Community Exhibit

Rainbow Community Heritage Project Exhibit

Welcome to the RCHP Exhibit! Here you will find the objects and stories shared with the project, which celebrates everyday life and heritage from our communities across the USA.

As you view the exhibit, consider the following questions to think like an archaeologist:

What does this object tell you about the person behind it?
What type of objects are represented here? What are they made of? How are they used? How old are they?
What is one thing you have learned by looking at these objects and reading their stories?
If you could ask a question about one of these objects, what would it be?

To participate in the project or Meghan Dudley's research, visit RCHP's homepage for more information.

Arizona Exhibit

A poster | 1975

"It features a photograph and other references to my historical research, which means a great deal to me as I came late to my career; that path also brought me to significant life changes including what we tend to term, sexuality. The 1871 photo that is part of the poster is of a revolutionary working woman in Paris who does not fit any sort of "ladylike" ideal. That poster, those women gave me strength throughout my career and continue to do so in retirement as I try to find my way forward.

"For me, identifying as queer means more than issues of the body and sexual attraction. It and its heritage mean resisting--even rejecting--the limited assumptions, traditions, and history that people believe without thinking. I worked to pass on that sort of heritage to my students, my family, and everyone. The poster is a reminder that the binary of sex and gender has NEVER been what so many think it is. I remember reading once the phrase: When women tell the truth, they break things. That remains true--however "women" is defined."

Colorado Exhibit

A black and white photograph of the Stonewall riots printed on a tote bag is visible in the picture.

A tote bag | Date Unknown

"I got the object at the Stonewall Inn when I was in a Model UN trip to NYC in 2013. I have taken this bag with me all over the country and currently use it as my bag for my instruction manual when I teach driver’s education. I want queer students who either [see] the Stonewall label on the back or the image of gay protesters on the front to be able to know they aren’t alone. It’s vital for queer youth to know that there have been generations before them who have fought for them, and see adults who have the courage to be seen right now. "

Kansas Exhibit

Engagement ring pictured on someone's finger

A ring | 2021

"I decided to reflect on my wedding ring, which was picked out by myself through a custom jeweler on Etsy. I proposed to my partner with a ring then later ordered mine as a single engagement/wedding ring. [...] After I proposed to my (now) partner/husband, I looked up custom designs that I liked and showed them to him and we decided together which one we both liked the most as a team. I added stones and little details that meant a lot to us. I have had my ring since the late months of 2021.

"Heritage is sometimes seen as passing down items like an inheritance but I feel it is more broad than that. With the exception of appropriation and stealing, heritage can be passed from anyone to anyone. It does not have to be biological or paternal. It could be from one friend, one lover, one advisor, one drag queen, one sibling to another. This artifact is important to me and my queer heritage because, while it is a literal symbol of love and marriage between two people on the surface, the more important value is in the story about me, a queer woman, proposing to my male-identifying partner."

Michigan Exhibit

Letters and pamphlets, the top one visible being a pamphlet about Anita Bryant

Letters and pamphlets | ca. 1970s

"[...] the object in hand is a binder full of letters and documents that my grandfather wrote and received. He was my only queer ancestor and his struggles with his identity as a gay man and his Christian faith greatly have mirrored my own struggles. The binder contains letters and documents pertaining to when he was attempting to remove himself from the community and associating closely with Anita Bryant (including some photographs of them together). It is, for me, an archive of the struggles that my queer ancestors had to go through and how I am not alone in my own struggles today."

New Hampshire Exhibit

An illustration of a young, white, femme-presenting child in a white and blue dress getting her feet dirty by happily playing in mud.

An illustration | ca. 1980s

"My Dad gave this picture to me when I was in my 30s, because it reminded him of me when I was a little girl. It has been on the wall in my guest room for over 30 years. [...] When I was young we were required to wear dresses to school, and we always dressed up to go to church. But the rest of the time I wore pants. I always loved walking in puddles and streams, especially in the cold water after the winter snow all melted and green plants were starting to grow. I remember one time that I did not take off my shoes when I got in the stream, and the bottom of the stream was covered with mud. Good-bye shoes! Yes, I did get into trouble for that behavior.

"To me heritage means memories. My artifact shows the breaking out of the role that the 50s and 60s labelled me as a female."

New York Exhibit

A framed photo of text propped up on a clear glass plate and surrounded by colorful rocks. The framed image reads, "Love your fucking life. Take pictures of everything. Tell people you love them. Talk to random strangers. Do things that you're scared to do. Fuck it, because so many of us die and no one remembers a thing we did. Take your life and make it the best story in the world. Dont' waste that shit."

