Those We Glimpse:
Gathering Our LGBTQ+ Ancestors
In a culture that has historically silenced and isolated LGBTQI+ people, how can we build a whole picture of where we came from? How does locating and honoring obscure lineages of queerness strengthen our sense of individual and collective belonging?
For many LGBTQ+ people, coming out casts us out from our own 'official' family stories and leaves us searching for ancestors—for that larger web from which we draw strength and context. But for every famous historical LGBTQ+ figure, there are thousands more who lived un-famous, half-glimpsed, or closeted lives. Those We Glimpse is an ongoing project to make those lives visible. Since 2015, I have created a series of participatory art installations inviting visitors to contribute queer anecdotes, speculations and rumors from their own blood families.
Those We Glimpse has included gallery installations, group storytelling, and a handmade book (now available online). It is a gathering of fragments to hold all of our ancestors close.
Have a brief queer anecdote, rumor or might-have-been to share from your own blood family or where you grew up? Contribute here.
Photos from Those We Glimpse at the Q Center, Portland OR (spring 2018):
Photos of Those We Glimpse at SOMArts, San Francisco CA, as part of the National Queer Arts Festival (June 2015):
Photos of Those We Glimpse in Austin, TX, as part of the Gay Wax Museum at OutsiderFest (Feb 2015):
