The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California (CRIISC) announced the launch of its special Pride Month pop up exhibition “Out in the I.E.: A 50 Year Retrospective of the Inland Empire LGBTQ+ Community’s Tenacity, Triumphs, and Trailblazers.” This innovative pop up exhibition celebrates and honors the vibrant history, remarkable resilience, and significant contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in the Inland Empire over the past five decades. The FREE pop up exhibit will be open to the public from June 3 through June 13, 2024 from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the Bank of America Diversity Center.
“We are proud to present ‘Out in the I.E.’ as a testament to the indomitable spirit and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community in the Inland Empire,” said Sabrina Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Inland Southern California Civil Rights Institute. “This pop up exhibition serves as a platform to recognize the struggles, celebrate the victories, and honor the pioneers who have played pivotal roles in advancing civil rights and fostering inclusivity in our region and is just a starting point for a larger exhibition in the future.” The Inland Empire is home to a thriving LGBTQ+ community that has contributed greatly to advancing the movement for equality. The region’s dynamic queer history is a tapestry of tenacity and triumphs led by fierce trailblazers.
“Our hope is that the ‘Out in the I.E.’ will not only educate and inspire, but also spark meaningful conversations and foster greater understanding and empathy within the Inland Empire,” added Jesse Melgar, lead organizer of the exhibit and member of the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California’s LGBTQ+ Ad Hoc Committee.” By amplifying the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ trailblazers in our region, we want to show the role that our bi-county region has played – and will continue to play – in the fight for full equality.”
About the Out in the I.E. Pop Up Exhibit
“Out in the I.E.” is a retrospective that preserves this history for future generations and uplifts the often unsung heroes who fought valiantly for inland queer civil rights – particularly when doing so was met with resistance and/or violence. From the establishment of LGBTQ spaces at UC Riverside in the 1970s and regional efforts to combat AIDS in the 80s, to queer nightclubs opening in the 90s, a local judge fighting back against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2008, and the wave of increased LGBTQ political representation in recent history, this exhibit pays homage to the community’s warriors and elders.
The CRIISC LGBTQ+ Ad Hoc Group of Advisors
The CRIISC LGBTQ+ Ad Hoc Group of Advisors include Jesse Melgar, Chani Beeman, Amber Bolden, Brock Cavett, Gregory Cuellar, David Giron, Sabrina Gonzalez, Catherine Gudis, Maggie Hawkins, Gabriel Maldonado, Kira Peques, Benita Ramsay, Miguel Rivera, Angel Rodriguez, Ariel Savage, and Nancy Tubbs.
Organizers of the exhibition thank Scott Wilson and the City of Riverside; Alexandra Perlman and the Staff of the LGBTQ+ Historical Context Statement; Dr. Catherine Gudis, Jillian Surdzial, and the team of researchers at UC Riverside, and everyone whose previous work inspired and made this pop up exhibit possible.
For more information, please visit https://www.inlandcivilrights.org/.
