An exhibit featuring artwork by LGBTQ+ youth and young adults from New York City and Syracuse, hosted by Cornell Human Ecology, in partnership with the Ali Forney Center and the Q Center.

This exhibit grew from an ongoing community-based research collaboration between The PRIDE Lab in the Department of Psychology at Cornell University and our community partners: The Ali Forney Center in New York City and The Q Center in Syracuse, New York. Together, we are investigating how chosen family shapes identity, resilience, and mental health among LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.

The art featured here was created by LGBTQ+ youth and young adults from The Ali Forney Center and The Q Center as part of that collaboration, as well as students at Cornell University. Each piece reflects their experiences, perspectives, and hopes — stories of connection, survival and belonging. Through their artwork, these young people invite us to see the beauty and power of chosen family, and to imagine a world where everyone is free to build the families they need and deserve.