Alabama's Queer History
Formerly located in Birmingham, this organization was highly regarded as Alabama's first LGBTQ+ resource center.
What is Lambda, Inc.?
Aubie has been our mascot since this year.
When is 1979?
Turns out Sappho (c. 630-c.570), the Greek poet who lived on the island of Lesbos, often referenced these in her ancient poems creating this association for female love.
What are Violets?
From his 1950s Boy Book drawings that lovingly depicted the sensuous male form to his poignant self-portraits in drag in the 1980s, this artist openly expressed his queer identity in life and art, even when homosexuality was criminalized and suppressed in the United States
Andy Warhol
This officer larped as sans’ adopted child with their friend who was bill cipher’s adopted child in elementary school.
AJ/Aali
This queer organization was formed in 1971 right here in Auburn, AL!
What is the Auburn Plains Gay Liberation Front?
This is the year Auburn University was chartered as East Alabama Male College.
When is 1856?
This flower was popularized as a gay symbol in 1892 by Oscar Wilde.
What is the green carnation?
This queer icon was a formerly enslaved black person who is the first known self-described "drag queen" and one of the earliest known American LGBTQ+ activists. This person held drag balls in their home only half a mile from the White House.
William Dorsey Swann
This officer was once the #1 "Name That Pokémon!" quiz player on QuizUp in 2018 in the state of Alabama.
Raine
This woman, often regarded as one of the first Blues singers, was born in Alabama and was likely bisexual.
Who is Gertrude "Ma" Rainey?
There have been this many War Eagles in the college's history.
What is 8?
As Christopher Looby wrote in his book, Flowers of Manhood, this flower is a term that stuck—especially for those who dressed flamboyantly. The bold bright colors of the flower may have been what triggered the association.
What is a pansy?
This black lesbian is a contemporary mixed-media artist best known for her glamorous paintings of women. Often referencing famous subjects of western art like Manet’s Olympia or Ingres’ Odalisque, Thomas replaces traditionally white subjects with Black women as central figures.
Mickalene Thomas
This officer has shaken Katie Britt's hand, won a state accounting competition, and once scammed a peddler on the Atlanta marta.
Chris
A Birmingham local, this transgender man was ordained as a minister and helped the FBI prosecute the perpetrator behind the 16th Street Baptist Bombing.
Who is Pete Smith?
Samford Hall used to be called this and has sand in between its walls in case of fire.
What is Old Main?
These are a flower sometimes referenced for the trans community. A once common phrase stated, " Give us our ______ while we are still here".
What are Roses?
This artist originally started doing graffiti in the 1980s, and became a popular openly gay artist in the New York scene. Though he died of AIDS in 1990, his jovial art and activism for victims of AIDS lives on.
Keith Haring
This officer was once second in command of a discord "cult" in 2021-2022. They also started a different "cult" in high school.
Molly
This underground publication was run by a queer organization on campus and can be found in a digitized version on the RBD library website.
What is "Praxis"?
What is the Campus Green?
This flower has been associated with both gay men and women. In fact, in 1926, historian Carl Sandburg once referred to Abraham Lincoln as having “a streak of ______” which ran through him.
What is Lavender?
Felix Gonzalez-Torres created this work of art which is a pile of candies that visitors are free to take from, representing the decline of his lover due to AIDS.
What is "Untitled"?
What is "Portrait of Ross in L.A."?
This officer has over 250 games in their steam library that they haven't played yet.
JJ