Queer Belonging, an exhibit crafted by the University of Mississippi’s Queer Mississippi class, will take place on Thursday, Dec. 5 in Barnard Observatory from 4-6 p.m.
The showcase will spotlight the history of LGBTQ+ people who have created spaces and communities for themselves throughout the state. Coffee, tea and cookies from Heartbreak Coffee will be provided for all who attend.
Queer Belonging focuses on the research that undergraduate and graduate students conducted in the LGBTQ+ oral histories and archival collection at UM. The exhibit invites viewers to contemplate the concept of “belonging” by walking through stories of isolation and exclusion to ones of queer connection, spaces and expression.
Assistant Professor of Sociology Amy McDowell and Assistant Professor of History Eva Payne have spent the semester guiding students through their research and interviews, as well as providing them the resources they need to make the exhibit a success.
“If we’re having queer representation in more spaces throughout the university, that is a way to say you belong here and you make this place,” McDowell said. “And we’re in a university, we are a community, so we have a responsibility to look out for one another and care for one another and really benefit from the knowledge that individuals have from queer experiences.”
With 17 students in this class, each person spent time in their respective teams putting this exhibit together. Hannah Mooring, a first-year masters student studying history, spent time with her team creating posters, cases and video for the “Queer Spaces” section of the exhibit.
“Professionally, I have learned a myriad of different skills that I will be able to use in my career. I feel that I have grown stronger as a researcher and have become better acquainted with using an archive,” Mooring said. “Personally, this project has shown me that queerness exists everywhere, even in the nooks and crannies of Mississippi. It has helped me to better understand that mainstream examples of queerness are not the only forms of expressing sexuality; moreover, it has given me hope that the South can change to become more accepting.”
Alana Freimanis, a first-year masters student studying sociology, worked on the “Exclusion” team which aims to highlight the physical and symbolic spaces in which queer people have historically faced exclusion within Mississippi.
“Knowing that everyone will be coming together to give time and life to the beautiful and complex history of queer lives in Mississippi is powerful,” Freismanis said. “This is something that could not have always been done safely in the political climate of our region, and it’s a deep privilege to take part in making this happen. Bringing our community together to celebrate each other and living as ourselves is an unmatched joy.”
Through the recognition of the personal risk that comes from being queer in Mississippi, the exhibit presents history to show the history of queer resilience and how that can connect to the community of Oxford and Ole Miss.
“Oxford is such a unique place. Moving here from Houma, La. has shown me that not all Southern small towns have to be ignorant or closed-minded. People come from all over the world to attend Ole Miss, and we accept people regardless of their gender, sexuality, race or religion; because of this, it is our duty to ensure that every voice is heard and accepted,” Mooring said. “Oxford needs to continue to be a beacon of light for those individuals, especially Southerners, who need a place to go to be safe and to be loved.”
