SEAS Pride Exhibition celebrating LGBTQ hereos past and present

 

There are not many LGBTQ heroes featuring in heteronormative culture. LGBTQ youth find it difficult to find role models and for QTPOC it’s even more so. Heros exhibition curated by SEAS with local artists and activists at the Ledward Centre is aiming to change this picture. Far from being a commercial endeavor, it aims to communicate, educate and activate.

The diverse body of work in this exhibition includes the life stories of historical and contemporary LGBTQ people in the UK and further afield told through illustrations, films, texts, and photography.  
 

Two extensive projects are concentrated on the history of trans persons. “Trans People in History Series” by the artist and activist Fox Fisher is a series of illustrations and short texts about Trans persons from the 16th century to today. Fox says that they were motivated to create the work because: “As a Trans person who transitioned in my late 20’s I love learning about Trans people in history. I’m fascinated with how the Trans and gender non-conforming people, featured in this exhibition, found a way to be themselves in previous centuries. All of the people I’ve featured have overcome  tough situations and major obstacles, carving out their own path and living their life to their fullest potential."
 

Another project in relation to trans history is illustrated zine by Rowan Frewin that looks at trans and non-binary figures even further back in history in history from Roman times to Stonewall Riots. The zine started as an illustrated presentation they made for Comics Youth as part of an ongoing project and now is available in printed format.

Similar motivation to explore the history of marginalized people and to tell their stories, initially to her children, drove Annis Harrison to create the project “Mamma’s Black Heroes”. The ongoing project is a series of handmade ceramic plates depicting black artists, writers, and activists. In this exhibition, we chose those who identify as LGBTQ and printed enlarged photos of them.
 

LGBTQ as a community knows no borders. The exhibition includes the tragic story of Sara Hegazi, one of the most well-known Lesbian heroes of recent years for queer people in the Middle East. Sarah Hegazi 1989-20217 was an Egyptian socialist, writer, and Lesbian activist. She was arrested, imprisoned, and tortured in Egypt for three months after flying a rainbow flag at a Mashrou' Leila concert in 2017 in Cairo. Hegazi lived with PTSD resulting from the prison torture she had experienced in Egypt. She was granted asylum in Canada, living there until her death.
 

Last year, the researcher and activist Sara Alsherif organized the painting of a communal mural of Hegazi in York Grove in Brighton. The exhibition includes a photo of the mural as well as a series of illustrated texts from Sarah’s prison diary written as a series of letters to her friends.

In many countries, even the UK, to be Gay, Lesbian, and even more so for Trans people, one needs to be a hero. With the new Policing and Public Order laws, it feels dangerous to raise your voice in protest or a placard. To celebrate the hero in each of us SEAS commissioned the Brighton-based photographer Pierre Monnerville to carry out a photoshoot at the Trans Pride of people presenting messages concerning LGBTQAI+ identities, rights, and aspirations.  Another photoshoot like this will be carried out at the opening of the exhibition on Friday, August 5th from 6pm to 8pm.