LGBTQI – Persistence Exhibit

In 1989, Governor Rudy Perpich proposed a state commission to study adding sexual orientation to the proposed Human Rights Act, which did not pass. Governor Arne Carlson issued an Executive Order prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in state employment in 1992, which led to amending the Human Rights Act in 1993, following “It’s Time Minnesota” campaign.  This Act prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity in housing, insurance, goods and services, contracts, health benefits, hospital visitation rights, and employment. The law did not apply to religious organizations, youth groups, or certain small businesses.

In 2012, an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution was added to the election ballot, which would have defined marriage as an institution solely available to couples of one man, and one woman. It was defeated at the polls. In 2013, the legislature passed a marriage equality law, paving the way for couples of all orientations to legally marry in Minnesota. It was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton on the Capitol lawn. Finally, in 2014, the legislature passed, and the governor signed, the Safe and Supportive Schools Act. This act is designed to protect LGBT students at school.

PERSISTENCE EXHIBIT MAIN PAGE  

About the Artist – B. J. (Barbara Jean) Metzger

Barbara Jean “B.J.” Metzger (1952- ) is a well-known and respected LGBTQIA and DFL activist in the Twin Cities.  Her political activism began as a student leader at Alexander Ramsey High School, where she led a student walk out that closed the school for two days in support of teacher’s rights. Following college, B.J. returned to the Twin Cities and worked as a leader in the LGBT community after the Human Rights Ordinance in St. Paul was repealed in a two to one vote in 1978. In response to this loss, she organized a March on Washington in 1979.

To B.J. Metzger, “the issue is equality.”

In interviews, B.J. stresses that Minnesota has always had strong gay rights activism and serves as an example for other cities and states.  In 1991, after years of work in numerous task force efforts, the Human Rights Ordinance in St. Paul, which included sexual orientation and sexual identity, passed two to one. In response to Mayor George Latimer’s question, she assured him that St. Paul had changed its mind on the issue.  During this same time, she also ran Karen Clark’s election campaign. Clark served as an openly gay member of the Minnesota legislature from 1981-2018.

This piece is dedicated in equal parts to 80s LGBT activist Barbara Jean Metzger and to the queer youths (primarily people of color) who carry her work forward today. Barbara Jean, or BJ as she preferred to be called, was heavily involved in the Minnesota gay community from the 70s through the late 90s. She helped form the DFL Lesbian and Gay Caucus of Minnesota, worked on multiple grassroots campaigns, and volunteered at an extraordinary number of LGBTQ publications and organizations throughout the Twin Cities. She supported many feminist organizations in the Cities as well, working with groups like Planned Parenthood on women’s rights issues. She was also passionate about environmental causes, and helped organize local recycling projects. BJ was absolutely fearless in the face of uncertainty. She, along with her partner DJ Munro, was imperative to the progression of the rights of LGBTQ people in Minnesota.

For this piece I wanted to show Barbara Jean Metzger as part of a whole, and how she has contributed to shaping the fight for LGBTQ rights as we know it today.

I would like to acknowledge that although the Lesbian and Gay communities in the Twin Cities during the 70s-90s were incredibly important for many, they were also exclusionary. BJ herself supported the inclusion of trans and bisexual individuals in the community, but many did not. Additionally, transgender rights and the equal representation of people of color often took a back seat in the organizations of the time, leading to a predominantly limited (i.e.white) core group at the heart of the movement in Minnesota.

For this piece I wanted to show Barbara Jean Metzger as part of a whole, and how she has contributed to shaping the fight for LGBTQ rights as we know it today. I wanted to focus on the interconnectedness that is at the core of today’s protesting. The recent Black Lives Matter protests are a huge part of what helped drive this piece in its final stages. It was very important to me here that I gave LGBTQ people of color the recognition they deserve as they fight on the front lines for change and social justice. I hope I am successful in honoring both their struggle and the significant activist work of BJ Metzger.

As far as the artwork itself goes, I wanted to experiment with texture and brush strokes, while utilizing bright colors that reflect the palettes of various LGBTQ flags. I also enjoyed focusing on small details and repeating patterns because it adds a sense of movement and rhythm to the piece.

So in summary, Black Lives Matter! Convict officers Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J.Kueng! Justice for George Floyd and the people who loved him!

Artist Bio

 Hannah Boehme is a queer St. Paul-based illustrator and character designer. Her work focuses on colorful storytelling, social justice, positive queer relationships and small moments of warmth shared between people. She is an MCAD alumnus as well as a big history nerd, and she loves diving headfirst into research-based projects for inspiration. She can be found year round at local art and comic conventions in the Twin Cities.