pridescapes

Preserving & Interpreting LGBTQ+ Landscapes: Making an Invisible History Visible

Summer Speaker Series | June 10, 2021

LGBTQ+ spaces have largely gone undocumented in local, state and federal cultural resource management programs across the US. In many cities, LGBTQ+ historic sites, their stories, and memories remain unknown and untold. However, place and identity are so closely linked. Having physical echoes of LGBTQ+ identities in the built environment is incredibly important and can help LGBTQ+ people connect with their own identity, reinforce a sense of belonging, or proudly acknowledge that LGBTQ+ people have always existed in these spaces. In recent years there has been a push from professionals, academics, and activists to help tell these LGBTQ+ stories, underscore the value of preserving these sites, and increase the overall visibility of these spaces across the US.

This panel discussion focuses on LGBTQ+ history(ies), and their preservation and interpretation in order to educate designers, planners and others about current projects and how our field can amplify and uplift LGBTQ+ voices, histories, and practitioners. We will review case studies from across the US, including from New York, San Francisco, and the National Park Service. Attendees will be introduced to LGBTQ+ landscapes and learn the crucial importance of preserving LGBTQ+ spaces and imagining new futures for these culturally significant landscapes.

Presenters

Ken Lustbader | Co-Founder and Co-Director of NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

Aria Sa’id | Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Transgender District

Sylvea Hollis, PhD | Assistant Professor of African American and African History at Montgomery College

Gail Dubrow, PhD | Professor of Architecture and History at the University of Minnesota