Dyed & Defined DeTOUR: Color, Identity, and the Queer Past

Experience a thought-provoking DeTOUR that explores the intersections of fine art, historic fashion, and LGBTQIA+ identity through the colors of the Pride flag.

Led by curator Brandon W. Brooks of Genesee Country Village & Museum, this guided experience will trace the history of the flag’s symbolic colors and connect them to the evolution of 19th-century dyeing technology and clothing. We’ll examine how the concept of the sexual binary shaped mythology and fine art, and how that binary was reflected in the fashion accessories of the era. Finally, we’ll confront the historical erasure of queer identity—revisiting the lives of those once dismissed as “just roommates,” and considering what their stories might truly reveal. Discover how color, identity, and history intertwine across time.