Glossary
Broadway
Broadway is New York City's professional theater district, long central to LGBTQ+ culture as a stage for queer artists, audiences, and stories.
Broadway refers to the professional theaters clustered around Times Square in New York City and, more broadly, to American commercial theater. For generations it has been closely tied to LGBTQ+ culture, offering visibility and community for queer performers, writers, and audiences at times when acceptance was scarce elsewhere. Composers, choreographers, directors, and stars across the decades have shaped the art form, and shows such as La Cage aux Folles, Angels in America, Fun Home, and A Strange Loop have put LGBTQ+ lives at center stage. The theater community also became a major force in HIV/AIDS fundraising and advocacy through groups like Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.