The City of West Hollywood is a proud co-sponsor of One Institute’s Circa: LGBTQ+ Histories Festival. The month-long festival will feature more than 65 programs throughout October beginning with the festival launch party on Sunday, September 29, 2024 and ending on Thursday, October 31, 2024. As part of the festival, 12 exhibitions and programs will be in West Hollywood. Visit www.circafestival.org to view the schedule of events and to purchase tickets.

Circa’s unprecedented lineup honors LGBTQ History Month through thought-provoking exhibitions, readings, performances, panel conversations, and more, showcasing the trailblazing history and cultural contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. Festival programs spotlight the bold artistic talent of more than 200 community presenters representing every part of Los Angeles’ thriving arts and cultural landscape, from leading actors, writers, thinkers, filmmakers, and cultural organizations.

In its second year, Circa celebrates the theme of LOVE and (R)EVOLUTION, centering narratives of community care and political organizing throughout LGBTQ+ history. The first and only festival of its kind, Circa honors the broad and dynamic queer artistic talent of Los Angeles. One Institute is proud to welcome back prominent LGBTQ+ organizations such as APLA Writers’ Workshop, Celebration Theatre, Cruise LA, Drag King History, Gender Justice LA, The Outwords Archive (OUTWORDS), as well as festival newcomers Sinister Wisdom, Team Puro Pinche Papi, Trans/gressive Writers’ Workshop, Whacking Los Angeles, and many more.

Circa 2024 will kick off with the exhibition Our Patch: LGBTQ+ Life from Cradle to Grave, hosted at the Advocate & Gochis Galleries of the Los Angeles LGBT Center from Sunday, September 29, 2024 to Thursday, October 31, 2024. This exhibition will showcase never-before-seen materials from newly cataloged collections at ONE Archives at the USC Libraries and is co-curated by Robert Brady, Andy Campbell, and Jessica Carolina González. It will highlight the diverse organizing efforts and care practices of LGBTQ+ activists throughout all stages of life. The exhibition will open with a ticketed reception on Sunday, September 29, 2024 beginning at 5 p.m. at the Advocate & Gochis Galleries and courtyard, located at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza at 1125 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood. The event will begin with a VIP Reception from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by General Admission from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Circa will also debut “Reel Resilience: The Circa 2024 Short Film Festival.” In a first for the festival, “Reel Resilience” will feature 4 short films by filmmakers A. Allegra, Carin Jacobs, Betsy Kalin, and Meghan McDonough for two 90-minute screening and Q&A sessions. The festival hopes to move audiences to care for their communities through action and celebrating the enduring power of love.

Events in West Hollywood will begin on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 5 p.m. with Gil Cuadros: Revolutionary Queer Love and AIDS in Chicanx/Latinx L.A. at One Gallery, located at 626 N. Robertson Boulevard. There are also three exhibition openings happening on October 2 and 3, 2024 at Circus of Books (8230 Santa Monica Boulevard) and One Gallery (626 N. Robertson Boulevard), both located in West Hollywood. In addition, a Dyke Soccer Scrimmage will take place on Monday, October 28, 2024 at 7 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Other events in West Hollywood will include panel discussions, pop-up exhibits, lectures, and various workshops occurring throughout the month. More information and tickets for all events and exhibitions happening in West Hollywood can be found at West Hollywood – Circa (circafestival.org).

            Founded in 1952, One Institute is the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the country, dedicated to telling LGBTQ+ history and stories through education, arts, and social justice programs. One Institute serves as the independent community partner that supports ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California (USC) Libraries, the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) materials in the world. One Institute’s mission is to elevate queer and trans histories and embrace emerging stories through collaborative education, arts, and cultural programs. Moreover, One Institute envisions a world motivated by social movements of the past to take action toward queer and trans liberation.

The curatorial and educational choices made by One Institute are guided by a commitment to social equity and justice. One Institute engages with the complexity of LGBTQ+ history and representation through highlighting the intersectional narratives of Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), women, gender-nonconforming and transgender people, people of various abilities, youth, and elders across all socio-economic classes. To learn more about the One Institute, please visit www.oneinstitute.org.

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For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.