American queer culture took off in the public eye after the Stonewall riots in 1969, followed by a decade of liberation and exploration for the LGBT community. There were demonstrations, parades, and matching butch/femme T-shirts.
The exhibit "The 1970s: The Blossoming of a Queer Enlightenment," which opened this month at the Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, traces the shift in political activism, sense of self, and sexual freedom that the period allowed. Click ahead to see the pride parades, drag costumes, and delicate chest tattoos. The exhibit is open through June 26.