Barry Lowenthal’s message to the LGBTQ community in this moment of crisis is simple and powerful: “Our power is in our visibility. Our organizing. Our joy.”
He knows these are trying times.
“This moment feels scary because it is scary. But despair is not a strategy,” he said. “We’ve been here before and made progress no one thought possible. Take care of yourself — but also show up. Someone else is watching and needs to see you standing tall.”
Lowenthal splits his time between South Florida and New York, where his activism first began in the late ’80s during the height of the AIDS crisis. Today, he continues that legacy through board service with the Compass Community Center, support for Lambda Legal, and participation in the Night Runners of West Palm Beach.
With more than 35 years in advertising and media, Lowenthal has long championed the importance of showing up as your full self — especially in leadership roles.
“Being out and proud means showing up in every room as my full self — without code-switching or shrinking. It’s a refusal to let shame dictate how I move through the world,” he said. “It’s also a responsibility. I know that simply being visible, especially as a gay executive in a leadership role, sends a message to others that they belong too.”
Lowenthal believes in leading by example — but also in lifting others as they step into their own power.
“I’m grateful to live in a community that uplifts one another,” he added. “And I hope this moment inspires others to take up a little more space in their own lives — with pride, not apology.”
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