LGBTQ Spaces in Champaign County

Credit: Adam Beaty

People outside the conventional norms of heterosexuality and gender have existed in Champaign County since its inception, yet these expressions have historically been criminalized in public spaces. Until 1971, it was illegal in Champaign and Urbana to wear clothing "properly belonging to the opposite sex" in any public place. Public discrimination such as this led LGBTQ people to foster their own spaces, often in private and discreet locations. With the national momentum of the gay liberation movement in 1969, the gay and broadening LGBTQ community in Champaign County fought against discriminatory laws and for legal protections. By 1977, the cities of Champaign and Urbana held two of the earliest Human Rights Ordinances in Illinois, and some of the earliest, strongest, and most comprehensive in the United States. Since 1974, numerous openly gay and LGBTQ businesses and organizations have opened, flourished, and fostered fun and community in Champaign County. 

LGBTQ Spaces in Champaign County features a select number of private and public spaces where LGBTQ people have met in Champaign County, as well as outlining the trajectory from criminalization to legal protections on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and choice of clothing in the cities of Champaign and Urbana. The exhibit showcases photographs and ephemera of The Balloon Saloon and theBar from the 1970s-1980s, thanks to the assistance provided by DJ Doug Barnes.