The rollercoaster highs and lows of today’s LGBTQ+ movement are stretching advocates thin, but Robert Kesten, president of the Stonewall National Museum Archives & Library, is unphased by the uncertainties.
“I worked on the breakup of the Soviet Union, I worked in the Middle Easter during the Arab Spring, but I didn’t expect this kind of attitudinal change here at home,” he said. “The United States government, as slow and unjust as it has been, rarely retreats from human and civil rights once they’reestablished. We may never get all the way there, but we don’t often go back.”
But he turns to the Stonewall Museum’s founding mission of collecting, displaying and archiving LGBTQ+ history as well as the modern contributions being made today.
This year, Kesten and the Stonewall Museum established the Stonewall Honors, an event that honors people and institutions who are shaping the community’s advocacy and culture today. The event will highlight the honorees and their organizational needs to keep the movement thriving, as well as enhancing fundraising for the Museum as it adds these leaders and their organizations to the archival collection.
“Many people lost sizable parts of their budgets. They had to reduce staff, reduce their hours and more – and these people have had to work much harder to keep things going,” Kesten said. “We felt that these people desperately needed to be known in bigger circles because these are the people coming to our community’s defense.”
A dozen leaders makeup the inaugural class, including The National LGBTQ Task Force’s Executive Director, Kierra Johnson as she “drives bold advocacy for justice and equity, mobilizing communities to advance progressive change across the country.”
“I am humbled to be part of this daring inaugural class of honorees. The National LGBTQ Task Force continues to ensure the innovation, strategy, and leadership in the LGBTQ+ movement is leveraged to support all people struggling just to live, love and make ends meet. Freedom and fairness are possible, but to attain it, courage is required. We are grateful to the Stonewall Museum for seeing this in our work and its reverberations through our communities.” – Kierra Johnson said.
Envisioning a Powerful Future
Kesten recounted a time in advocacy when federal agencies and the private sector assisted LGBTQ+ movement needs. During the AIDS crisis, the private sector resourced solutions regardless of the sitting president’s efforts. “But now, those very same corporations have turned away from our communities because the government said you may lose your government contracts,” Kesten said. “They didn’t give us notice – they just disappeared. That is unAmerican, against every fiber of what America stands for and what has surprised me is how quickly people would desert [us.]”
Resisting the urge to acquis into silence is one of Kesten’s missions with hosting Stonewall Honors. Cultural death, he says, is just as dangerous as its physical form, and the movement must take responsibility to supplement representation to evade even the perception of erasure.
Kesten referred to the dozen honorees as those who “get their hands dirty” without seeking recognition. He mentioned searching for nominees that sustain their efforts in the midst of staff reduction, budget cuts, and higher costs.
“If we do not know the shining figures in our community, in our history, then that’s on us. I think that if we don’t know enough about ourselves to feel secure, that’s a danger,” Kesten said. “These are the heroes of our community that work tirelessly without great pay, without support staff in organizations that are local, regional, and national.”
Honoring Kierra
“My fear was, not enough people knew who Kierra is,” Kesten said. He spoke to Johnson’s ability to captivate audiences in speeches such as the State of the Movement delivered at Creating Change 2026. “She’s one of the most articulate people in the community in a leadership position…and I thought that was terribly important.”
Kesten called Johnson an inspiration for the Stonewall Honors and the “personification of how and why we fight.” Her leadership has given the Task Force and its role in the movement a “rebirth,” returning the organization to the elements of its founding mission. “She is finding what made it special and why The Task Force is important,” Kesten said. “She’s using those elements to complement other [LGBTQ] organizations that have become ‘Goliaths’ in our community without jeopardizing the place the Task Force needs to play.”
As Kesten prepares for the inaugural festivities, he hopes to enshrine the Stonewall Honors as an annual event to showcase the evolution of today’s LGBTQ+ movement.
“I think everybody who works professionally or is a lifelong volunteer treating it like a job has that Stonewall Uprising ember within them,” he said. “The flame lives in all of these people…they are a living continuation of [Stonewall].”
The event will be held at the museum in Fort Lauderdale. Limited tickets for the Stonewall Honors are available on the museum’s website, along with an opportunity to donate to tribute gifts and sponsorships. The museum will also debut their permanent exhibition highlighting queer high and culture.
Full List of The 2026 Class of Stonewall Honors
Alan Beck – Fun Maps
Alan has created innovative tools that connect LGBTQ+ travelers and communities, fostering visibility and connection worldwide.
Mark Berryhill – Equal Pride
Jaymes Black – The Trevor Project
Mark has elevated LGBTQ+ voices in media, ensuring representation and visibility through Equal Pride’s groundbreaking platforms.
Jaymes champions life-saving crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth, advancing hope and resilience nationwide.
Ben Garcia – American LGBTQ+ Museum
Ben is building a national institution dedicated to preserving and sharing LGBTQ+ history, ensuring our stories are honored for generations.
Kierra Johnson – The National LGBTQ Task Force
Kierra drives bold advocacy for justice and equity, mobilizing communities to advance progressive change across the country.
Rand Hoch – Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Rand has been a tireless advocate for equality in Palm Beach County, shaping policies that protect and uplift LGBTQ+ residents.
Julie Seaver – COMPASS
Julie leads with compassion and vision, expanding health and social services that empower LGBTQ+ individuals in Palm Beach County.
Denise Spivak – CenterLink
Denise leads a national network of LGBTQ+ community centers, strengthening local organizations and expanding access to safe, affirming spaces.
Marc Mortorana & Commissioner Don D’Arminio – Community Engagement Leaders
Marc and Don embody grassroots leadership, dedicating their energy to building bridges and strengthening LGBTQ+ community bonds.
Robert Griffin & Durrell Watkins – Sunshine Cathedral
Together, Robert and Durrell have cultivated a spiritual home rooted in inclusivity, celebrating diversity and affirming LGBTQ+ faith.
