The Out Museum, a new cultural institution in San Francisco, opened its doors at the end of May, aiming to highlight the experiences of the Chinese and Chinese American LGBTQ+ community. Situated opposite the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum, the bilingual space seeks to fill a longstanding visibility gap for Chinese LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly in a political climate where LGBTQ+ rights face increasing restrictions in various parts of the United States.

Currently open on Saturdays and occupying a single room, the museum’s initial exhibition features fewer than a dozen artworks by artists from China and the broader Chinese diaspora. These include photography, zines, and an interactive installation inviting visitors to trace their journeys of gender and sexual identity through thread. Organizers hope to expand both the collection and operating hours in the future.

The museum’s founding traces back six years to Chinese artist Mei Zhet Chen, who initially launched a Kickstarter campaign while still living in China. After relocating to the United States in 2022 as a visiting scholar at Georgetown University, Chen became increasingly engaged with the Asian American queer community in San Francisco, gaining recognition through a 2024 exhibition at the Asian Art Museum and later a residency with the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco. The latter organization served as the incubation space for the museum’s prototype.

For artists like Hong Kong-born Dixon Ngai, the museum offers a vital platform to tell stories often overlooked by mainstream media. Ngai contributed a hand-painted porcelain wine pot reflecting themes from the Cantonese opera “Di Nü Hua,” emphasizing the museum’s focus on the specific experiences of the Chinese queer community.

Since opening, the museum has drawn emotionally charged responses, particularly from long-established Chinese immigrants in California. Chen recounted encounters with a 60-year-old transgender man who immigrated decades ago seeking gender-affirming care, as well as a mother who reconnected with her gay adult son through the museum’s events. Such feedback underscores the museum’s role in amplifying visibility and fostering understanding within both LGBTQ+ and broader Chinese American communities.

Author and activist Helen Zia, an advisory board member, noted that mounting such an institution would have been far more difficult even two decades ago, given the historical opposition faced from some segments of the Asian American community. She cited past incidents in which pro-gay marriage advocates faced public hostility and highlighted how public attitudes have evolved, making the museum’s message—that of shared humanity and cultural contribution—all the more significant today.

The museum also highlights contrasts between LGBTQ+ experiences in mainland China and the United States. Although homosexuality was declassified as a mental disorder by the Chinese Psychiatric Association in 2001, legal and societal restrictions persist, particularly regarding same-sex marriage, adoption rights, and public advocacy. Chen described how, during her time operating a grassroots lesbian center in Shanghai, governmental crackdowns severely limited LGBTQ+ spaces, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By comparison, Chinese LGBTQ+ individuals born and raised in the United States tend to have greater access to education about gender and sexuality, as well as more robust support networks. Despite recent shifts in U.S. policy and culture—such as actions during the Trump administration restricting transgender rights and local controversies over LGBTQ+ representation—the artists involved with the Out Museum described San Francisco as a place of relative freedom, equality, and security.

Chen, who recently participated in her first San Francisco Pride Parade, expressed optimism about the museum’s future. Dressed as a character from Cantonese opera, she described the opening as a beginning rather than an endpoint in a broader effort to increase visibility and understanding of Chinese queer identities.

“We still have a long way to go,” Chen said, emphasizing the ongoing mission to give voice to a community that has historically felt invisible.