The pioneering struggles and stories that have defined Victoria’s LGBTI community are celebrated in two new digital exhibitions: Out of the Closets, Into the Streets and Daylesford Stories – that draws upon material held in the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archive.
Today marks the launch of both exhibitions – featuring films, images, posters and audio – which are now live on the Culture Victoria website.
“These exhibitions celebrate the creative strength and diversity of Victoria’s LGBTI communities and demonstrate how our cultural collections help tell the story of where we’ve come from and where we’re going as a community,” says Minister for Creative Industries and Equality Martin Foley.
Out of the Closets, Into the Streets explores the moment when, in the 1970s, a group of Melbourne students made a stand for gay pride at a time when homosexuality was criminalised, and discrimination and abuse were widespread. It charts the rise of a Gay Liberation Movement that challenged the status quo to lasting effect.
Daylesford Stories explores how, since the late 1970s, Daylesford and the surrounding area has become home to many individuals who identify as gay or lesbian. Through the personal stories of individual community members, the project examines why it is they call Daylesford home, how the region became a place of meaning, and how definitions of the LGBTI communities have evolved over time.
“The community of Daylesford has long been inclusive and accepting, we are proud of our history and the role our beautiful country town has played in the long march to equality for LGBTI Victorians,” said Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas.
The Australian Lesbian and Gay Archive is the only community group in Australia that actively collects and preserves lesbian and gay material, and makes it readily accessible through exhibitions and loans. The collections include material of national or international scope – from the time of the Gold Rush to the battles against AIDS, the collections save our rich and diverse histories for us and future generations.
The Culture Victoria website is a gateway to Victoria’s cultural collections, featuring thousands of images and hundreds of videos which bring to life items and stories from across the state. It also includes a directory that maps more than 700 places where cultural collections can be visited and enjoyed. For more information, visit: www.cv.vic.gov.au for details.
Image: Springs Connections ‘Daylesford and District’ float in Pride March, 1997 – photo by Virginia Selleck. Midsumma Collection, Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives (ALGA)