Philbrook Museum features photo of same-sex couple

By Zoe Travers
Journalism Intern

The Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, recently reposted a photo of a same-sex couple kissing in front of the Philbrook. The photo received a lot of attention, some negative, but mostly positive.

The couple, Zac Sims and Jason Sway, said they were thankful that the photo could serve as representation of normalcy, and they were grateful to the Philbrook for reposting it.

Sims said representation is about normalizing things so that it’s not targeted toward the LGBTQ+ community, but accessible to the public, just as an account would post a photo of a straight couple kissing. He said he felt like that’s exactly what The Philbrook did.

“Businesses should not feel obligated to post [same-sex] couples and definitely not just during Pride,” Sims said in an interview with The Gayly. “We think it should be treated as any other post they make and should include people from all backgrounds, whether it is LGBTQ+ or other groups including all genders, races, etc.”

The caption from the Philbrook read, “A kiss is still a kiss. A sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply. As time goes by.”

Sims said they didn’t post the original photo for attention, and they just wanted to share a snippet of their lives on social media, but they’ve been happy to see the positive feedback from people online.

“If the attention this specific photo has gotten can help someone who struggles with their identity or feels underrepresented feel better, any and all the negative comments received have been worth it,” he said.

The comments on the photo ranged from supportive to discriminatory. Sims said he was surprised by the number of comments, and he expected some negative feedback.

“We are comfortable with our identity, and we do not let it negatively affect us,” Sims said. “Our only hope is that there isn't someone out there struggling with their identity who lets it bother them.”

Sway and Sims messaged the Philbrook account, thanking them for sharing their post despite some negative responses and some comments from people saying they wouldn’t come back to the Philbrook.

The Philbrook Museum Instagram account later posted an update along with a photo of the couple’s message to them.

“We recently shared this image here on instagram. A loving couple enjoying a nice day at the museum,” the post read. “We share our guests’ photos all the time. Most liked it. A few didn’t. And then we got this lovely note from the couple. Museums are for everyone. Don’t just say it. Show it.”

"We're really trying to promote Philbrook as being a very inclusive place, a welcoming place, a place for everybody in Tulsa to come and enjoy," Philbrook Museum of Art Director Scott Stulen told KTUL Tulsa.

Sims said the phrase “it gets better” is true for LGBTQ+ equality and representation.

“50 years ago people were fighting to have equal rights, and, until marriage equality passed a few short years ago, those who came before us fought bigger obstacles than just equal representation,” Sims said. “Now it is our generation’s turn to make sure that there is equal representation, that the equality act passes and we don't let the rights those before us have fought for be taken away.”

The Gayly 5/3/2019 2:09 p.m. CST