Two artists are bringing a lighthearted side to lesbian history.
Juno Rosenhaus, founder of West Philadelphia’s Dyke + ArtHaus, and Beth Schindler, a Texas-based artist, had the idea to portray a different side of queer history.
“…Everything is always so earnest, so serious, so life and death,” Schindler told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “The truth of the matter is that being gay is really ridiculous. Being gay is really fun and funny.”
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Schindler, 47, met Rosenhaus while completing a short residency at ArtHaus this summer. During her time in the city, Schindler discovered Philly’s gay archives and the pre-existing LGBT Mapping Project. The historic documents showed hundreds of historic queer places and events in the region. While the project includes a variety of gay and lesbian history, Schindler felt it portrayed “the classic sad trail” of violence against the LGBTQ+ community.
The Lesbian Mapping Project was born as an alternative, not a replacement, to the solemn queer history we are used to seeing.
“The heart of it is about being visible,” said Rosenhaus, 62. “We’re part of the larger community, but we also have our own thing.”
In West Philadelphia and the city’s Gayborhood, posters began popping up this summer. Pasted to electrical boxes and street poles, the posters preserved personal queer events.
At first, the posters reflected Schindler’s personal experiences. For example, “When An Older Femme Realized She Couldn’t Wear Heels Anymore. It Was Fine!!! She Didn’t Go Out That Much Anyway.”
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After pasting up a few signs, the project grew traction online. Schindler opened the floodgates to allow submissions and made 20 more designs.
“At This Location…October 31, 2019. An Elder Dyke Spent Time With A Bunch Of Young Queers. Everyone Had A Lot Of Fun,” read one poster.
“At This Location…May 9, 2016. A Dozen Lesbians & Their Exes All Narrowly Missed Running Into Each Other. It Was A Miracle,” another said.
“Any one of those things could have taken place on any corner of the world,” said Rosenhaus. “These are the fun and intimate real-life things that have happened to so many of us.”
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The Lesbian Mapping Project is inviting everyone to participate- use the blank templates available and create your own design or print out one of the available designs and plaster them up across your city.
The posters have been spotted around the world, including Provincetown, Montreal, and Berlin, according to the Inquirer.
As the project continues, Schindler plans to paste them in her hometown of Austin, Texas next.
