This submission from the Bj Bud Memorial Archives continues the Community-Driven Archives (CDA) blog themed series “Moments of Joy” which is a collaborative effort between the entire team at CDA as we bring to light images that not only speak to the importance of diverse community stories but also highlights images that we here at CDA absolutely enjoy and want to share.
This image titled “Two women embracing and posing” is in honor of Women’s History Month and the continuation of images that bring me a great amount of joy. When I look at this image, it reminds me of my childhood and a few couples that lived with my uncle in the 1980’s and 1990’s at his home. My uncle was one of many LGBTQ people in my life during my childhood and as I grew up I became aware that his house was a protected place for many of his friends during this time who had nowhere else to go. These couples from my childhood bring many fond memories of growing up with people who were different from me and teaching me the value of community and a safe space for everyone. Many of the people whom I met at my uncle’s home taught me valuable lessons that I carry with me to this day, like riding a bike or having a space that I know is safe to be myself. These lessons continue to drive me in a way I never thought possible growing up and for that I am grateful to my uncle and his ability to provide a space for people during that time. As I reflect on how much a safe space is necessary for the LGBTQ community, this photo reminds me that to these two women had this feeling in this space and that is why we salute the many gay bars in Phoenix that were safe spaces like the house my uncle owned in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Contact me, Jessica Salow, with feedback at Jessica.Salow@asu.edu, as I would love to hear from you your thoughts regarding the work we here at ASU are doing in community archiving around Arizona. We also want your feedback on what you would like to see from us in future blog posts. See you next week!