On June 17th, the GETTY MUSEUM in LA opened its second queer exhibit this summer  Queer Lens: A History of Photograph  is the first major exhibition in the United States to survey the history of photography through a queer lens, bringing together a variety of works that explore photography’s profound role in shaping and affirming the vibrant tapestry of the LGBTQ+ community.

The exhibition explores how, despite multiple forms of discrimination, LGBTQ+ individuals have shaped art and culture in numerous ways, and how photography has been and continues to be a powerful tool in representing the queer experience. The exhibition also demonstrates the Getty Museum Department of Photographs’ commitment in recent years to collecting and exhibiting works by historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.”

Bringing together more than 270 works—including vintage prints, books, magazines, and rare ephemera—the exhibition highlights photography’s unique role in shaping, preserving, and affirming the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals from the 19th century to today.

The exhibition unfolds across eight chronological sections, tracing the dynamic intersection of queerness and image-making during each of these periods. From early homosocial portraiture to drag culture, the rise of the Gay Liberation Movement, and the creative resilience during the AIDS crisis, each section offers a vivid snapshot of LGBTQ+ life and love. It’s an extraordinary look at our history through these powerful images which reminds us of our struggles, our achivements and our celebrations.