A 2025 Anthem Awards Silver Winner — Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging: Awareness, Special Projects
A landmark, bilingual exhibition that transformed Queer history into public culture — the largest artifact-driven LGBTQ+ history exhibition ever presented in Texas.
From June 6 to September 28, 2025, Badge Of Pride partnered with the Irving Archives & Museum and national institutions to present a bold, community-funded act of public history. Free and fully bilingual (English and gender-inclusive Spanish), the exhibition brought thousands of visitors into direct engagement with more than a century of LGBTQ+ lives, experiences, and cultural power.
A LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT
Presented with the strongest LGBTQ+ collector-institution partnership in Texas to date, the exhibition anchored two blocks from the National AIDS Memorial Quilt alongside artifacts, photographs, letters, and ephemera drawn from more than 10,000 items in the Badge Of Pride archive and key institutional loans.
THE MEANING BEHIND THE TITLE
From Silence…To Celebration! honors the 1995 Pride theme—and traces a journey from invisibility and fear to courage, resistance, and joy. It acknowledges those who were silenced, those who built community on loss, and those who continue to channel struggle into purpose.
COMMUNITY AT ITS CORE
Throughout the run, the exhibition functioned as a gathering space for connection and reflection. Highlights included the “Say It Loud: From the Shadows to the Mainstage” speaker and performance series, family-friendly events, and creative activations designed to bring history into active engagement.
LOOKING AHEAD
Although the initial gallery run has ended, the work continues. We are adapting the exhibition for travel—bringing this artifact-centered model of truth-telling, community-led curation, and cultural visibility to museums and communities across the nation on a five-year national tour.
CORE THEMES OF THE EXHIBIT
The exhibition experience was organized around four core themes that guided visitors through the journey:
CLAIMING IDENTITY Visitors will travel back over a century to uncover LGBTQ+ life before the Stonewall Uprising, highlighting the courage and determination of a community finding its voice in a largely hostile world.
RESISTING OPPRESSION Presented in two parts, this section covers the Gay Liberation movement of the 1970s and various efforts across decades to challenge discrimination, illustrating how collective action spurred social change.
AIDS: SURVIVING A PLAGUE This solemn yet essential chapter commemorates the indomitable spirit of those who navigated the darkest days of the AIDS crisis. A poignant memorial honors those lost, while highlighting the incredible resilience that emerged in the face of government inaction and indifference. The focal point of this portion of the exhibit is two striking blocks of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, with powerful stories and North Texas connections.
CELEBRATING PRIDE & POWER The exhibition culminates in a celebration of the journey towards visibility, self-acceptance, and path to the halls of power. It captures the evolution of Pride, from its grassroots beginnings to the global movement it is today. It also serves as a reminder of the work still left undone today. This area also features a section on the life, assassination, and legacy of Harvey Milk.
BRING THE EXHIBITION TO YOUR COMMUNITY
Though our Irving run has concluded, Badge Of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration! lives on through a traveling format — built to spark reflection, connection, and transformation in new places. We’re actively seeking museums, cultural centers, and educational institutions to bring this artifact-driven journey of Queer history to your region for a 2026-2028 tour.
Visit our Host The Exhibit page to start a conversation about bringing the exhibition to your facility.
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
Download our exclusive wallpapers and virtual backgrounds, featuring our exhibit logo, and show your pride every time you open your device! Whether on your phone, in a meeting, or working on your desktop, these designs will showcase your support for our upcoming exhibit.
Be part of the movement—download, share, and make history with us!
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Virtual Background (for Zoom and Teams)
OFFICIAL PLAYLIST
The Badge Of Pride: From Silence...To Celebration! official playlist is your Queer liberation soundtrack—anthems of resistance, joy, and power that have fueled our movement. Press play, feel the pride, and let the music remind you: We will never be silent again!
This program was supported by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
OUR EXHIBIT POSTERS
Each poster features iconic LGBTQ+ figures, their identities partially obscured as a reminder of the fragility of progress and the constant fight against erasure. This design challenges all of us to resist attempts to erase our own identity and history, and to continue pushing forward.
