Hundreds gathered in San Francisco’s Chinatown as city leaders and community members celebrated the opening of the world’s first Chinese LGBTQ museum. Mayor Daniel Lurie joined supporters for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the OUT Museum, a space dedicated to preserving and sharing Chinese queer history and culture. The museum was founded by Chinese artist and LGBTQ advocate Xiangqi Chen, who spent more than 20 years promoting queer visibility in China before moving to the United States in 2023.
One exhibit includes a suitcase filled with photos of Chinese queer people hiding their faces. Chen says it was inspired by a story from the 1970s, when a gay immigrant found refuge in San Francisco’s Chinatown, despite its conservative reputation.
