Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites

by Susan Ferentinos

LGBT individuals and families are increasingly visible in popular culture and local communities; their struggles for equality appear regularly in news media. If history museums and historic sites are to be inclusive and relevant, they must begin incorporating this community into their interpretation.

Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites is straightforward, accessible guidebook for museum and history professionals as they embark on such worthy efforts. This book features:

An examination of queer history in the United States: The rapid rate at which queer topics have entered the mainstream could conceivably give the impression that LGBT people have only quite recently begun to contribute to United States culture and this misconception ignores a rich history

A brief overview of significant events in LGBT history: Highlights variant sexuality and gender in U.S. history, from colonization to the first decades of the 21st century

Case studies on the inclusion and telling of LGBT history: These chapters detail how major institutions, such as the Chicago History Museum, have brought this topic to light in their interpretation

An extensive bibliography and reading list

LGBT history is a fascinating story, and the limited space in this volume can hardly do it justice. These features are provided to guide readers to more detailed information about the contributions of LGBT people to U.S. history and culture. This guide complements efforts to make museums and historic sites more inclusive, so they may tell a richer story for all people.

Genres: History, LGBT, Nonfiction, Queer

218 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2014

Reviews

[Francesca Calarco · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to its title, Interpreting Lgbt History at Museums and Historic Sites is a solid resource for historians and museum professionals.

If you have read other books of the Interpreting History series, this one presents a history and social dialogue in the first two-thirds similar to Interpreting Difficult History at Museums and Historic Sites . While there remains an absence of literature on this topic, this is a good summation of a complex and dynamic history that takes into account the changing notions of sexuality and identity. It also does not stumble into the pitfall of whitewashing this innately dynamic and multi-layered narrative(s). Penned by author Susan Ferentinos, she deserves credit for doing her due diligence.

The final section includes three case studies, taking on a format similar to Interpreting Native American History and Culture at Museums and Historic Sites and Interpreting African American History and Culture at Museums and Historic Sites . While I would have preferred more case studies, the content presented does offer unique viewpoints.

Overall, I would recommend it.

[Billy Marino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Designed as a reference guide for museum professionals, it isn't exactly an in-depth exploration. The first half is mostly a broad narrative of gender and sexual identities throughout U.S. History, and the second half is mostly case studies on how interpretation of LGBT History has already been interpreted in various museums and historic sites. Ferentinos does a good job formatting it so it's easy to get a brief overview of the history she's discussing, while offering a solid amount of sources for more detailed research. Overall, I enjoyed it as an introduction and/or reference guide to LGBT History in the US, as well as the challenges of integrating LGBT History in museum narratives. There are certainly points I wish she went into more detail, but as she expressed, situations at different sites are unique and must be handled as such when deciding how to represent this often untold aspect of American history. Additionally, there are difficulties of casting historical people in the light of current understandings of gender and sexual identities, and paired with a frequent lack of sources this poses serious challenges. The major thing I would have enjoyed more of is expanding the idea she proposes of museums as "town squares," or meeting places for discussion of potentially controversial, but certainly necessary topics. While this idea is often floating under the surface, I think it would have been beneficial to elucidate it further to express how thinking of a museum in this way could offer a safe place for important conversations.

[char · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful and important exploration of interpreting LGBT history. I found the historical background useful, as well as the general tips in the conclusion.

I thought Ferentinos did a fantastic job breaking down that there is no true "LGBT community," and that there is so much diversity of experience and opinion within this group. However, I often found myself frustrated that she falls into the too-common habit of saying "LGBT" but really only focusing on the "LG." There were some nice sections about gender variance, such as demonstrating how the gender binary was imposed on enslaved Africans and indigenous Americans by white European colonizers, and she includes Susan Stryker's foundational "Transgender History" in her recommended bibliography, but I wish that trans history had more prominence in order to create a more balanced narrative.

In the end, a fantastic resource!

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the parts of this are great, but a little out of balance. The brief queer history of the US is a great introduction if you know nothing about the subject, but it's the first 100 pages of a 160-page book. The public history case studies and advice feel like an afterthought when the book is advertised as "how to interpret LGBT history at museums and historic sites," not "a brief queer history of the US." Still, it's pretty much the first book of its kind (with Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History as a counterpart), and the advice is good, so it's worth having.

[Lenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the book was well-structured and can serve as an introduction into the topic, starting with an overview of queer history of the US, continuing with case studies of different approaches to the presentation of the topic in museums and historic sites, and finishing with a summary of advice on how to go about presenting and interpreting such topics, with an added list of further resources.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half is historical content. Easy to read and provides a brief LGBTQ history, most of which I didn’t know.
Second half is case studies on various interpretations of LGBTQ history at museums and historic sites

[Adina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, and thoughtfully laid out.

[Samira]

Very good, but largely a summary of history of sexuality--all of the new insights were about Museum Studies, not about content.

[Sofia Thornblad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super helpful for Museum professionals wishing to engage their communities with LGBT history