Michigan's LGBT Heritage

Introduction

Welcome to the Michigan's LGBT Heritage exhibit. In this exhibit you will learn about a number of places, people, and events which have contributed to over 100 years of LGBT activism and visibility all across the state of Michigan. 

The images and information presented here are based on a physical exhibit which was displayed in the University of Michigan's Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library in 1999. This physical exhibit was soon after moved to an online space at: www.lgbtheritage.org. In an effort to guarantee a more stable and long-term digital existence, this exhibit has now been moved over to this platform.

Navigation of this exhibit is based on a timeline approach, however, images can also be viewed via subject (tags) by clicking on individual images within a given time period. Although this exhibit focuses primarily on the second half of the 20th century, images date back as far as 1860. 

Click on the Credits page to get more information about the original exhibit and curators.

Before 1950

The photographs in this section are from the mid-late 19th century and early 20th century. The individuals presented here, or..

1950s

The images in this section provide a glimpse into gay and lesbian life in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Flint during..

1960s

The 1960s were a time of political change in the LGBT community and ultimately lead to the Stonewall Riots of..

1970s

Gay and lesbian activism really started to take off around the state during the 1970s. Gay pride events started gaining..

1980s

The 1980s were a time of great struggle for the LGBT community. With the discovery of HIV/AIDS in the early..

1990s

This number of gay pride parades and events around the nation really began to take off in the 1990s. With..

About This Exhibit

Thank you to the original curators and developers of the Michigan's LGBT Heritage exhibit. These people include:
Tim Retzloff, Julie Herrada,..