The American LGBTQ+ Museum, a new space scheduled to open in New York City in 2027, announced today that it had elected the fashion designer Michael Kors and his husband, Lance Le Pere, to the board of trustees. “We are thrilled to join the board of trustees and be part of such a historic endeavor,” they said in a statement. “It’s more important than ever to preserve and celebrate LGBTQ+ history and culture. Our community has such a rich history and many stories to tell.”

Construction for the museum’s physical space began in December 2024 in a new wing of the New York Historical on Central Park West, and in the meantime it has been offering public events and programming, most recently “Queer Justice,” a traveling exhibition created in collaboration with Lambda Legal that details the history of the legal organization for its 50th anniversary.

“We are honored to have Michael and Lance join our board,” stated Ben Garcia, the museum’s executive director, in the press release. “They bring an enormous amount of expertise in philanthropy at a local and global scale, and we are excited to have their incredible leadership, dedication, and generosity on our side.”

Kors and Le Pere are known for their support of organizations including God’s Love We Deliver—which named its SoHo headquarters building after the designer—along with the United Nations World Food Programme, the Roundabout Theatre Company, the NYC Aids Memorial Park, and Lincoln Center Theater, among others.