A framed quote | ca. 2010s

"A framed quote about 'Living Your Fucking Life' was given to me by my familial queer icon, my cousin Vinny (yes, really). Vinny is an HIV/AIDS survivor who is one of the only surviving members of his friend group from Stonewall. It reminds me every day that we only have today to be as fulfilled and happy as possible. Live out loud in queer joy is his message to me and to everyone. That framed quote is my daily reminder.

"Vinny made the quote and frame for himself as his own reminder and tribute to Stonewall friends of his lost to AIDS. I was struggling with my own identity and how my family reacts to me. He decided to pass along the framed quote to inspire me, the future generation, to inherently be unapologetic about living your true authentic life.

"The quote reads: 'Love your fucking life. Take pictures of everything. Tell people you love them. Talk to random strangers. Do things that you're scared to do. Fuck it, because so many of us die and no one remembers a thing we did. Take your life and make it the best story in the world. Don't waste that shit.'"

Oklahoma Exhibit

Pictured in the left corner of white purse, two pins are present: a rainbow pin with bisexual colors and the polyamorous flag. Both are roughly the size of a penny, also seen in the photo for scale.

Handmade bracelets | 2022

"I'm someone who needs to keep my hands busy, just can't sit still. So when one of my partners started making me bracelets and quickly offered to teach me, I immediately said yes! She made me the black-beaded and tan hemp bracelets in the photo; I made the rainbow-colored one with the skills she taught me and materials she shared. This is what queer heritage looks like to me: a sharing of knowledge, resources, and love woven together into something new that I will carry with me always."

A circular pin on a beige background that reads, "My favorite fusion is us." At the center of the pin and text is the image of a jeweled, rainbow-colored heart.

A pin | ca. 2010s

"It was gifted to me by my husband approximately 4 years ago. It represents the bond between myself and my partners, because together we make a beautiful cohesive unit."

A name-change document | 2020

"I have had my documentation since Nov. 16, 2020, when my name change was finalized under Oklahoma law. I want those after me to keep and preserve my name change documentation, as it was the first step I took in having my identity affirmed in a legal manner. It was the first time I really did something permanent and traceable, beyond a social media presence. I did not state my gender as my reason for my name change on the paperwork for fear I would be judged or discriminated against, but even that is a huge part of my story."

Golden necklace with moon-and-sun pendant against a pink shirt

A sun-and-moon necklace | ca. 2010s

"One of my formative polyamorous relationships helped me see and embrace myself for who I am and how I want to present to the world. To emphasize and exemplify my gender-fluidity, a great friend who I helped come out as genderfluid as well, gifted me a necklace. The necklace is simple, and depicts a sun and a moon surrounded by stars. To me this item represents my queer identity in many ways, but one of the most obvious is the duality depicted on the necklace. Gender is not a binary system, but sometimes simple images can elicit strong personal feelings and connections to an individual."

A white statue of two women holding each other

A statue | ca. 1990s

"One of the first sculptors of 2 women together. It was a gift. It was made by a straight pastor of a very conservative church. He was an LBGT advocate at the time. About 12 inches high.

"There was a time we were invisible as lesbians. Very 'out' flaunting, obvious queens were all the media focused on. Not those of us who were ordinary trying to live life."

A large Monstera plant next to a window.

A Monstera plant | 2020

"I obtained this Monstera plant (Céline) when we were still in the midst of social distancing due to the pandemic, and during that moment in time I was forced to finally self-reflect and take care of myself in a lot of ways. It reminds me to not only continue taking care of myself but others who are dear to me. This Monstera has continued to thrive, grow, sprout new leaves/roots, which has allowed me to share cuttings with loved ones in chosen family. It’s been a symbol of self-care, reciprocity, resilience, and especially joy. Being queer can be tumultuous at times, especially depending on how you present, your environment, the political landscape, but I’d like to think that by passing on cuttings it brings joy to others, which community is all about. In a community, folks should ideally take turns taking care of one another, sharing, being vulnerable, growing, and finding joy despite all the tough times."

Homemade beaded necklace of the pangender, aromantic, and asexual flags.

A homemade beaded necklace | ca. 2010s

"This object was the first thing that I had made that was remotely LGBT+ related. It features each flag that corresponded to the LGBT+ labels I had when I made it at age fourteen. [It] embodies me as a young, freshly out of the closet LGBT+ person living past the year 2000. I did not inherit this object, but I feel future generations should be allowed to track both their own and the community's development, including my own in this case!"

An acrylic painting of the genderfluid flag on a diagonal.

