Chinatown's Out Museum, which opened last month and spotlights queer artists from China and the Chinese diaspora, was founded by an artist-activist who raised funds while she was still living in China, where such a museum is prohibited.

The Out Museum held its grand opening with a rainbow-ribbon cutting in late May, timed to fall between Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage and Pride months, as the Associated Press reports. Located across from the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum, the bilingual Out Museum is currently open Saturdays and features work by artists from China and the Chinese diaspora, including photography, zines, and interactive installations exploring gender, sexuality, and identity.

Chen reportedly first began raising money for a Chinese queer art museum six years ago while still living in China, where such a space would likely never be allowed. After coming to the US in 2022 as a visiting scholar at Georgetown University, she later connected with San Francisco's Chinese American arts community through an exhibition at the Asian Art Museum and a residency at the Chinese Culture Center, which helped incubate the museum, per the AP.

According to KTVU, among the featured artists is Hong Kong-born Dixon Ngai, whose work includes a hand-painted porcelain wine pot inspired by Cantonese opera. Ngai said the museum gives Chinese LGBTQ artists a rare opportunity to tell their own stories and allows "more people to see our voice."

Supporters say the museum fills a longstanding gap in visibility for Chinese and Asian American LGBTQ communities, particularly in Chinatown. "It's a physical space to say that we exist," advisory board member Helen Zia told the AP, adding that it also showcases "the artwork that we do, the performances, the books we write."

Chen said she's been especially moved by the response from older Chinese immigrants, both queer and straight, including a transgender man who immigrated to the US decades ago seeking gender-affirming care and a mother hoping to better connect with her gay son.

Zia said those reactions reflect how much attitudes have changed, recalling that supporters of same-sex marriage were met with hostility while canvassing in Oakland's Chinatown during the late 2000s.

Chen told the AP that government crackdowns on LGBTQ organizing in China ultimately pushed her to leave, as public advocacy and even art exhibitions focused on queer issues face significant restrictions there. Both Chen and Ngai said San Francisco has offered a level of freedom and community support they had not previously experienced.

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Image: Out Museum/Google Maps