Each year, Miss MORE! has taken great pleasure in seeking out some of our community's most impactful organizations as beneficiaries. Over the past three decades, the community has helped raise over $1 million for local charities by supporting these events.
This year, I am proud to name the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society as our beneficiary. Founded in 1985, they are internationally recognized as a leader in LGBTQIA+ public history — often called the "queer Smithsonian." They collect, preserve, exhibit, and share the materials and stories that document who we are: our struggles, our joy, our resilience, and our ongoing fight for equality and justice. And now, they are preparing to move into a new permanent home in the heart of the Castro, where our history will be more accessible than ever.
This moment calls for that history. The rights and dignity of LGBTQIA+ people are under serious threat from the current administration and a wave of hostile legislation across the country. At the same time, we are fighting back. Lawmakers and advocates have introduced legislation to formally recognize Gilbert Baker's Pride flag as a protected American symbol — ensuring its place at historic sites like Stonewall and affirming that LGBTQIA+ history is American history, full stop. That fight is a reminder that our stories are worth protecting, and that the institutions who preserve them matter enormously.
We will not be erased.