Outliers and Outlaws : Stories from the Eugene Lesbian History Project

In the 1960s – 1990s, hundreds of young women who identified as lesbians came to Eugene. They founded organizations central to the city and provided leadership for community service agencies. They created lesbian magazines, photographs, music, films, dance performances, theater, and art. They influenced Oregon’s political landscape and contributed to the larger LGBTQ movement.

The exhibit is a collaboration between the museum, the University of Oregon Libraries Special Collections, and the College of Arts and Sciences. Between 2018 and 2019, Judith Raiskin, associate professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the university, and Linda Long, Curator of Manuscripts, began interviewing dozens of people in what would eventually be the Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project and digital exhibit. The museum took that background and brought the exhibit into physical space. Click here to view the full digital exhibit from the University of Oregon.

How to use the virtual exhibit:

• The small dots on the walls indicate additional resources, such as videos, text, images, or links to other websites.
• Move through the exhibit by clicking on the circles on the floor. You can go one by one, jump ahead, or move back at any time.
• Click and drag the screen left, right, up, and down to look around
• The three small icons in the bottom left corner allow you to access the “dollhouse” view, floorplan view, and measurement tool.
• The measurement tool allows you to measure items in the exhibit.
• Zoom in and out to get a better view.
• It is possible to view the exhibit on a phone or tablet, but a larger computer screen is optimal.