Fighting Back 101: A History of LGBTQ+ Activism in the U.S.
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Photo: Diana Davies
FIGHTING BACK: QUEER ACTIVIST HISTORY
“Fighting Back: Queer Activist History” is a dynamic lecture series featuring a diverse roster of historians, activists, scholars, and organizers, offering unique insights into LGBTQ+ activism in the U.S. From Stonewall to the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the critical work of lesser-known organizers, movement workers, and collectives, this series examines the challenges and triumphs that have shaped the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and traces the trajectory toward queer liberation.
LECTURE 101: A HISTORY OF LGBTQ+ ACTIVISM IN THE U.S.
This talk traces the history of LGBTQ activism from its start in the 1950s, when the oppression was most harsh and pervasive, to the early 21st century. It explores the impact of the 1960s; the Stonewall Uprising that gave birth to a “gay liberation” movement; the dramatic increase in mobilization sparked by the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s; and the growing presence in popular culture in the 1990s.
SPEAKER
John D’Emilio: A pioneer in the field of LGBTQ studies and the history of sexuality, John D’Emilio (he/him) is Emeritus Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies and History at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the author or editor of almost a dozen books including Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940-1970; Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin; and Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, co-authored with Estelle B. Freedman and now in its third edition. His awards include the Brudner Prize from Yale for lifetime contributions to gay and lesbian studies; the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Publishing Triangle, an organization of LGBTQ people in publishing; and the Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award of the Organization of American Historians. His biography of Bayard Rustin was a finalist for the National Book Award. The founding director of the Policy Institute of the National LGBTQ Task Force, he has also served as President of the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, a community-based library and historical archives in Chicago, and wrote a book on Chicago LGBTQ history – Queer Legacies: Stories from Chicago’s LGBTQ Archives. His most recent book is Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood: Coming of Age in the Sixties, a memoir published by Duke University Press.
ACCESSIBILITY
This program will be presented via Zoom with live captioning in English. We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. Please reach out with any questions, requests or needs to info@americanlgbtqmuseum.org.