The Maritime Museum of B.C. in Victoria is launching a new exhibit focusing on the experiences of LGBTQ2S people at sea, and it wants to include residents’ stories.
Set to launch mid-May, Queer at Sea: Tales from the 2SLGBTQ+ Community aims to highlight the historical and current roles and contributions queer, trans and two-spirit people have made to the province’s maritime sector. The museum also hopes the exhibit helps acknowledge the discrimination LGBTQ2S people continue to face in marine sectors.
To help fill the gallery space, the Maritime Museum has issued a call to B.C. residents.
“It is important for queer, trans and two-spirit communities to speak for themselves and share their own stories,” museum executive director Brittany Vis said. “We are seeking input from queer, trans and two-spirit individuals who are willing to voluntarily share their stories for use in the exhibit.”
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The invitation is open to any LGBTQ2S person who has a connection to the history or culture of the maritime sector, lives in a seaside community, or partakes in ocean pastimes or jobs. They can share their stories through a written entry, an oral or video interview, photographs, loaned personal objects, or short quotes, with the option of doing so anonymously.
The museum is running a postcard art contest leading up to the exhibit launch. Anyone can enter as long as their designs fit the theme of Queer at Sea. Three postcards will be chosen to be displayed in the exhibit and sold in the gift shop. The winners will also receive a cash prize.
More information on story submission and the postcard contest can be found on the museum’s website at mmbc.bc.ca/queer-at-sea. The deadlines are March 4 for stories and Feb. 11 for postcards.
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