Sue Henry papers

Sue Henry is a prominent gay rights activist in Charlotte, NC. She was owner of Rising Moon Books & Beyond bookstore, the first out lesbian to run for Mayor of Charlotte, and an active member of several political and social LGBTQ organizations.

Sue Henry was born (1952) and grew up in Maryland before attending Towson State University. With support of life partner Barbara Parke, she opened the first gay and lesbian bookstore in Charlotte - Rising Moon Books & Beyond, which was open from 1991-1997. She used the feminist model of community shared space as a model for Rising Moon, which provided space for events, meetings, and organizing as well as offering emotional support for community members. There were three Rising Moon Books & Beyond locations, two in Charlotte, (the first on East Blvd in Dilworth and the second in North Charlotte --NoDa-- where the store shared space with St. Ruby's Java Joint), and one in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Sue was a community organizer and a member of numerous political and social LGBTQ organizations, including OutCharlotte (an artistic and cultural festival that began in the early 1990s). In 1995, Sue Henry became the first out lesbian to run for Mayor of Charlotte as a write-in candidate. In 1996, Sue, along with the larger LGBTQ+ community assisted with Harvey Gantt's 1996 campaign against Jesse Helms for U.S. Senate. . In April 1997, after a run of Angels in America sparked protests against its gay content, Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners eliminated local arts funding.