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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

Laura Aguilar, #20, from the series Plush Pony, 1992

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Lesbians Beth McDonald
Contents of this tag:
1. Aché: A Journal for Black Lesbians, Vol. 1, no. 1, February 1989
2. Portrait of Marie Corelli, 1908
3. Lesbian parents and their children at the March on Washington, 1993
4. 3a Marcha Lésbica, 2006
5. Sheila Kuehl for Supervisor, circa 2014
6. Gold record for "Melissa Etheridge" album by Melissa Etheridge, 1988
7. Gwenn Craig Outwords profile
8. Poster for Carolyn Weathers : shitkickers & other Texas stories
9. Marie Corelli and Bertha Vyer, 1921
10. Marie Cartier graduation celebration, 2010 Women applauding Marie Cartier at a party celebrating her graduating from Claremont College with a PhD in theology. Hot Java coffeehouse was transformed into a gay women's bar from the 1950s. The Front row: Marie Cartier in cap and gown and Carolyn Weathers in rhinestone glasses. Middle row: unknown, Jayne Doolittle-Swanson in striped shirt and Jeanne Cordova in hat. Back row, mostly obscured, Pat Lamis in hat, unknown woman with hands in air. May 22, 2010.
11. Aché: A Journal for Lesbians of African Descent, Vol. 3, no. 1, February/March 1991
12. Robert Arthur, Ivy Bottini, Quentin Crisp, Morris Kight, and Patricia Nell Warren, 1994
13. The Children's Hour, 1961 Photograph of Shirley MacLaine, left, and Audrey Hepburn in a scene from The Children's Hour, and a letter from Arthur B. Krim to Eric Johnston regarding three films with homosexuality as a subject, including The Children's Hour, and requesting that the Code be amended. Photograph: Core Collection. Production files. Letter: Motion Picture Association of America Production Code Administration records.
14. Sheila Kuehl (L) and Judy Abdo (R), December 14, 1997
15. The Killing of Sister George
16. A celebration of adult Bar and Bat Mitvahs at Congregation Kol Ami, 2000
17. Lesbian Visibility Week poster, 1990
18. Lesbian Wedding, 1987
19. Dracula's Daughter, circa 1936
20. Lesbian Dyke March poster, 1996
21. First Ladies Memorial Dance Marathon button, 1978
22. Photograph of Florence Yoch and her partner Lucile Council, circa 1940
23. Cover of manual for "Civil Rights for Lesbians and Gay Men: A Reference Manual for City and County Officials", 1990
24. Thirteen Women, 1932
25. Aché: A Journal for Black Lesbians, Vol. 2, no. 6, November/December 1990
26. Gerrie Schipske for State Assembly button, 1996
27. Florence Yoch, landscape design, “A Hillside Garden for Mr. George Cukor, West Hollywood,” 1936
28. Hey Young Lesbians, undated
29. Eloise Klein Healy, typescript draft of poem, “There Are No Words for the Sexual Acts of Lesbians,” circa 1984
30. Black Lesbian Newsletter, December 1982
31. Aché: A Journal for Black Lesbians, Vol. 1, no. 2, March 1989
32. Profile of Ellen Ward, 2023
33. Connie Samaras, #11 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
34. Pandora's Box, 1929
35. Home, circa 1982
36. Profile of Vanessa Romain, 2023
37. Connie Samaras, #16 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
38. Gay & Lesbian L.A. history map, 2000
39. Tribal Connexions: A Celebration of 2 Years of Aché, 1991
40. Laura Aguilar, #19, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
41. Unattributed photograph of Zoe Akins, circa 1930s
42. Lesbian Libertys, 2009
43. Gay Sunshine, undated
44. Laura Aguilar, #20, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
45. Willa Cather, letter to Zoë Akins, May 4, 1918
46. The Word is Out, 1977
47. Two women embracing and kissing, 1923
48. Laura Aguilar, #6, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
49. Judy Abdo Outwords profile
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. Shroud of Curad, by Jerome Caja, 1993
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Portrait of Morris Kight by Don Bachardy, 1980
6. Tit Print, by Annie Sprinkle, 2004
7. Old Love Story, 1986
8. Connie Samaras, #16 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
9. Cover of Future Imperfect, 2010
10. Painted Rocks by Ray Lowen, undated
11. 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.
12. Excerpt from Sketchbook 11, Morris Scott Dollens, undated
13. Laura Aguilar, #19, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
14. Clark Library vestibule ceiling, 1925
15. Laura Aguilar, #20, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
16. 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.
17. An article on Miguel Criado in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia, 1993
18. Laura Aguilar, #6, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
19. 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.
20. Sister Karen Boccalero, circa 1990
21. Miguel Criado painting in his kitchen, 2012
22. Don Bachardy, portrait of Truman Capote, June 26, 1961
23. 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.
24. Opening of Desert Open Studios, 2023
25. Don Bachardy, portrait of Stephen Spender, June 21, 1976
26. Queerios, 2015
27. Kenneth Anger, hand drawn card and envelope, December 23, 1946
28. Connie Samaras, #11 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
29. 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.
Latino/a/x LGBTQ+ people Beth McDonald
Contents of this tag:
1. 3a Marcha Lésbica, 2006
2. 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.
3. De todas partes, de todos colores, somos raza : third anniversary awards ceremony, Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, 1984
4. Five Latinos dressed for the Orange County Gay Pride Festival, 1991
5. Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos Office, 1983
6. Queerios, 2015
7. Laura Aguilar, #19, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
8. 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.
9. Laura Aguilar, #20, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
10. Laura Aguilar, #6, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
11. Miguel Criado Outwords profile
12. 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.
13. Pete Jimenez Memorial, 2012
14. The Gay Latino Alliance, Market St., June 24, 1979
15. 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.
16. Every 10th Jesus is a Queer, circa 1990
17. 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.
18. Ramon Novarro, circa 1920s
19. 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.