Queer Silicon Valley Goes LIVE

Queer Silicon Valley tells the story of a movement hidden in the corners of a heteronormative suburb. With no central gathering place like Castro Street or Greenwich Village, the LGBTQ+ community of San Jose had to build acceptance from the ground up. As San Jose grew from an agricultural town into a high-tech mecca and the tenth largest city in the United States, the LGBTQ+ community fought tirelessly for justice and inclusion. The art, politics, and culture they left in their wake provides a legacy far larger than the sum of its parts.

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From its bars and Imperial Courts, to fighting the Religious Right, to forming ethnic organizations, to battling HIV/AIDS, to moving forward with marriage equality, San Jose’s rich history informs the greater LGBTQ+ movement in the United States by taking the narrative out of already liberal metropolitan areas and putting in the hands everyday Americans. In these divisive times, Queer Silicon Valley reminds us that progress can and must happen everywhere, and inspires us to continue fighting for empathy and understanding in every community, every day.

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The project will begin as a living digital exhibition available at www.queersiliconvalley.org, with plans of expanding into a physical gallery space and beyond in the coming years.