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Sac's Queer Secrets: The LGBTQ+ History Hiding in Plain Sight
Mitchell Mark McCartney, Scientist, Photographer & LGBTQ+ History Advocate
Location - Teneral Cellars Tasting Room & Wine Lounge
What if some of Sacramento's most consequential history is the history we've barely been taught?
Behind familiar storefronts, ordinary buildings, and neighborhood landmarks lies a history of defiance, political struggle, and extraordinary community building. Sacramento wasn't simply a backdrop to the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Its people helped shape it. Often while confronting laws, institutions, and social attitudes determined to keep them invisible.
Join scientist, photographer, and LGBTQ+ history advocate Mitchell “Mitch” McCartney, creator of the Stop Whispering, Start Shouting series, for a revealing exploration of Sacramento's queer past. Going beyond the individual stories he has shared publicly, Mitch will trace the larger historical forces, unexpected connections, and pivotal moments that shaped LGBTQ+ life in Sacramento and influenced movements beyond our city.
From Indigenous histories of gender and sexual diversity and the social world of Gold Rush-era Sacramento to the emergence of organized LGBTQ+ resistance in the late 1960s, we'll explore how people challenged discrimination, claimed public space, and created communities when acceptance was far from guaranteed.
You'll Learn
- How Sacramento's LGBTQ+ communities and identities evolved across generations, including histories often absent from traditional accounts of the city.
- How local activists, organizations, and publications contributed to broader struggles for LGBTQ+ rights.
- How gathering spaces, neighborhood institutions, and Lavender Heights became part of the city's social and political history.
- How discrimination, the AIDS crisis, and decades of organizing shaped Sacramento's LGBTQ+ community and its enduring legacy.
History doesn't disappear simply because we stop talking about it. Come discover the Sacramento that was here all along.
Mitchell Mark McCartney is a Sacramento-based scientist, photographer, storyteller, and LGBTQ+ history advocate. He serves as Director of Research for the Bioinstrumentation and BioMEMS Lab at UC Davis, where he develops portable chemical sensors for human, animal, agricultural, and environmental health monitoring.
Beyond his scientific work, Mitch created Stop Whispering, Start Shouting, a social media series uncovering Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history and honoring the activists who shaped it. He is also a passionate advocate for preserving and recognizing the historic significance of Sacramento’s Lavender Heights neighborhood.
Teneral Cellars Tasting Room & Wine Lounge is located in Midtown Sacramento at 1050 20th St #110, 95811. Teneral is a queer-owned, women-owned wine tasting room that prides itself on being a community gathering place and a safe space for everyone. They serve their award winning wines as well as food from their neighbor, Omakase Por Favor.
All Common Knowledge events are 21+
Schedule:
6:00pm - Doors Open - grab a drink and mingle. We'll have trivia questions on the screen and some surprises
6:45pm - Program begins with an intro & prize giveaway
7:00pm - Lecture begins
7:45pm - Q&A
8:00pm - Mingle, discuss the lecture, meet the speaker
9:00pm - You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here
What to Expect:
Common Knowledge is Sacramento's new bar lecture series.
At Common Knowledge we believe that learning something new is the most rewarding and fun thing you can do. We're about bringing diverse people and ideas together to have a great time.
This event is open seating so come at 6pm to to grab a drink and a seat. Before the lecture we'll have music and trivia questions on the screen. We'll also have a fun, low pressure "side quest" so you can win a free drink.
The lecture will last for 45 minutes and is made for an intelligent, general audience so you don't need any specialized background to have a great time. After the lecture, there will be 15 minutes for Q&A and then the bar will be open for another hour to hang out, meet the speaker, and discuss the ideas you just heard.
The bar will close at 9pm.
Parking:
Teneral is located In the iconic MARRS Bldg. on 20th Street between J & K. There is street parking as well as parking lots nearby.
Policies:
All Common Knowledge events are 21+
No hidden ticket fees. The price you see is the price you pay. Period.
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We treat our guests like family so if there is anything you need, just get in touch: hello@cklectures.com
Accessibility: We strive to make all of our lectures 100% accessible for everyone. If you have specific accessibility needs please email us at least 72 hours ahead of the lecture to plan to attend: hello@cklectures.com
Students! We offer a student discount - just email hello@cklectures.com from your university email address and we'll send you a discount code.
Common Knowledge is for everyone! If you want to attend an event but can't afford a full price ticket we have you covered. Just email us at hello@cklectures.com and we'll help you out.
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