Looking Back, Moving Forward: Four Decades of Queer Activism in Vermont

September 20, 2019 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Brattleboro Museum and Art Center

10 Vernon St, Brattleboro, VT

Vermont is widely regarded as one of the most queer-friendly states in America. In 2000, the state was the first in the nation to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples, and in 2009, Vermont became the first state to allow same-sex marriage by legislation rather than by court ruling.

But how did that come to pass? At least one important factor has been the tireless activism and advocacy carried out over decades by, and on behalf of, Vermont’s LGBTQ+ community. Presented in partnership with the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont and Out in the Open (formerly Green Mountain Crossroads) and sponsored by The Samara Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, this event looks at the key individuals, organizations, and moments in the history of queer activism in southern Vermont from the 1980s to the present day.

This event is presented in conjunction with Performative Acts, a retrospective of work by the acclaimed photographer and activist Dona Ann McAdams. McAdams credits her friendship with civil rights icon Harvey Milk with inspiring her lifelong devotion to using photography for social change. The exhibit includes McAdams’ photographs of queer liberation and AIDS activism protests across several decades.

ADMISSION: Free

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