Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten visited a Manhattan LGBTQ+ archive with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani while in town for the United Nations General Assembly. The leaders toured the center's library and viewed artwork and zines produced by youth, which were recently added to the archive. Center leaders and participants emphasized the archive's role in preserving queer history and offering life-changing programs and resources.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten Tours Manhattan LGBTQ+ Archive, Meets Youth Empowered by the Center
Two men in suits and ties sit at a table with small pieces of artwork displayed. Teenagers sit around them and explain the artwork.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, the Netherlands' youngest and first openly gay premier, visited a longstanding LGBTQ+ archive and community center in Manhattan on Thursday alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The visit, during Jetten's trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, highlighted the center's preservation work and youth programs for both local and international leaders.
A man in a tie places a hand cordially on a man in a suit holding a blue folder. They are outside and surrounded by others in formalwear.
Visit Highlights
After a brief greeting outside the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Jetten and Mamdani toured the center's library and archive. Archivists and youth participants showcased photographs, collages and self-published zines that were being added to the archive for long-term preservation.
A man in a suit and tie approaches a person on a city street. He is followed by security personnel.
"It's all about celebrating the diversity for the community, but also explaining to all the visitors that so much work still has to be done all around the globe," Jetten said, likening the center's efforts to Dutch museum projects that document queer history.
Young people who use the center's programs described how services — from job-readiness training and health-care guidance to an annual summer camp — have provided critical support and community. Nineteen-year-old Jaylynn Gaston of the Bronx showed a photo collage they created and called the visit "a little nerve-wracking, but... really exciting." Gaston said access to the center's resources has been "life-saving."
A mix of adults in formalwear and young people dressed in colorful attire stand in a library.
Carla Smith, the center's CEO, welcomed the mayor's office for designating the archive as a cultural stop for the visiting prime minister. Archivist Lou McCarthy described the meeting as part of the center's ongoing mission to preserve and share LGBTQ+ history with both local communities and international visitors.
Three women stand beside a city street and smile toward the camera.
The delegation also included Taylor Brown, director of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, and Ana Maria Archila, commissioner of the Mayor's Office for International Affairs. Smith stressed that elevating the archive's work is "more important now than ever, with what's going on in the world."
The visit was documented by The Advocate, which accompanied the group during the tour.
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