Lesbian/Queer Women's Activist History & Art Exhibit at Cal State LA Library
Were you there in the '90s? Dyke Street Resistance and Lesbian kiss-ins! Sexy Clubs! Bars & Zines! Queer Bands & Performance!
Lesbians to Watch Out For: ‘90s Queer LA Activism is a multimedia history and art exhibit that invokes the spirit of lesbian and queer women's activism and organizing in 1990s Los Angeles and West Hollywood. Showcasing a diverse collection of visuals and materials, Lesbians to Watch Out For brings these activist stories to life with protest signs and stickers; a history of vice squad raids and censorship; and memories of queer performances, zines, and the places and spaces where '90s activists organized, hung out, and found community in L.A. and West Hollywood.
The exhibition runs from Thursday, Feb. 28 through Friday, May 31 on the first floor of the University Library, California State LA, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles.
Lesbians to Watch Out For tells the tales of queer women taking action in groups including ACT UP LA, Queer Nation LA, and the LA Dyke March. It also brings to life the untold histories of local '90s lesbian, bisexual, and transgender grassroots groups—including United Lesbians of African Heritage (ULOAH), Los Angeles Asian Pacific Islander Sisters (LAAPIS), Lesbianas Unidas (LU), Bi-Net, Transgender Menace and others —that created community and inspired a new generation of lesbian/queer activists to “reclaim the universe.”
The Lesbians to Watch Out For: ‘90s LA Activism exhibit was created by former members of these activist & community groups and other volunteers, in conjunction with June Mazer Lesbian Archives & LEX - The Lesbian Exploratory— and the City of West Hollywood's One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival 2017.
"The exhibit goes beyond the histories usually told," says Lynn Harris Ballen, one of the exhibition organizers. "It focuses on protest, street activism, and grassroots community groups, and we gathered material from personal collections and oral histories to tell these stories." Judy Sisneros, another lead organizer, notes, "From the AB101 protests to ‘Hollywood Homophobia’ actions to organizing for the '93 LGBT March on Washington, '90s lesbian and queer women's activism in LA reflected the energy of the decade: dyke visibility marches, public kiss-ins and declarations of ‘We recruit!’”
The exhibition also features 'The Lesbian Avengers: 25th Anniversary Exhibit.'The exhibit debuted two years ago in the City of West Hollywood to mark the 24th anniversary of the historic National Dyke March in Washington DC and the anniversary of the founding of the Lesbian Avengers. These two events inspired national activist efforts and a legacy of dyke marches across the country - giving renewed public visibility to lesbians and queer women and calling attention to our issues and contributions in American political life and culture.
A rooftop ‘90s party from 2:30-5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28 at the University Library will kick off the exhibit and feature ‘90s music, poetry readings, a drag performance, an acoustic performance by lesbian folksinger Phranc, vintage stickers, video from ACT UP Women and the Lesbian Avengers, and an exhibition walk-through on the First Floor, Library North immediately following the event.
Exhibition material for Lesbians to Watch Out For: ‘90s LA Activism is courtesy of ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries and community collections. The exhibition is sponsored by the Cal State LA Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program, the University Library, the Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, the College of Arts and Letters, and the Center for the Study of Genders and Sexualities.
The exhibition is located on the First Floor, Library North of the University Library, Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032. It can be visited during regular library hours. For more information about library hours, please visit: https://calstatela.libcal.com/hours/.