LISA CANNISTRACI
As co-founder of Henrietta Hudson, Lisa Cannistraci—along with her business partner, Minnie Rivera—has served the LGBTQ com-munity for more than 25 years. “I opened Henrietta Hudson in 1991, at the time of ‘lesbian chic’ and have seen the nightlife scene and the gay rights movement change throughout the decades,” Cannistraci observes. “It has been a wild ride.” An integral part of the marriage equality movement, she served as the vice president of Marriage Equality USA when DOMA was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. She takes activism seriously, having supported numerous LGBTQ organizations for over three decades. During that time, she also fought a personal battle. “As an entrepreneur in nightlife, I found myself drinking and doing a lot of drugs to stay awake and engaged,” she tells GO. “Luckily, I got the ‘gift of desperation’ and managed to get sober a number of years ago. What a beautiful thing it has been… I can now lead with patience in a gentle and productive way—something I was not capable of doing before sobriety, as my life and decisions were ruled by fear. I now live a life beyond my wildest dreams, full of gratitude.” With the insight gained from her journey, she conveys the following message to our community: “Sober is sexy!” –SLO
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