Lyric Presents UK Libraries Exhibition on Kentucky's African-American LGBTQ Community
This exhibition's images tell a brief story of the life and work of Kentucky's African-American LGBTQ community starting with the 1909 successful appeal to the Kentucky Court of Appeals from Caldwell County Circuit Court in the case Commonwealth v. Poindexter. It is believed to be the earliest case of African Americans challenging the sodomy law in Kentucky.
There are also images of the “Negro Review,” local entertainment shows held at Woodland Park Auditorium during the 1930s with an all-male cast in drag. In addition, there are images of the drag shows held at the Lyric Theater in 1960, followed by images of the entertainers being arrested and taken to jail. Drag shows were illegal in 1960.
More contemporary images in this exhibition feature Angela Davis’ visit to UK; Djuan Trent, 2010 Miss Kentucky; and the local LGBTQ organization Bluegrass Black Pride.
This is the third showing of "A Pictorial History: African American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Persons in Kentucky." The first version of the exhibit was displayed in Special Collections at UK during 2015 Black History Month. Thanks to the leadership and interest of Bluegrass Black Pride members for making the exhibit more available to the general public, the exhibit was displayed at the Lexington Public Library in the fall of 2015 and is now on display at the Lyric. The exhibition is part of the September 2016 Gallery Hop this Friday, Sept. 16.
The 26 framed images showcased in this exhibition come from photo collections at UK SCRC and from very generous loans by individuals and organizations throughout the community. Individuals and institutions who shared content are credited on the caption cards next to each frame. The exhibition is sponsored by UK SCRC, UK African American and Africana Studies Program and the community organization Bluegrass Black Pride.
UK SCRC is home to UK Libraries' collection of rare books, Kentuckiana, the Archives, the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, the King Library Press, the Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center, the Bert T. Combs Appalachian Collection and the digital library, ExploreUK. The mission of the center is to locate and preserve materials documenting the social, cultural, economic and political history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center is dedicated to honoring its past while maintaining a strong vision for the further development of both the East End and the greater Lexington and Bluegrass community. The mission of the Lyric is to preserve, promote, present and celebrate diverse cultures with special emphasis on African-American cultural heritage through artistic presentations of the highest quality, educational programming and outreach, film, and opportunities for community inclusion.
UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu