Departures that Brought Us Here merges Apolo’s research in LGBTQ+ archives with the kinetic movement of a split-flap display board. Traditionally used in airports and train stations to signal movement and transition, Gomez has transformed the display board into a storytelling platform containing messages, memories, and resistance from the LGBTQ+ community. Shifting letters combine with archival ephemera, echoing the fluctuating, fleeting nature of queer histories, highlighting the precarity of queer existence. Stories once erased are now made visible alongside stories that are constantly unfolding in real time. This uncovering of queer Chicanx history challenges historical erasure of marginalized communities, calling attention to what histories are seen, heard, and remembered.

We invite you to add your voice. Submit a 132-character message, a story, reflection, or words of support to be featured on the display. Your words will become part of a living archive of LGBTQ+ movement.

Be part of the journey. 

Not all submitted messages will be shared. No personal information will be displayed or shared.