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Seeking Stories of Queer California: A Hidden Histories Online Exhibit Main Menu Introduction Galleries A guide to each of the online galleries in this digital exhibit, grouped by topic or theme. Arts Asian & AAPI LGBTQ+ people Bisexual People Black LGBTQ+ People Communities Defying Expectations Gay men HIV/AIDS Latino/a/x LGBTQ+ people Lesbians LGBTQ+ Activism LGBTQ+ Discrimination LGBTQ+ Life in California Marriage and Families Politics Pride Religion and Spirituality Transgender People

Don Bachardy, portrait of Stephen Spender, June 21, 1976

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Arts Beth McDonald
Contents of this tag:
1. Rope, 1947-1948
2. Cover for Gravedigger by Joseph Hansen, 1982
3. Tan Suit Ensemble by James Galanos, 1962
4. Gold record for "Melissa Etheridge" album by Melissa Etheridge, 1988
5. The Soul of Lilith, 1892
6. Finocchio's: House of the Fabulous Female Impressonators, undated A postcard of Finocchio's, that was a nightclub and bar in San Francisco. It shows five female impersonators standing in the back and five sitting in the front. The steps are a black and white checkered pattern and the background appears to be the stage. From left to right, starting in the back, a performer is wearing a bright pink robe with light pink feather lining, a silver patterned dress, silver shoes, and bright pink long earrings. Next the performer is wearing a pink and gold robe with a high collar, a pink dress, and a pink wig. The center performer is wearing a bright pink dress with a black belt. Next the performer is wearing a black and silver waistcoat with bright pink harem pants. At the end of the back row is a performer in a dark purple robe and dress, with peacock feathers and a peacock feather headdress. The five women in the front row are seated, all in similar 1920s flapper dancer outfits in different colors. From left to right, the first two women are turned slightly to the left and are in light purple outfits with pink feather headbands. In the center, facing forward, she is in a yellow dress with a green feather headband. Next, turned slightly to the right, she is in a dark purple dress and a dark purple feathered headband. Lastly, also turned to the right, she is in an orange dress and has an orange feathered headband.
7. Florence Yoch, landscape design, “A Hillside Garden for Mr. George Cukor, West Hollywood,” 1936
8. Gown by Gilbert Adrian, 1948
9. Eloise Klein Healy, typescript draft of poem, “There Are No Words for the Sexual Acts of Lesbians,” circa 1984
10. Queerios, 2015
11. Excerpt from Sketchbook 11, Morris Scott Dollens, undated
12. Laura Aguilar, #6, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
13. Christopher Isherwood, typescript second draft of A Single Man, 1963
14. Don Bachardy, portrait of Stephen Spender, June 21, 1976
15. Pandora's Box, 1929
16. William Haines, rendering of living room of the Sidney and Frances Brody residence, Beverly Hills, circa 1952
Visual Arts Beth McDonald Visual arts are creative expression in pictorial, graphic, sculptural, and other two-dimensional and three-dimensional form. They include painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art. Different eras in history have had their own standards for defining art and beauty, and queer painters, artists, cartoonists, muralists, and photographers have taken these definitions and remade them in their own image time and time again.
