In October, the spotlight is firmly on the history of the LGBTIQ+ movements in Geneva!

Image

In a number of countries, October is the time to celebrate the history of the LGBTIQ+ movements (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, intersex and queer). The City of Geneva will take this opportunity to organise several collaborations in order to increase awareness of the history of LGBTIQ+ people and combats within its territory. With the support of the local associations, the “Mémoires LGBTIQ+” project – launched in 2019 as part of the City of Geneva’s campaign against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia – aims to contribute to preserving and promoting this heritage.

An historical brochure

With this in mind, the City of Geneva has just published the brochure entitled “Genève, fière de son histoire LGBTIQ+” (Geneva, proud of its LGBTIQ+ history). This brochure retraces some of the key events in LGBTIQ+ history in Geneva since the 1970s through a selection of archive photos and documents brought together through the efforts of the associative network. According to Alfonso Gomez, Executive Councillor responsible for equality and diversity, “this tool is a means of increasing awareness of local history and of paying homage to the people and groups who have fought to make Geneva a fairer and more open city.” This publication is drawn from the eponymous exhibition presented in Parc des Bastions in 2019, extending it with new, unseen archive material. 

The brochure can be ordered in printed format from the Agenda 21-Sustainable City department of the City of Geneva (write to @email) and can be consulted in digital format at www.geneve.ch/memoireslgbt.

A number of events

The City of Geneva invites the local population to (re)discover LGBTIQ+ history through a number of events to be held during the course of October. Accordingly, it will join forces with the queer film festival, Everybody’s Perfect, for its 8th edition to be held from 8 to 17 October at the Cinémas du Grütli, focussing on screenings of the documentary “Cured”. Through archive images and testimonies, this film retraces the combat led by the LGBTIQ+ communities at the beginning of the 1970s in the United States to have homosexuality removed from the list of mental illnesses. Mr Alfonso Gomez will attend the showing on 14 October, at which he will address the public. More detailed information is available on the festival website.

On 19 October, the City of Geneva invites you to a round table entitled “Histoires et mémoires LGBTIQ+: imaginer l'archive du futur” (LGBTIQ+ histories and memories: imagining the archive of the future), at Uni Bastions. In collaboration with the association Lestime, l’Institut des études genre and the Maison de l’histoire de l’Université de Genève, this debate will explore the particularities of the LGBTIQ+ archives, the question of their conservation, their promotion and their transmission. The evening will be introduced by a poetic performance by the queer artist, Klimte*. More detailed information is available at www.geneve.ch/memoireslgbt.