LGBTQIA+ Hidden Histories Trail

LGBTQIA+ stories have often been kept out of mainstream history, so we are keen to make them visible. We are committed to collaborating with communities to make these histories better known and understood.

The LGBTQIA+ Hidden Histories Trail features ten objects found on Levels 1, 3 and 5 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. Download the trail and listen to the accompanying audio for each object below.

This trail is a collaboration between young people from Impact Arts, LGBT Youth Scotland and our Scotland 365 youth engagement team with National Museums Scotland to highlight LGBTQIA+ stories across our collections.

We hope you have enjoyed our trail. This is only the beginning of our work exploring LGBTQIA+ histories in our collections, with more to come over time. During 2019–2020, participants with the Impact Arts Creative Pathways +18 employability programme worked alongside National Museums Scotland to create this trail and audio guide. The young people selected objects, researched stories and developed the trail content, supported by NMS. With thanks to Impact Arts participants Dylan, Ivy, Hannah, and Stuart. Additional thanks to Gareth and Laura from National Museums Scotland, and to the LGBT Youth Scotland Consultation Group (Finn, Tom, Ivy, Zoel, Wren and Simon) and members of our Scotland 365 Youth Engagement Team.

LGBTQIA+ is a term used to show the different ways people define their gender and sexuality, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual. Language and definitions are constantly evolving, but this is the term agreed by the young people as the most inclusive.