This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn and CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My upbringing took place in a middle-class household surrounded by cornfields in rural Kansas. After relocating to New York City during my twenties, I sensed I had found the heart of everything.

I likely recognized my identity as a gay person from an early age, yet I resisted it. Attending school with the same small group of peers each year, I noticed attractions to female friends while viewing male classmates only as potential close companions without romantic interest.

At age 24, entering my first gay bar in New York immediately brought the realization that these were my people.

I Assumed Credit Card Debt to Purchase the Stonewall Inn

Following that experience, I frequented LGBTQ+ establishments often. A piano bar located a few doors from the Stonewall Inn became a favorite spot. As a former theater enthusiast, the atmosphere of a New York piano bar always appealed to me. I turned into a regular patron there and developed a close friendship with the manager, Kurt Kelly, who has grown to feel like family.

I had visited the Stonewall Inn earlier during the 1990s. Although aware of its importance at the time, the location lacked any sense of historic respect. In 2006, Kurt and I discovered that the Inn faced closure.

We saw an opportunity to safeguard this history for our community. Together with two additional partners, we acquired the Stonewall Inn. Taking on credit card debt was necessary, yet this represented a singular chance.

Limited Financial Returns, Yet the Value Extends Beyond Money

With a background in marketing and growing into a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, I believed I could build success for the Inn and elevate its visibility. The opening year proved challenging due to a roof failure that required substantial repairs.

I recovered my initial investment within a few years, though profits from the bar have remained modest. We maintain transparency on this point. Monthly rent stands at $55,000, demanding significant sales volume.

The motivation was never financial gain. Instead, my co-owners and I view ourselves as caretakers of this landmark. At the time of purchase, no historical elements were on display. Now the space features artifacts such as the original raided property sign from 1969. An upstairs community area hosts events ranging from fundraisers to weddings.

Upholding the Heritage and Advancing Initiatives

Ownership of the Stonewall Inn carries a profound duty. Beyond maintaining operations, the focus remains on sustaining its core purpose.

My partners and I hold that preserving queer history requires support for queer futures. We launched the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative nonprofit in 2017. It delivers safe-space training to venues and extends assistance to LGBTQ+ individuals in challenging regions such as Mississippi, Uganda, and my home state of Kansas.

The nonprofit operates with an annual budget between $60,000 and $120,000. This effort brings us great pride. Relying solely on past achievements without forward action reduces everything to mere branding. We therefore commit to honoring the Inn's history while creating tangible effects on the LGBTQ+ community's path forward.