The first edition came out just as GLBT people began to grapple with what would become the AIDS epidemic. In 1982, six members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence produced a sassy illustrated brochure titled 'Play Fair' that was designed to get the gay community talking about prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections in a language free of judgment and guilt. 'Play Fair! The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Make Sex Safer' sheds light on a modest publication that made history by launching the gay community's sex-positive response to the AIDS crisis. Partial funding for the exhibition was provided by the Cesar Chavez Institute at San Francisco State University. Many of the women whose stories are told in the exhibition will attend.

'For Love and Community' opens Tuesday, September 18, with a public reception from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. In a city of rich legacies from both API and queer communities, this exhibition finally reveals the organizing at their intersection.'

It's inspiring to see so many people taking action to make a more compassionate world accepting of difference. 'What's most incredible is that this movement reflects activism en masse. ' API queer women and transfolks have been out and working towards social change in San Francisco since at least the 1960s,' notes curator Amy Sueyoshi, the newly appointed associate dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. The exhibition features photographs that tell a story of family, community, activism and love also included are audio clips from interviews that give voice to a history that has never before been heard. Others moved to the Bay Area as adults, working to build support networks and advocate for change. Many of its members were born in the city, with deep roots in San Francisco Chinatown. 'For Love and Community: Queer Asian Pacific Islanders Take Action, 1960-1990s' recounts the creation of the Asian Pacific Islander queer women's and transgender community. In addition, a small exhibit in the Corner Gallery will focus on the pioneering role of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in promoting safer sex early in the AIDS crisis.

An exhibition in the Front Gallery will trace the emergence of organizing by queer and transgender women in the city's Asian Pacific Islander communities.

Two new shows opening in September at The GLBT History Museum highlight untold stories from San Francisco's recent queer history. Photo: Cathy Cade at courtesy of the Bancroft Library. Asian/Pacific Lesbians marching in the 1989 San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade.

A Lesbian Photo Album by Cathy Cade