A major new exhibition, “The First Homosexuals: The Birth of a New Identity, 1869–1939,” has opened at Chicago’s Wrightwood 659, featuring over 300 queer artworks from 125 artists across 40 countries. Curated by Jonathan D. Katz and Johnny Willis, the show includes early photographs of drag, a painting of a late-1700s trans pioneer, and what is believed to be the first same-sex wedding depicted in art, alongside works by iconic figures like Gertrude Stein and James Baldwin. The exhibition, eight years in the making, draws loans from institutions such as the Tate and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as private collections, and runs through July 26.
The exhibition matters because it arrives amid a rise in homophobic politics, with LGBTQ+ content being scrubbed from government websites and museums facing federal funding cuts. Wrightwood 659, owned by Democratic donor Fred Eychaner, operates independently, allowing it to mount a show that many larger institutions declined due to political climate concerns. Despite being offered for free, no other museum agreed to host the exhibition, making Chicago its only stop. This underscores the vulnerability of queer art in the current political environment and the critical role of private funding in preserving marginalized histories.