LGBTQ America

The Preservation of LGBTQ Heritage
LGBTQ history—discriminatory firings and evictions, unjust incarceration in
prisons and mental hospitals, hate speech, and violence—subjects not
readily embraced by the tourist industry, which tilts toward substantially
more upbeat and heroic narratives.
Strategies for Increasing LGBTQ Visibility in
American Cities
A variety of strategies have been adopted to make LGBTQ pioneers,
communities, and history visible on public streets, even when there is no
direct connection to preserving historic resources. Chicago’s Boystown
was the object of a 1998 neighborhood streetscape investment by Mayor
Richard M. Daley intended to recognize and make visible its significance
as an LGBTQ neighborhood. The resulting urban design project erected
ten pairs of rainbow pylons, with memorial plaques honoring icons of
LGBTQ history, which together define a Legacy Walk along the North
Figure 7: Panorama of Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2012. Photo by Jim D. 64
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License: CC BY 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkdevleer04/6832888247
05-27