The exhibition is planned to be held in February, providing there are no further coronavirus restrictions.
A new exhibition in Suffolk, Pride in Suffolk’s Past, is due to explore the county’s hidden LGBTQ+ history. The exhibition is due to be held at The Hold in Ipswich from next February, provided that any new coronavirus restrictions don’t postpone it.
The Suffolk Archives, who have worked on creating the exhibition, said in a statement: “An enthusiastic group of volunteer researchers has been delving into the archives to discover stories about the experiences of ordinary people as well as well-known figures, experiences during the 1980s when AIDS and HIV were propelled into public consciousness, press coverage and the language used to talk about sexuality in the past.”
The exhibition is also planning on exploring how people today approach topics like gender identity, hoping to show how discussions around the topic have been changing.
Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for Ipswich, waste and management, said that “hours and hours of methodical research” had been taken by volunteers in order to create the exhibition.
“It’s to tell some of the stories of the past that wouldn’t have been told at the time because of social repression or people didn’t feel able to tell their story at the time,” he added.
“The current generation in 2020 doesn’t necessarily know about them [the stories] so it’s good to have life stories that are either new or not known about at all.”
Speaking about the exhibition last year to the Suffolk Archives, Holly Wright, a heritage trainee and contributor to the project, said: “We have uncovered so many fascinating and moving stories in the archives that show that LGBTQ+ people have always been part of Suffolk’s community.
“Their stories have historically gone untold, because of legal and social repression, but through our new exhibition we aim to put this right.”
More information about the exhibition will be shared in the coming weeks.
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