LGBTQ+ Art Show Controversy

The Controversial "Gender Conspiracy" Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Burlington, Ontario is an open letter of support to the trans and gender divers communities, featuring the work of 18 artists exploring issues such as gender fluidity, gender identity, sexual orientation and same-sex relationships. This stunning collection of queer art is often provocative, erotic, edgy, playful and even breathtaking.

The bold LGBTQ+ art exhibit is the brainchild of the AGB’s new senior curator Suzanne Carte. After Ontario’s conservative government removed the mention of transgender people from the public school sex-ed curriculum, she decided the Art Gallery of Burlington needed to step up.

But for a small city, just outside the metropolis of Toronto, the gender conspiracy exhibit faced intense backlash and homophobic trolling online that was so alarming that it stoked fears of a potential violent attack.

Artists featured include: Cassils, Michèle Pearson Clarke, Dayna Danger, Raven Davis, Jah Grey, Samra Habib, Manghoe Lassi, Kama La Mackerel, Kent Monkman, Wynne Neilly & Kyle Lasky, Jocelyn Reynolds, Chase Joynt & Kristen Schilt, Vivek Shraya, Adrian Stimson, Chase Joynt & Tanja Tiziana, and Syrus Marcus Ware.