​Our exhibition will open June 06, 2025-September 28, 2025 at the Irving Archives & Museum, centrally located in the DFW metroplex. In partnership with regional and national institutions serving the LGBTQ+ Community, the exhibition will be representative of the Community’s rich diversity. Drawing artifacts from our own collection, and on loan from private and institutional collections, visitors will be able to engage with Queer history through a connection with a rich array of objects. This groundbreaking exhibit marks one of the first and largest artifact-centered explorations of LGBTQ+ history in the state of Texas​.
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Anchored by a powerful and moving panel from the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, the BADGE OF PRIDE: FROM SILENCE...TO CELEBRATION! exhibition weaves together personal artifacts, archival materials, and historical accounts, presenting a vibrant tapestry of more than a century of LGBTQ+ history, with special attention paid to the roles played by Texas in the arc of the LGBTQ+ story.
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The title of our exhibition, BADGE OF PRIDE: FROM SILENCE...TO CELEBRATION!, draws inspiration from the powerful theme of the 1995 Pride celebrations, "From Silence to Celebration"—a testament to the LGBTQ+ community’s unwavering journey from fear and invisibility to resilience, defiance, and joy. It honors those who fought to break the silence, those who refused to be erased, and the generations who transformed pain into pride, ensuring that our stories are not only remembered but celebrated.
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Designed to educate, inspire, and empower, BADGE OF PRIDE: FROM SILENCE...TO CELEBRATION! creates a safe space for reflection and dialogue. Complementing the exhibit, a dynamic speaker series, Say It Loud: From the Shadows to the Mainstage, and community-driven events will deepen engagement and connection to the exhibit's themes. By centering the voices and stories of the LGBTQ+ community, this groundbreaking exhibit offers a powerful reminder of how far the community has come and the continued importance of activism and allyship in shaping a more inclusive future. This exhibit is more than a history lesson—it’s a tribute to the power of community and the lasting spirit of pride.
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The experience will be curated to encapsulate four core themes:​
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 a striking panel of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, with a powerful story and North Texas connection.
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 will also feature a section on the life, assassination, and legacy of Harvey Milk.
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
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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.
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Be part of the movement—download, share, and make history with us!
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Virtual Background (for Zoom and Teams)
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Desktop Wallpaper​​​
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OFFICIAL PLAYLIST
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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 is 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 Harvey Milk
Exhibit poster featuring Oscar Wilde
Exhibit poster featuring trans activist Sylvia Rivera
Exhibit poster featuring Harvey Milk
COMING SOON: 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!
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Interested in becoming a sponsor? Check out our Sponsorship Packet.
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.
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801 W. Irving Blvd
Irving, Texas 75060
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