An Afternoon with the American LGBTQ+ Museum at The Met Cloisters

The American LGBTQ+ Museum and The Met Cloisters come together for a special afternoon of programs inspired by Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages, currently on view. Taking place Saturday, January 24, from 1–4pm, this collaborative effort invites visitors to explore how love, intimacy, and desire have been expressed across time through medieval art and material culture, and how these themes continue to resonate within LGBTQ+ histories and lived experiences.

The afternoon will feature expert-guided tours that offer new perspectives on the exhibition’s themes and objects, alongside a dedicated reading room with curated texts that deepen and expand the conversation. Visitors are encouraged to move through the afternoon at their own pace—listening, reading, making, and reflecting within the unique architectural and atmospheric setting of The Met Cloisters.

In addition, hands-on art-making activities will invite participants to creatively respond to Spectrum of Desire, fostering personal and collective engagement with the exhibition’s ideas. Together, the American LGBTQ+ Museum and The Met Cloisters offer an immersive, interdisciplinary experience that bridges past and present, scholarship and creativity, and collaboration grounded in shared inquiry and imagination.

Learn more about Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages here.

ABOUT THE IMAGE

Saddle. Central Europeanca. 1400–1420

This saddle, which was perhaps used during a marital procession from the bride’s familial home to that of her new husband, depicts an array of flirtatious encounters between men and women. The suggestion of sex permeates the design. Multiple men conspicuously grasp their belts and a woman embraces her lover; even the saddle’s provocative contours evoke the naked body. Then as now, the vocabulary of riding lends itself to double entendre.

ACCESSIBILITY

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. More information about accessibility at The Met Cloisters can be found here. Please reach out with any questions, requests or needs to info@americanlgbtqmuseum.org.

Accessibility at The Met Cloisters is somewhat limited for wheelchair users and others who need step-free access due to the building’s landmark status. There are cobblestones on the approach to the main entrance (Postern entrance). Inside the building, from the main entrance to the admissions desk there are approximately 60 stairs. A free shuttle service is available to visitors requiring a step-free entrance. The pick-up stop is located near the main entrance (see Museum Map). Visitors arriving by car can be dropped off at the step-free entrance in the courtyard. The clearance is ten feet, six inches (10’ 6”) high and nine feet (9’) wide. For more information contact CloistersAdmissions@metmuseum.org or 212-731-1127 during opening hours.