Exhibit poster featuring Oscar Wilde
Exhibit poster featuring Texas lawmaker Barbara Jordan
Exhibit poster featuring trans activist Sylvia Rivera
Exhibit poster featuring Oscar Wilde
CHECK OUT OUR FREE DIGITAL GUIDE
Make the most of your visit to our Badge Of Pride: From Silence...To Celebration! exhibition with our guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.
WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
Badge Of Pride is a small organization, and developing an exhibit like this takes considerable resources. This work would not be possible without the generous support of donors from the community, and our fabulous exhibit sponsors!
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Check out our Sponsorship Packet.
COMMUNITY & PROGRAMMING PARTNERS
We could not do this work alone. The success of Badge Of Pride: From Silence...To Celebration! is a reflection of the incredible community that surrounds and uplifts us. We are deeply thankful to our community and programming partners—collaborators who will help bring our vision to life through powerful events, conversations, artifacts, and experiences throughout the exhibition run. Your commitment, creativity, and courage have made this more than an exhibition; you’ve helped make it a movement. Thank you for standing with us.
MEET OUR FRIENDS
IRVING ARCHIVES & MUSEUM
The nationally award-winning Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) engages in active community building and connections. Through community partnerships, the museum creates spaces for visitors to explore history and cultural topics that range from the local to the international. IAM excites visitors with its permanent exhibition on the history of Irving, temporary and nationally traveling exhibitions, and a Smithsonian Spark!Lab where adults and children alike create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment, and invent. Also housed at IAM is the city’s archives, allowing the discovery of Irving’s history through access to documents, photographs, maps, films, and more.
801 W. Irving Blvd
Irving, Texas 75060
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
What was Badge Of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration!?
From Silence…To Celebration! was the largest artifact-driven LGBTQ+ history exhibition ever presented in Texas. On view at the Irving Archives & Museum from June 6 through September 28, 2025, it featured personal items, protest materials, photographs, textiles, rare loans, and two powerful blocks from the National AIDS Memorial Quilt. Admission was free to all visitors.
What themes did visitors explore?
The exhibition was organized around four core themes:
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Claiming Identity — LGBTQ+ life before Stonewall: early self-expression, courage, and community.
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Resisting Oppression — The Gay Liberation movement and ongoing struggles for equality.
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AIDS: Surviving a Plague — The AIDS crisis, activism, and remembrance, centered on two Quilt panels.
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Celebrating Pride & Power — Visibility, legacy (including a tribute to Harvey Milk), and continuing calls for equity.
What programs and experiences accompanied the exhibition?
A series of public events brought the exhibition to life, including:
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Say It Loud: From the Shadows to the Mainstage — A performance and speaker series featuring artists, advocates, and culture-makers.
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Community gatherings, workshops, and family-friendly activations that encouraged participation and reflection.
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Interactive components designed to facilitate dialogue.
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Gender-inclusive Spanish translation for all gallery content.
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All programs were offered free of charge.
How could visitors enhance their experience?
Guests had access to a free digital guide through the Bloomberg Connects app, featuring multimedia content—audio, video, and expanded stories—for use before, during, or after their visit.
Was the exhibition translated for Spanish-speaking visitors?
Yes. The full exhibition was translated into gender-inclusive Spanish, ensuring broad accessibility and reflecting Badge Of Pride’s bilingual commitment to public history.
What was the significance of the exhibition title?
The title From Silence…To Celebration! echoed the 1995 Pride theme. It traced a journey from invisibility and fear to courage, community, and joy—honoring generations whose lives and actions shaped LGBTQ+ history and cultural presence.
Is the exhibition available to travel?
Yes. Badge Of Pride is adapting From Silence…To Celebration! into a traveling exhibition for presentation across Texas and the South.
Institutions interested in hosting can learn more on our Host the Exhibit page.