Special to the Journal
United Lynn Pride is proud to announce it has received a $20,000 grant from the Expand Mass Stories Initiative from Mass Humanities, with funding made possible by the Barr Foundation, for its project Through A Rainbow Lens, A Reflection on Lynn’s LGBTQ+ History. Alongside United Lynn Pride, Mass Humanities announced grants to 42 cultural non-profits for projects that include exhibits, documentary films, oral histories, and public events. Totaling $751,424, the grants will help reimagine the story of Massachusetts.
Through a Rainbow Lens is a project being facilitated by United Lynn Pride in collaboration with Professor Andrew Darien, PhD. of Salem State University’s History Department, the Lynn Historical Society/Lynn Museum, & The History Project based out of Boston,MA.
The project, currently in its early stages, is researching the City of Lynn’s LGBTQ+ history through the collection of memorabilia, photographs, oral histories, and other items from longtime LGBTQ+ residents of Lynn and individuals who had significant impact on Lynn’s LGBTQ+ culture. As the project continues, United Lynn Pride will showcase the work on its website and plans to host a series of community forums about the project in 2024. Once the project is completed, United Lynn Pride is planning to have the results of the projects preserved for future generations.
Through a Rainbow Lens will benefit the LGBTQ+ community of Lynn, and the Lynn community overall by highlighting the undermentioned stories that contribute to Lynn’s history overall and its reputation as a diverse city thriving with culture.
Through a Rainbow Lens is a great step forward in part of United Lynn Pride’s overall mission of uniting and empowering the LGBTQ+ community through the use of education.
United Lynn Pride’s Executive Director, Cristian Recinos states “I think this grant is a great opportunity for United Lynn Pride in advancing its mission of supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Lynn by sharing this history. We’re hoping to collect stories from long-lived members of the community, people with diverse backgrounds that reflect the community of Lynn, folks who feel that they have interesting and important experiences that relate to the project that they’d like to share.”
Project Director Jim Moser says “We want to give young people a window on our history and to preserve our history for future generations. For many years Lynn’s six LGBTQ+ bars provided a safe place where people around the North Shore could be themselves and be part of a community and that story needs to be told.”
If you’re interested in this project and would like to contribute via an interview, sharing photos, documents, other items, or if you would like more information, please visit our website or send us an email using the information below.
https://www.unitedlynnpride.com/through-a-rainbow-lens [email protected].