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‘The First Homosexuals’ exhibit in Chicago unpacks global queer history — and it’s selling out fast

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Published  June 9, 2025 5:05pm CDT
Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago
‘The First Homosexuals’ exhibit in Chicago unpacks global queer history — and it’s selling out fast

‘The First Homosexuals’ exhibit in Chicago unpacks global queer history — and it’s selling out fast

One of the world’s most talked-about art exhibitions is drawing crowds — and selling out repeatedly — at a quiet gallery tucked inside a Lincoln Park block.

The Brief

    • "The First Homosexuals" exhibit at Wrightwood 659 in Lincoln Park features over 350 works from around the world, tracing queer identity before colonialism enforced rigid sexual norms.
    • Curator Jonathan Katz says major cities like New York and L.A. refused to host the exhibit, which explores the global impact of the term "homosexual" and colonial repression of same-sex relationships.
    • Running through July 26, the three-floor show includes rare artifacts and portraits — including Black queer icons and Indigenous practices — and is only open Thursday through Saturday with advance tickets required.

CHICAGO - One of the world’s most talked-about art exhibitions is drawing crowds — and selling out repeatedly — at a quiet gallery tucked inside a Lincoln Park block.

What we know:

"The First Homosexuals: The Birth of a New Identity, 1869 to 1939" is on display now at Wrightwood 659, showcasing more than 350 works from dozens of countries and collections. The exhibit explores global queer history before Western colonialism imposed rigid sexual and gender norms.

Curator Jonathan Katz said multiple cities rejected the show without explanation — including major cultural hubs like New York and Los Angeles.

"I've always wanted to talk about the moment when the word ‘homosexual’ was coined because it inaugurated a kind of split between homo and hetero that previously, they had been conjoined," said curator Jonathan Katz.

The exhibit, which spans three floors, includes portraits, photography and artifacts dating back to the 1800s — from societies where same-sex relationships weren’t always stigmatized. 

A scroll from Japan circa 1850, for example, depicts a series of same-sex encounters without judgment or commentary.

"But the Europeans cared and what unfortunately happened is colonialism. And with colonialism, right, then our screwy attitudes got transmitted to the rest of the world with a horrifying result that some of the most accepting cultures for sexual difference now are the most vile and homophobic places on Earth," Katz said. 

Katz said the show is rooted in a pivotal moment in language and identity: when the word "homosexual" was first coined.

"It inaugurated a kind of split between homo and hetero," he said. "Previously, they had been conjoined."

The exhibit traces that shift and its global ripple effect, spotlighting everything from sacred Indigenous practices to early representations of trans identity, as well as Black queer icons in Chicago and Burmese royalty.

What's next:

The exhibit in Chicago will run through July 26th. 

The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets must be reserved ahead of time at Wrightwood659.org. 

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