LGBTJews in the Federal City | Capital Jewish Museum Exhibition

Participants on the National Mall at the National March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, & Bi Equal Rights & Liberation, April 1993. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection. Gift of Mitch Weissner.

Location

Capital Jewish Museum
575 3rd Street, NW, Washington, DC

Tickets

$12 Adults
$10 Ages 65+ & Students w/Valid ID
Free Ages 12 & Younger
Free for Members

Explore a turbulent century of celebration, activism, and change

LGBTJews in the Federal City traces a winding journey from ostracism to tolerance to belonging. Historic and contemporary photos, artifacts, and oral histories highlight moments of local and national importance.

Decades of federal discrimination and the outsized impact of trailblazers like Frank Kameny
Battles fought across the city — not just at the Supreme Court and Congress, but at the FDA, NIH, and even the US Holocaust Memorial Museum
The AIDS epidemic and the powerful response, including panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt
The transformation of Jewish life, including changes in synagogues and organizations across the region
Iconic bars, clubs, bookstores, and pageants

In the News

“Legendary names. Historic moments. And some sequins. Bringing queer DC history to life.” — Tommy McFly, NBC4 The Scene

“People were just waiting to tell us their stories.” — Evelyn Frick, Hey Alma

“LGBTJews in the Federal City may be a destination for tourists . . . but it shouldn’t be missed by locals. The District’s queer Jewish history is vibrant—and still being written.” — Kriston Capps, Bloomberg News

“You will leave this exhibit informed and enlightened.” — H Alan Scott, Newsweek’s The Parting Shot

Photos from the Galleries

Photo of the LGBTJews in the Federal City exhibition entrance and title wall, featuring large illustration using the exhibition’s wordmark, an illustration of a neon pink triangle, a line drawing of the Capitol building, and a colorful Jewish star with a triangle at its center.

Gallery photo featuring a large-scale photo mural of the capitol building and a selection of protest signs from the Collection.

Gallery photo featuring the Capital Moments section and the related images, objects, and wall text.

Gallery photo featuring the Welcoming Spaces section, featuring a disco ball, Ester Golberg’s drag costume, and a photo mural of the museum’s name in lights.

The exhibition is organized into the following sections:

• Introduction & Timeline

Travel from the 1800s through to the current day in five time periods highlighting significant events in LGBTQ+ history with an emphasis on Washington, DC, and the local Jewish experience.

• Lavender Scare & Military Service

In the 1950s and 60s, the so-called “Lavender Scare” kept thousands of LGBTQ+ Americans out of military service and the federal civil service. Discover the work of Washingtonian Frank Kameny in protesting this discrimination.

• Capital Moments

Washington, DC, the federal city, is where laws are made; Congress is lobbied; and protest marches travel between the White House, the Capitol building, and the Supreme Court. What happens in DC affects the entire nation.

• Welcoming Spaces

Discover welcoming spaces across the city over the past century, from guidebooks promoting LGBTQ+-safe businesses across different eras to the dress worn by DC’s turn-of-the-21st-century Jewish drag queen Ester Goldberg.

• Ritual Practice

Learn about changes in prayer language to include nonbinary worshipers, the establishment of LGBTQ+ congregations, and the development of a more expansive liturgy in Jewish religious services.

• Oral Histories

Listen to the stories of LGBTQ+ Jewish Washingtonians, presented in collaboration with the Rainbow History Project.

• Participation Moment

Post your photograph of Jewish LGBTQ+ life in the DC area to our wall.

Featured Objects & Images

Button worn by Dr. Evelyn T. Beck, ca. 1980s. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection. Gift of Evelyn Beck

David Green helped organize housing for protestors traveling from other gay congregations around the country for the 1979 March for Lesbian and Gay Right.. Flyer & notepaper, 1979. Gift of Bet Mishpachah, with thanks to Joel Wind and Al Munzer, Capital Jewish Museum Collection

Flier from the second annual "Walk Without Fear" in response to a rise in violence against the LGBTQ+ community in Washington, 1992. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection. Gift of Rainbow History Project.jpg

Color photo featuring participants with the Bet Mishpachah banner at the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, October 11, 1987. Gift of Bet Mishpachah, with thanks to Joel Wind and Al Munzer, Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection

Official Souvenir Program from the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian & Gay Rights. Gift of Bet Mishpachah with thanks to Joel Wind & Al Munzer, Capital Jewish Museum Collection

Poster, March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay & Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, 1993. On loan courtesy of Rainbow History Project, Cheryl Spector Collection

Classified ad from the Washington Blade, December 8, 1995. Courtesy of DC Public Library

Ester Goldberg review in the Washington Post Style section, 2004.
On loan to the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection, courtesy of Michael Airington

Dress, wig, and accessories worn by DC drag queen Ester Goldberg, 1990s. On loan to the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection, courtesy of Michael Airington

Button featuring the logo of Bet Mishpachah, the LGBTQ+ synagogue of Washington, DC, ca. 2010s. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection. Gift of Michael Garbus

2019 Mr. Nice Jewish Boy DC pageant winner's sash. Capital Jewish Museum
Collection. Gift of Ben Rosenbaum.

Tara Hoot performs during National Pride Shabbat at the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center, 2024. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection.

Color photo from the 2019 Mr. Nice Jewish Boys Pageant held at the former U Street Music Hall.
Photograph by Ian Foulk. Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum
Collection. Gift of Ben Rosenbaum.

Curatorial Team

LGBTJews in the Federal City is curated by Sarah Leavitt, Curator, and Jonathan Edelman, Collections Curator. The exhibition is designed by The Design Minds.

Exhibition Sponsors

This special exhibition is made possible by Premier Sponsor, Jeffrey Z. Slavin and Lead Sponsors, Stuart S. Kurlander and David L. Martin.

Additional support is provided by Major Sponsors: Susie and Michael Gelman; Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind; Christopher Wolf and James Beller; Contributing Sponsors: William H. Davis; Occasions Catering; Shards of Light Foundation; Partner Sponsors: Debbie Goldberg and Seth Waxman; Debbie and Jamie Heller; Craig Hoffman and Albert Lauber; Dr. Stuart Sotsky; and Friend Sponsors: Patrick DiBattista and Alfredo Gomez; Rochelle Granat and Rhoda Schulzinger; Ms. Karen Lehmann; Larry Neff; Craig Pascal; Dr. Robert and Patricia Silverman; Gigi B. Sohn and Lara A. Ballard; and Michael Tubman and Samir Luther.