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This project led to a photo spread in Native Max Magazine and a position as their Deputy Fashion Photography editor. Their first photography project, Indigeneity, promoted representation of Indigenous students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Their senior show focused on empowering Two Spirit people, using a variety of mediums, including photography, silkscreen printing, projection and mixed media. They are a graduate from the Institute of American Indian Arts, completing their BFA in Studio Arts (Photography) and a certificate in Performing Arts. Ryan Young (they/them/their) is a Two Spirit Ojibwe multi-disciplinary artist from Lac du Flambeau, WI. “I look queer and Indigenous because I am queer and Indigenous, and thus, the definition of what is queer and Indigenous-looking, is defined by my existence, not the other way around.” The phrase itself is meant to empower my Queer Indigenous audience, and to hopefully spark conversations around gender and sexuality through the specific cultural lenses of the viewer. When creating “My Gender is Indigenous”, it reflected my personal journey to find the language to articulate the intersections of my identity. I wanted to recreate that experience through my artwork. That moment was really empowering for me because it introduced me to a term that recognized my queerness through a cultural context, and it was also the first step I took into looking for and eventually finding my Two Spirit community. It was not until college that I learned about the term Two Spirit, their historical recognition of different gender identities and sexualities in many Indigenous cultures, particularly in Ojibwe culture. Experiences with homophobia limited my access to certain cultural spaces and it affected my relationship with my culture. Learn more about the history of the queer community through articles, artifacts, and other important items below that help tell their story.Īs I grew into my queer identity, I recognized that there was a huge disconnect between my gender/sexual identity and my cultural identity. Wisconsin was also the first state to elect three openly gay/lesbian persons to Congress: Steve Gunderson, Tammy Baldwin, and Mark Pocan. In 1982, Wisconsin became the first state to enact a gay rights law prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation. In 1966, Wisconsin had the first public call by a political body for abolition of restrictions against queer people so they could have “freedom of action.” Before Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, Midwest cities including Madison had openly gay elected officials. While the focus on the gay liberation movement is focused predominantly on America’s coasts, real progress was made right here in the Badger State. The history of the LBGTQ+ community in Wisconsin is extraordinary, despite being largely untold.