Introduction
Part of the Hidden Histories project, Seeking Stories is an exploration of the ways LGBTQ+ people in California form connections and communities.
Community and connection are vital aspects of the human experience, offering support, belonging, and a sense of identity. Whether formed around shared interests, experiences, or identities, communities provide a space for individuals to come together, celebrate their differences, and find common ground.
Through our community as memory institutions and the Hidden Histories project, we have gathered archival materials from across archives, museums, libraries, educational institutions, historical societies, and non-profits to share windows into the connections made across Southern California queer lives.
Through photographs, letters, art, publications, posters, artefacts, and ephemera, we celebrate the vibrant creativity and diverse experiences of our communities. In exploring these materials, you will find crossover where the same piece connects to different facets of queer experience and creates bonds between queer communities.
Through these connections, we hope that this exhibit will provide space for shared experiences, a celebration of identities, foster a sense of belonging and pride within the LGBTQ+ community, and inspire conversations about equality, acceptance, and the beauty of embracing one's true self.