In 2018, Guelph Pride celebrates 15 years of LGBT2Q+ culture and community in Guelph and Wellington County. Guelph Museums celebrates this significant moment through an exhibition that advocates for accessibility, inclusivity and historical knowledge among all LGBT2Q+ identified persons and their allies.

Organized in timelines, we consider LGBT2Q+ human rights, the emergence of the Pride movement and the adoption of the
rainbow as a signifier of diversity and inclusion, and Guelph’s own LGBT2Q+ stories.

Co-presented by Guelph Pride, Guelph Museums, and the Guelph Arts Council, this installation includes contemporary artworks by local LGBT2Q+ artists and allies, who offer personalized narratives through a broad range of creative forms.

Guelph Museums offers this installation in support of all LGBT2Q+ identified people; however, we cannot interpret this history without acknowledging the intersectional complexities of lived experiences. While this installation aspires to advance knowledge and acceptance among all people, it is just one step in the long journey toward true equity.

The various communities that fall under the Pride umbrella are illustrated here by the extended acronym, LGBTTQQIAAP2S, and by the identifiers that each character represents. The introductory text to this installation uses LGBT2Q+ as a shortened but contemporary and all-encompassing acronym. In the historical timeline, the various acronyms and terminologies used reflect the specific communities involved in or impacted by each event.