Gay museum opens doors in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- The first gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender history museum in the United States is opening its doors to the public in San Francisco.

The GLBT History Museum, which is only the second museum of its type in the world after a similar establishment opened in Germany, includes items ranging from sex toys to an exhibit on Harvey Milk, whose election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors made him the first openly gay politician elected to office in the United States, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

"Telling our stories transforms our lives and our society and takes us out of the margins," said Don Romesburg, a curator at the museum and an assistant professor at Sonoma State University's Department of Women's and Gender Studies. "The museum is at the heart of that project."

The GLBT Historical Society, which marked its 25th anniversary last March, said it had long sought to open a museum and the idea finally seemed plausible after the success of a temporary exhibit set up to coincide with the release of the 2008 film "Milk," based on the story of Harvey Milk.

"Here, we get to tell our stories on our own terms without having to apologize," curator Gerard Koskovich said.