2011 ANNUAL REPORT - Chicago History Museum

2011 ANNUAL REPORT
Out In Chicago
What happens when questions related to sexuality
and gender nonconformity are brought to bear
on a city’s history Out in Chicago details the
emergence of the city’s diverse lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities.
It emphasizes the everyday lives of LGBT
Chicagoans, as well as LGBT activism and its fight
against homophobia and fear of gender difference.
While Out’s target audience is LGBT, it is accessible
to all visitors, regardless of sexual orientation, and
contains ample opportunities to forge personal
connections with the subject matter. The exhibition
opened in May 2011 and runs through March 2012.
Out in Chicago is one of the first exhibitions of
its kind in a mainstream museum. It begins by
describing the fluidity of gender and sexuality and
how the relationship between the two has changed
over time. Building on this, three subsequent
sections address families and homes; communities
and social spaces; and activism.
Using vibrant colors, large graphics, and furniture,
the design creates immersive environments from
an inviting living room to an alley outside a nightclub,
and generates emotion — whether the fear of a bar
raid, or the excitement of a Pride Parade. Life-sized
video greeters address visitors as they move through
the exhibition, explaining the content ahead.
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