Contents of this tag:
1. Portrait of Dr. Evelyn Hooker by Don Bachardy, 1960
2. Portrait of Morris Kight by Don Bachardy, 1980
3. Tit Print, by Annie Sprinkle, 2004
4. Shroud of Curad, by Jerome Caja, 1993
5. Spider and Office Johnson, 2007 Artist: Alex Donis. Spider and Officer Johnson is a print from the painting series titled WAR, depicting police officers dancing with gang members with humorous yet tension-filled imagery elevating the homophobia and racial intolerance that exists in our social and justice system. Originally scheduled to be exhibited at the Watts Towers Arts Center in 2001, this painting series was threatened with protest and possible violent actions by members of the Watts community, prompting the exhibition's censorship by the Cultural Affairs Department of Los Angeles. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
6. I Lied, 2021 Artist: Alex Donis. I Lied is the culmination of an unfinished work that began in the mid-1990s after completing a single lithography poster of the same image. The edition depicts the Virgin Mary in her iconic contemplative stare and delicate hand gestures but with the words, I Lied subtly placed before the sacred heart. Through these simple words, the artist forces the viewer to see Mary beyond her divinity, but her humanness. A human with faults who perhaps may have lied to protect her loved ones, or to hide a secret or a painful truth. However, the criticism here heavily lies on the religious institutions who through the prevalent imagery, authority, and doctrine, have exploited and harmed many with minimal accountability. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
7. Remembrance for Teddy & Arnie, 2008 Artist: Joey Terrill. The image is taken from a 1989 painting created by Terrill titled Remembrance, exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum of Art for an art auction to raise funds for agencies working on the AIDs pandemic in the Latino Community. The serigraph Remembrance (For Teddy and Arnie), printed in 2008, honors the artist's friends, Arnie Araica (who designed the shirt the central figure is wearing) and the artist Teddy Sandoval, who died of Aids. The central figure is a self-portrait standing alongside his past partner, Robert Ward, during a dark period when friends had or were dying of AIDs. The two figures, the younger figure following the steps of his older partner, are in a garden surrounded by plants, white gladiolas, and birds of paradise. The garden, a reflection of life and beauty, can be likened to Terrill's friendships and their loss. The artist reflected on being alive 19 years after creating his original painting, having lived with HIV. Celebrating another 15 years since the creation of this print, the artist continues to champion health rights for the LBGTQ+ community. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
8. Miguel Criado painting in his kitchen, 2012
9. Don Bachardy, portrait of Truman Capote, June 26, 1961
10. Queerios, 2015
11. Opening of Desert Open Studios, 2023
12. Don Bachardy, portrait of Stephen Spender, June 21, 1976
13. LXS Guia, 2018 Artist: Cynthia Velasquez. Cynthia Velasquez was born to a Chilean mother and a Guatemalan father, but her household was never strictly one culture. Like the city of Los Angeles, her household was diverse, influencing how she views herself and creates art. Her journey to find herself as an artist and a descendant of displaced people began at home, as did her understanding and introspection of her roots and ancestors in Chile and Guatemala. Her work references her search for lost parts of her identity, exploring that loss to understand her grounding as an artist and a queer womxn. Lxs Guía is a portrait of a womxn’s moment connecting with the spirit of the elder and the spirit animals, honoring the direction of the buffalo, the elder, and her ancestors. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
14. Kenneth Anger, hand drawn card and envelope, December 23, 1946
15. Connie Samaras, #11 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
16. Cover of Future Imperfect, 2010
17. Old Love Story, 1986
18. Connie Samaras, #16 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
19. Excerpt from Sketchbook 11, Morris Scott Dollens, undated
20. Painted Rocks by Ray Lowen, undated
21. Intertwined, 2007 Artist: Luciano Martinez. As real and imagined borders separate same-sex partners, the artist considers a new obstacle Gay Latino men face: gay marriage. Intertwined addresses the forbidden love between two men, sometimes complicated by geographic and cultural differences, trapped by an invisible cell that confines yet separates them. The prison-like bars that separate the lovers in the artwork are not only geographic, racial, and cultural but ominously political, highlighting the cross-national restrictions on gay marriage and the difficulties of recognizing same-sex partners within conservative societies. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
22. Clark Library vestibule ceiling, 1925
23. Laura Aguilar, #19, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
24. Butch/Top, 2007 Artrist: Miguel Angel Reyes. Influenced by oddly-toned color ads from 1970's fashion magazines, play with the labels men use to describe themselves for "sex hook-ups" internet personal advertisements. Though proudly gay, the butch-top asserts his sexually dominant role as a man, dispelling the commonly-held notion that homosexual men are feminine and passive. His attitude challenges any question of machismo. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
25. Laura Aguilar, #20, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
