Pride in Progress: Shaping America's Legacy Past, Present & Future! United We Stand! Using art, dialogue & music to make visible what must be protected. Generation Venetian Arts Society, GENVAS, is a Fort Lauderdale, Florida based non-profit founded in 2011. Annually, the organization presents original fine arts programming, utilizing a salon concert format, based upon current events. In 2025, GENVAS debuted Pride in Progress, a festival which celebrates the history and cultural contributions made by members of the LGBTQ community to America & the world. The inaugural event opened at ArtServe and was hosted by their CEO Jason Hughes. The evening included an art exhibit, a panel discussion about LGBTQ+ issues featuring local leaders, a musical interlude and achampagne reception On Saturday afternoon, Robert Kesten, CEO & President of Stonewall National Museum Archives & Research Library facilitated a book presentation, interview, discussion, and Q&A with Robert Fieseler, author, American Scare: Florida's Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives Fieseler is a journalist who investigates marginalized groups and an author who excavates forgotten histories. The book is avital exposé for both our history and our present day, American Scare tells the riveting story of how the Florida government destroyed the lives of Black and queer citizens in the twentieth century. He’s also the public scholar who convinced the New Orleans City Council to pass an apology resolution for the city's apathetic response to the 1973 UpStairs Lounge fire. On Saturday night, in Wilton Manors, the festival concluded with a concert entitled THIS PROMISE featuring Casey Breves and Sam Tsui, tenors. Sam and Casey have become internationally known on TikTok for their fantastic singing voices and their insightful videos on fatherhood. Tsui and Breves are a married songwriting duo based in Los Angeles and together they have over 3 million social media subscribers. Tsui has more than a billion views on Tsui’s YouTube channel, their combined social media presence has made a notable impact on the music landscape. The couple are applying their creativity to a picture book and album inspired by raising their daughter, Elaia. This programming was made possible through a generous grant from the Broward County Cultural Division with additional support from the Warten Foundation, John C. Graves LGBT Cultural Fund, Eye On Channel, OutSFL, ARC LABS Media, Sheraton Suites Plantation West, ArtServe, & Stonewall National Museum Archives and Research Library.