Out in Chicago wins the Berube Prize
The Chicago History Museum's exhibit "Out in Chicago" has just won the 2011 Allan Berube Prize from the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History (CLGBTH). Curated by UIC Associate Professor of History Jennifer Brier and Jill Thomas Austin, and aided by UIC graduate student Anne Parsons and UIC undergraduate Morgan Valenzuela, the exhibit traced 150 years of LGBT life in the city of Chicago, revealing a rich history that has often resided in the shadows.
In the words of the committee, "Out in Chicago is a lively exhibit that centers the experiences of individuals—especially African Americans, Latinos, transgender people, and the leather community—through four sections: family, home, community, and activism. Extensive use of oral history helped the curatorial team to create an impressively inclusive portrayal of the city's many and varied queer peoples. New uses of archival and other objects, as well as innovative social media sources, also bring the exhibit to new audiences."
The committee added: "Out in Chicago not only is one of the first exhibitions of its kind in a mainstream museum, but also showcases the possibilities of collaboration among institutions and community partners."
The Allan Bérubé Prize recognizes outstanding work in public or community-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) history.
The Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, an affiliated society of the American Historical Association, encourages the development of historical scholarship and instruction in LGBTQ studies, promotes local LGBTQ archives and public history projects, and seeks to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ historians.