I went into credit card debt to buy the Stonewall Inn with my co-owners. We want to honor its past by impacting the future.

• Stacy Lentz has co-owned the Stonewall Inn with three others since 2006.
• She went into credit card debt to buy the Inn, and has never made much money.
• Owning it has been the responsibility of a lifetime, and given her purpose, she says.

The nonprofit has a small budget of between $60,000 to $120,000 a year. Still, it’s something my co-owners and I are really proud of. If we rely on our legacy, without continuing to take action, it just becomes branding. That’s why we’re determined to not just honor the Inn’s past but to also have a real impact on the future of the LGBTQ+ community.