Visit Project Project Details
Only five US states require LGBTQ+ history as part of K-12 social studies curriculums. But according to research from GLSEN, queer students who learn about LGBTQ+ topics feel safer at school, report lower rates of victimization, and are more likely to pursue post-secondary education. Animating Queer History serves as a resource for students who won't learn LGBTQ+ history in the classroom. In a series of short videos, Animating Queer History introduces students to significant themes in American queer history, from the fluidity of sexual categories to discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community. The project's website also offers resources for students who are interested in exploring these topics further.
Subjects or Themes
LGBTQ+, United States, Modern History
Project Language(s)
English
Time Period
Geographic Location
Project Categories
Content Type
Teacher Resources, Animations, Video
Target Audience(s)
Creators
Michael Gawlik
Year(s)
2020-2021
Host Institution / Affiliation / Project Location
Personal/Michael Gawlik
Software Employed
- Adobe Creative Cloud (After Effects and Illustrator), Atom
Labor and Support
This project was created as part of a master's thesis at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. It was researched, written, illustrated, and animated between December 2020 and April 2021. Total time spent on the project was roughly 1400 hours; approximately 350 hours of research, 75 hours of writing, 900 hours of illustrating and animating, and 75 hours of web design/development. All parts of the project were created by Michael Gawlik, with the exception of video voiceovers, which were provided by a paid voice actor. Animations were created in Adobe After Effects using assets designed in Adobe Illustrator. The website was custom designed and coded using HTML, CSS (including Bootstrap), and Javascript.
Project Cost
Partnerships, funding sources, or grant-funding acknowledgement
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hussman School of Journalism and Media