A painting | 2021

"This piece is important to me because it was the first time I felt like I put my gender into the world in a concrete and tangible way. The painting was made shortly after I realized I was genderfluid using the colors of the flag with supplies my (not the most supportive) relatives had recently gotten me. They also complimented my work multiple times not having any idea what it was. It felt like the biggest rebellion I could make at the time and gave me the strength and courage to come out when I was ready.

"[...] I want future generations to inherit it so they always remember rebellion doesn’t have to be huge to be meaningful. Small things add up when you do them often enough and they can create change. Not being able to do everything doesn’t mean the something you do isn’t important."

A toolbox | Date unknown

"I have my grandpa's toolbox and many of his tools. It is important to me because, even though I have two brothers, it just made sense that I would get his toolbox because I have shown the most interest in making things and fixing things. It represents independence to me, and breaking gender stereotypes. As a single lesbian woman, I value my independence but also rely on it and need it. And in a similar vein I value, but also rely on and need the tools. My grandpa did not live to see me come out, but I think he would understand the need for me to figure out how to use tools if I was going to live as my authentic self.

"Heritage generally is slippery to me, but I think I have more to say about queer heritage. Toolboxes and being a "handywoman" etc. is somehow both an almost derogatory stereotype for lesbians but also an identity that I connect to. I think lesbians have embraced and can be self-deprecating about our tomboyishness, which is meaningful to me. And I think ordinary objects can and should be seen as more than that, especially when living with a marginalized identity. Why not see meaning in a hammer?"

On the right of the picture is a handwritten letter in red ink, with a robot on the corner of the paper. On top of the letter is a colorful envelope with a cartoon woman reading a book and a "Via Air Mail Par Avion" sticker and a four stamps.

A letter | 2015

"This letter was the first time someone explained ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, and the difference between them to me. I had never heard of these concepts before. It was a light bulb moment that changed my entire life.

"Knowledge is power. I didn't know that non-monogamy was an option and had been unfulfilled in monogamous relationships my entire life. If people knew that monogamy wasn't the only option they may not have to repeat my experiences. My friend shared her knowledge with me and it changed my life, I want to pass the knowledge along."

South Dakota Exhibit

Image of someone using a fluorescence microscope

A fluorescence microscope | ca. 2010s

"The object that represents my orientation is this fluorescence microscope, which I see here in front of me. I have spent hours with this object and it has allowed me to see things that nobody has ever seen before, reflecting light in an array of vibrant colors. Like this microscope, my sexual identity has allowed me to see the glowing colors of my own inner workings and illuminated nuanced dynamics driving more emergent phenomena. [...] I inherited this artifact from my professor. I want to pass my fluorescence microscope down to others who have the need in their heart to explore the unknown and embrace the mysterious results of experimentation."

White handkerchief folded into quarters on a black background.

A handkerchief | ca. 2023

"I keep a handkerchief in case someone needs a turnekit or other emergency use, but mostly it gets used when someone (myself included) needs to cry. I associate it with my father, and with a sense of being strong, prepared, and protective. I associate all of those attributes with my being a lesbian woman. [...] No [I did not inherit this artifact]. I would want future generations to choose something reusable over disposable. I also would want them to consider adding an element to their daily routine that includes being ready to help someone else."

Carabiner with keys attached on a white background.

A carabiner | 2023

"Yes, I was given a carabiner from a woman I am dating. [...] It's signifies the rich culture of queer, lesbian, and bisexual women signaling. Carabiners were used as indicators of "tops" and "bottoms" in the 70's and now are seen as an indication of queerness in general."

Texas Exhibit

Lip gloss | 2023

"I found rainbow lip gloss at the local HEB accompanied by signage that read 'Let Love Shine' and Pride flag imagery. I was surprised to see this in my small Texas town but it made me really happy to see it prominently displayed. Seeing small things like this makes me feel more like I can be myself even in Texas.

"This lip gloss is a small thing, but visibility means so much to queer heritage because in so many ways, and for so long, we haven't been as visible as we are now."

Virginia Exhibit

A hardcover book cover, showing "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman.

A book | physical copy dating to ca. 2010s

"It is a grand, poetic expression of self acceptance. Walt Whitman was a bisexual man, and embraced his sexuality through his works and lifestyle. [...] I did not inherit it, but I would like future generations to inherit it because I don’t know how prevalent physical books will be in the future, and want future generations to know others felt as they do long before they were here.

"To me, heritage is a gateway to discovering who you are. It is a lens through which you can view the world and reflect on your personal thoughts and feelings in comparison to what others have experienced before you. Walt Whitman’s Deathbed edition of Leaves of Grass is unique to its time, and is a milestone of queer literature."