26. Y Que, 2007 Artist: Ruben Esparza. A deliberate flat artwork with limited colors boldly represents a shirtless, masculine, queer Chicano in a powerful stance. Y Que (translates to So What). The tattoo utilizes a decorative type treatment used in gang culture; the pearl necklace is a gay code representing a particular body fluid. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
27. Sister Karen Boccalero, circa 1990
28. An article on Miguel Criado in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia, 1993
29. Laura Aguilar, #6, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
Gay men Beth McDonald
Contents of this tag:
1. Rock Hudson
2. Blue check women's suit by Gilbert Adrian, 1946-48
3. Lavender Godzilla: Voices of the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, April 2003
4. The Golden Bull, 2023
5. Portrait of Morris Kight by Don Bachardy, 1980
6. Membership card to the 1350 Club, 1981
7. Matlovich for Supervisor, undated
8. Poster and Call sheet for Making Love, 1981-1982
9. Ron Douglas (left) and Jack Wilson cut their wedding cake at the private marriage ceremony, 1970
10. My Beautiful Laundrette, circa 1985
11. Tan Suit Ensemble by James Galanos, 1962
12. Joseph Hansen, “Why I wrote Early Graves,” circa 1987
13. Dorr Legg at drafting table, circa 1936-1942
14. Kenneth Anger, undated
15. The Gay Times, interview with Joseph Hansen titled “Simple Lessons,” January 1987
16. Gay Men's Chorus 25th Anniversary concert poster, 2004
17. Gay Dating Service Head, 1982
18. Jeff Horton, Larry Pickens and their son at Los Angeles gay pride, 1995
19. A celebration of adult Bar and Bat Mitvahs at Congregation Kol Ami, 2000
20. Robert Arthur, Ivy Bottini, Quentin Crisp, Morris Kight, and Patricia Nell Warren, 1994
21. Photo of William Haines at his holiday home, taken by Ruth Harriet Louise for Metro Goldwyn Mayer, circa 1925
22. Asian Pacific group at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, 1993
23. Designer Rudi Gernreich in His Office, 1969
24. Painted Rocks by Ray Lowen, undated
25. Intertwined, 2007 Artist: Luciano Martinez. As real and imagined borders separate same-sex partners, the artist considers a new obstacle Gay Latino men face: gay marriage. Intertwined addresses the forbidden love between two men, sometimes complicated by geographic and cultural differences, trapped by an invisible cell that confines yet separates them. The prison-like bars that separate the lovers in the artwork are not only geographic, racial, and cultural but ominously political, highlighting the cross-national restrictions on gay marriage and the difficulties of recognizing same-sex partners within conservative societies. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
26. Flier advertising A Different Light bookstore's 1989 Gay Writer Series events
27. Butch/Top, 2007 Artrist: Miguel Angel Reyes. Influenced by oddly-toned color ads from 1970's fashion magazines, play with the labels men use to describe themselves for "sex hook-ups" internet personal advertisements. Though proudly gay, the butch-top asserts his sexually dominant role as a man, dispelling the commonly-held notion that homosexual men are feminine and passive. His attitude challenges any question of machismo. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
28. Mr. Muscle Beach Contest, 1950
29. Charles Pierce and Virginia Grey
30. Gown by Gilbert Adrian, 1948
31. Photo booth photographs of Don Bachardy and Christopher Isherwood, March 30, 1953
32. Y Que, 2007 Artist: Ruben Esparza. A deliberate flat artwork with limited colors boldly represents a shirtless, masculine, queer Chicano in a powerful stance. Y Que (translates to So What). The tattoo utilizes a decorative type treatment used in gang culture; the pearl necklace is a gay code representing a particular body fluid. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
33. Crystal Beach Bathhouse, 1943
34. Salome, 1922
35. Newspaper clipping from photograph album showing Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden, ca. 1930s
36. The World Book of Naders, undated
37. Lesbians and Gay Men The Grand Jury's In Town, 1979
38. Ramon Novarro, circa 1920s
39. Souvenir featuring Don Bachardy from a party thrown by producer Allan Carr in honor of Truman Capote, December 13, 1979
40. Excerpt from Sketchbook 11, Morris Scott Dollens, undated
41. The Word is Out, 1977
42. Don't Give Him Anything But Love, 1973
43. Don Bachardy, portrait of Truman Capote, June 26, 1961
44. Cover of manual for "Civil Rights for Lesbians and Gay Men: A Reference Manual for City and County Officials", 1990
45. Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, circa 1954
46. Data Boy, Issue 136: Film, January 1976
47. Magpie of California, May 1969
48. Gay Fathers Group, 1981
49. Don Bachardy, portrait of Stephen Spender, June 21, 1976
50. Portrait of William Andrews Clark, Jr., 1925
51. Tea and Sympathy, 1953-1956
52. Gay Sunshine no. 6, March 1971,
53. Gay Marriage Case in Court, 1979 Rob Brown, Herald Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library. Photograph caption reads, "From left, attorney David M. Brown, plaintiffs, Anthony Corbett Sullivan, Richard Frank Adams. Sullivan and Adams are married, Adams a US citizen and Sullivan an Australian citizen. Both were issued a marriage license in Bolder [sic] Colorado and were married in Bolder [sic]. When Sullivan reapplied in Los Angeles in November 1975, the District Director of Immigration and Naturalization Service an immigrant visa. 'You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots', Dist Director."
54. Portrait of Harrison Post, 1920
55. Miguel Criado Outwords profile
56. Gregg Araki