Key facts
- Stacy Lentz co-owns the Stonewall Inn with three partners, having purchased it in 2006.
- Lentz incurred credit card debt to finance her share of the purchase.
- The Inn now displays historic artifacts and hosts events in an upstairs community center.
- In 2017, the owners started the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative nonprofit.
- The initiative provides safe-space training and support to LGBTQ+ individuals in challenging regions.
Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the historic Stonewall Inn since 2006, shares her personal journey and the mission behind the establishment. Lentz took on credit card debt to co-purchase the Inn with three partners, driven by a desire to preserve its significance for the LGBTQ+ community. While acknowledging the financial challenges, including a roof collapse in the first year and substantial monthly rent, Lentz states that profit has never been the primary motivation. She and her co-owners view themselves as stewards of the Inn, which now features historical artifacts and a community center. In 2017, they launched the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, a nonprofit with an annual budget of $60,000 to $120,000. This initiative focuses on providing safe-space training and support to LGBTQ+ individuals in areas where they face significant challenges, such as Mississippi, Uganda, and Kansas. Lentz believes that honoring the Inn's legacy requires actively contributing to the future of the LGBTQ+ community.