'Year of the Queer': Pride Month Continues On at Omaha’s Central Library

by Lewis Thune

(Picture credit John Gage)

OMAHA — Although Pride Month has officially ended, the Omaha Central Library is welcoming a “Pride and Joy: Nebraska History” exhibit from the University of Nebraska Omaha, which will be prominently displayed in the library for the entirety of July and August.

The exhibit consists of nine banners recounting the history of LGBT advocacy in Omaha and across Nebraska, “to share evidence of community gatherings, activism, publications, organizations, and other important topics.”

The exhibit features entries on such groups as the Open Arms Trans Social Group, the Flatwater Bears, the Leather Engineers of Omaha, the Heartland Gay Rodeo, and Meat Packers.

It lists historical chapters including “Pre-Stonewall,” “Responding to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic,” and “Universities and Colleges.” Some banners display prominent newspaper clippings, such as a 1993 “Year of the Queer” headline.

(Photo credit UNO)

The display also celebrates the election of progressive Nebraska lawmakers, including State Senators Ernie Chambers, Megan Hunt, and John Fredrickson. Chambers is celebrated for being an “LGBTQIA2S+ ally.” The longtime Omaha state senator has been criticized in the past for making racially charged and misogynistic remarks.

The University of Nebraska Omaha confirmed to The Plains Sentinel that it had created the exhibit and said it had been traveling since August of 2025. In the exhibit, UNO also highlights its own LGBT bona fides, including its first transgender professor in 2005, the 1974 Homosexual Symposium, its Student Programming Organization’s 1976 and 1977 sponsorship of the Miss Love Contest, an Omaha drag pageant.

The banners were put up on July 1 and are being displayed on the main level adjacent to the kids’ indoor climbing structure.

Central Library, the 72^nd and Dodge branch of Omaha Public Library, told The Plains Sentinel that the exhibit was made available to them through their partnership with the University.

A UNO organizer in charge of the display said the banners were part of a collection by “Queer Omaha Archives,” which is an initiative of UNO launched in 2015 with the goal of “queering history.” The initiative has received funding from Humanities Nebraska, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and the Queer Omaha Archives Fund, which was founded by the University of Nebraska Foundation.

UNO said that it had received an external grant to create the exhibit. The title banner lists the supporting organization as Humanities Nebraska, with additional support from the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

The 20-person Board of Humanities Nebraska includes 5 gubernatorial appointees. The Plains Sentinel has reached out to Humanities Nebraska for comment.

Omaha State Senator Kathleen Kauth responded to the library’s decision to display the exhibit in a statement to The Plains Sentinel:

“I fully expect an equal amount of time and the same display space be given to groups who celebrate and support traditional, heterosexual marriage and family values.”

When asked by The Plains Sentinel if it would be open to partnering with a religious family organization or displaying religious messaging for a holiday such as Christmas, a spokesperson for Central Library responded:

“OPL partners with a broad range of community organizations, educational institutions and nonprofits, and offers displays year-round that reflect timely and relevant topics for our community.”

— Lewis Thune is a writing fellow with The Plains Sentinel.