Vashon Celebrates It's LGBTQ

Vashon Heritage Museum will mount a LGBTQ exhibit in June of this year. The title: “In and Out of the Closet: Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island.”  The LGBTQ exhibit marks an historical moment in Vashon’s history and will go beyond a walk through the museum by organizing events celebrating the 2019 LGBTQ Pride, the 50^th celebration of the Stonewall rebellion.

The Vashon Heritage Museum’s vision for the community of Vashon is to engage the people including marginalized groups to tell Vashon’s history.  The current exhibit of Japanese Americans is an outcome of this vision and tells the story of their community on Vashon before, during and after the internments of WWII.  The upcoming LGBTQ exhibit also is an outcome of the Vashon Heritage Museum’s vision.

The LGBTQ exhibit will showcase a significant part of the Vashon community.  The significance of the LGBTQ population on Vashon came to light when the 2000 and 2010 census counted one of the largest LGBTQ populations per capita in the country.  The Museum’s goal for this exhibit is to tell LGBTQ people’s story in Vashon’s history and today.  The Museum has reached out to LGBTQ people whose lives span decades of Vashon history giving valuable input to the exhibit.

Currently this exhibit has raised over $6,000 in grants and has a GoFundMe campaign.  Please consider going to our GoFundMe page and contribute what you can to be a part of this historical event. https://www.gofundme.com/vashon-in-and-out-of-the-closet  GoFundMe funding will be used to develop, design, construct, and install the exhibit at the Vashon Heritage Museum. In addition, if available, funds will help design and print an educational book about the exhibit, support a series of programs during the exhibit, and integrate this special exhibit and its innovations into the Museum's permanent exhibit.

Special events will go on as long as the exhibit is on display throughout the year. Ideas for the events include a panel, films, an interactive dialogue and celebratory dance.  You are all invited to join Vashon Heritage Museum at the grand opening and throughout the rest of year to celebrate with Vashon’s LGBTQ community. We invite you to keep up to date on the progress and happenings of the exhibit by visiting the Vashon Heritage Museum’s website.  https://vashonheritagemuseum.org/?exhibition=lgbtq-vashon