (Photo source: Etheridge Facebook page)

The exhibit will include a display of the Gold Album that Ms. Etheridge donated to Que Sera on Anaheim St., a well known Long Beach lesbian entertainment bar where, along with the Executive Suite on Pacific Coast Highway, Ms. Etheridge performed locally.

Since publicly coming out in 1993, the award winning performer has been an outspoken advocate of gay and lesbian rights.

The Long Beach Historical Society announced its LGBT History Project in August 2012 (early LBREPORT.com coverage, click here) and solicited donations for the exhibit from Long Beach's large LGBT community and orgainizations. The project's goal was to show the "struggles and contributions" of the LGBT community in Long Beach.

The resulting multidimensional exhibit will feature an interactive timeline that documents the contributions of the Long Beach LGBT communities with photographs, documents and archival materials. The project included collecting recorded oral histories and the making of a documentary video. All of the project items will become part of the Historical Society’s permanent collection and public archives.

The months leading up to Saturday's upcoming fundraiser-opening gala (tickets, click here) have included other local fundraisers, including January's "Fan Reunion" at the Que Sera bar where a not-yet-publicly-out Etheridge performed early in her career.

The project's seventeen member steering committee was co-chaired by Julie Bartolotto (Executive Director of the HSLB) and Marsha Naify (former President of the LB Lambda Democratic Club). Dr. Kay Briegel was the project's historian.

Following the Sat. Feb. 23 gala debut fundraiser, the exhibit will remain open for a year and is free to the public at the Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Avenue in Bixby Knolls. Event details are on this link.

Previous LBREPORT.com coverage

Historical Society of Long Beach Announces LBGT History Project by Joe Mello