The first-ever illustrated history of the iconic designs, symbols,
and graphic art representing more than 5 decades of LGBTQ pride and
activism.
Beginning with pre-liberation and the years before the Stonewall
uprising, spanning across the 1970s and 1980s and through to the new
millennium, Queer X Design celebrates the inventive and
subversive designs that have powered the resilient and ever-evolving
LGBTQ movement.
The diversity and
inclusivity of these pages is as inspiring as it is important, both
in terms of the objects represented as well as in the array of
creators; from buttons worn to protest Anita Bryant, to the original
‘The Future is Female’ and ‘Lavender Menace’ t-shirt; from
the logos of Pleasure Chest and GLAAD, to the poster for Cheryl
Dunye’s queer classic The Watermelon Woman; from Gilbert Baker’s
iconic rainbow flag, to the quite laments of the AIDS quilt and the
impassioned rage conveyed in ACT-UP and Gran Fury ephemera.
More than just an
accessible history book, Queer X Design tells the story of
queerness as something intangible, uplifting, and indestructible.
Found among these pages is sorrow, loss, and struggle; an affective
selection that queer designers and artists harnessed to bring about
political and societal change. But here is also: joy, hope, love, and
the enduring fight for free expression and representation. Queer X
Design is the potent, inspiring, and colorful visual history of
activism and pride.