Photos: Paula Kotis, Allyn Baum, Patsy Lynch, Jack Mitchell, Robert Giard, Alex Lozupone, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Macmillan Publishers. Design: Ray Busmann.
The PLACE IN WHICH I’LL FIT
WILL NOT EXIST UNTIL I MAKE IT
“Premiere:
The Advocate & Gochis Galleries
LA LGBT Center, Los Angeles, CA
October 3, 2023
in conjunction with the inaugural Circa Queer Histories Festival
presented by One Institute
Encore presentation:
Mercado La Paloma
Los Angeles, CA
June 2024
Text/image/music selection: Paul Outlaw
Graphic design and animation: Ray Busmann
Documentation camera/sound: Vladimir Santos”
The Place… is a multimedia reading of the words and works of eight Afroqueer luminaries from the 1950s to the 2020s, with each of the voices corresponding to a decade in the more than seven decades of the existence of One Institute. One is the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the country, dedicated to telling LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS history and stories through education, arts, and social justice programs.
The wide-tanging tapestry of The Place… not only captures snapshots of queer culture from the latter half of the 20th century to the present day, but also serves as a poignant timeline of the triumphs and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community.
Encore presentation during Pride 2024 at Mercado La Paloma, Los Angeles