REMEMBRANCE
Henry van Ameringen, Major LGBTQ Donor Dies at 90
Community remembers philanthropist’s selfl ess support for queer, marginalized groups
BY MATT TRACY
Henry van Ameringen,
an out gay philanthropist
who tapped into
his fortune to steer millions
of dollars to LGBTQ causes
for decades, died on September 9
at the age of 90.
While van Ameringen was initially
known as an executive and
served on the board of directors for
his father’s company, International
Flavors and Fragrances, he opted
to utilize his wealth for the greater
good in 1987 when the HIV/ AIDS
crisis had a crushing grip on the
community. He subsequently built
on that generosity, often writing
checks for large sums of money to
benefi t the community without being
asked.
Matt Foreman vividly recalled
meeting van Ameringen for lunch
in 1995 in the West Village, at the
time when Foreman was the executive
director of the New York City
Anti-Violence Project (AVP).
“We talked about the surge in
anti-LGBTQ violence and at the
end of the meal he just casually
fl ipped over a check face-down,”
Foreman, who remained in touch
with van Ameringen up until his
death, told Gay City News. “I just
looked at it and it was for $100,000.
The thing people don’t realize is
that a $100,000 gift to an LGBTQ
organization of any size back then
was simply unbelievable.”
Foreman and others who knew
van Ameringen remembered him
as someone who was willing to
selfl essly open his wallet without
expecting anything in return except
for a pledge to make sure the
money was properly utilized.
“He never wanted credit,” Foreman
said. “And he was so intently
devoted to the most marginalized
people in our community. People of
color, Black men living with HIV/
AIDS… He was exceptional not
only in the level of his generosity
but his humbleness.”
Van Ameringen’s philanthropic
organization, the van Ameringen
Foundation, also funds a range of
programs including mental health
Henry van Ameringen was remembered across the local LGBTQ community as a major donor who
helped fund important causes for people in need.
services and early intervention initiatives
for communities in need.
He was known to touch different
corners of the queer community,
from homeless youth to seniors
and even fi lmmakers who sought
to bring LGBTQ history to the
homes of Americans from coast to
coast.
Many said he was also mindful
of racial injustice and let that be
known in the way he allocated his
funds.
In the early 1990s, van Ameringen
became a supporter of In the
Life Media, which created the PBS
TV newsmagazine “In the Life”
that highlighted queer causes, stories,
and history. He became a key
donor of that project because he
viewed it as an important vehicle
through which Americans could
learn about LGBTQ folks at a time
when the community had far less
visibility.
“We chaired ‘In the Life’ together
LAMBDA LEGAL VIA IN THE LIFE MEDIA
for many years and became fast
friends,” Jayne Baron Sherman, a
theater and fi lm producer, said in
a Facebook post following van Ameringen’s
death. “He was particularly
supportive not just of LGBT
issues and people, but of those
marginalized as well.”
Van Ameringen continued to
view television and fi lm as an
important tool to advance queer
rights up until his death.
Katherine Linton, a fi lm and
television producer who produced
“In the Life” and most recently produced
an MSNBC documentary
released last year called “Stonewall!
Rebellion,” said he provided
her with a development grant for
that fi lm last year and made her
promise that it would “tell our story
well.”
“I always wanted Henry to like
what I did, because all he wanted
was for our community to be treated
equally and with dignity,” Linton
said in a social media post.
Sherman and others noted van
Ameringen’s straightforward approach
over the years. She praised
his “wit and direct manner,” which
contributed to his well-established
reputation for getting straight to
the point when dealing with important
issues.
“He was absolutely no bullshit,”
Foreman said. “He would be like,
‘Yes, I like that,’ or ‘No, I don’t.’ He
would not waste your time. There
are a lot of donors you have to talk
to over and over again. It was either
yes or no. If it was no, it wasn’t
in any kind of negative way. It was
just no.”
Carl Siciliano, the founder and
former executive director of the
homeless queer youth housing and
services group Ali Forney Center,
told Gay City News that contrary
to other donors, asking van Ameringen
for money was not how he
opened his wallet. Rather, he would
inform Ameringen about the most
pressing needs facing marginalized
communities “and he would
almost always come to the table.”
Siciliano recalled a meeting with
van Ameringen in 1995 shortly after
Siciliano had been hired to be
the program manager of a drop-in
center in Times Square called Safe
Space. A young individual who was
feeling suicidal sought assistance
at the drop-in center and that client’s
case manager kept interrupting
van Ameringen and Siciliano’s
meeting with updates on that case.
Siciliano helped walk the case
manager through the situation,
which clearly caught the attention
of van Ameringen.
“At the end of the meeting, van
Ameringen said, ‘I have to say I
was so impressed with how you
and the case manager were being
so thoughtful, so that’s why I’ve
decided to give you a grant,’” Siciliano
said.
Then, in 2002, when Siciliano
was getting the Ali Forney Center
off the ground, he met with
van Ameringen for lunch and the
pair discussed the plight of queer
➤ HENRY VAN AMERINGEN, continued on p.13
September 24 - October 7,6 2020 | GayCityNews.com
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