LGBTQ+ Leaders Mural
The forthcoming LGBTQ+ Leaders mural is a tribute to the city’s rich LGBTQ+ history and the activists, community leaders, and civil rights trailblazers whose work and contributions pushed Philadelphia toward becoming a more equitable and inclusive city. Created in partnership with the Offices of Councilmembers Mark Squilla and Rue Landau, the Washington Square West Civic Association, and Voyeur Nightclub, the mural’s design is created by artist Santiago Galeas, selected for the project after an open-call process in fall 2025.
Galeas’ mural will be installed during June’s Pride Month festivities on an exterior wall of Voyeur, located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Gayborhood area. The design depicts five Philadelphia LGBTQ+ trailblazers:
- Gloria Casarez (1971–2014), civil rights leader, community organizer, and Philadelphia’s first director of LGBTQ+ affairs, whose 2015 tribute mural was sadly lost to physical development
- Michael S. Hinson, Jr. (1966–2022), LGBTQ+. AIDS and housing insecurity advocate, founder and former executive director of the Colours Organization, co-founder of Philadelphia Black Gay Pride, and CEO of human services agency SELF, Inc., a human services agency
- Tyrone Smith (1942–2025), award-winning LGBTQ activist, AIDS awareness advocate, community leader, consultant, mentor, and advisor to two Philadelphia mayors
- Nizah Morris (1955–2002), Black transgender entertainer and the namesake of Philadelphia’s Morris Home, the country’s only residential recovery program specifically for the transgender and gender-expansive community
- Dawn Munro (d. 2019), scientist, dedicated organizer for Trans Day of Remembrance, and longtime trans activist
Upcoming Events and Milestones
Mural Design Unveiling
Friday, April 24, 6–10 pm
Galeas’ design will be revealed at Philly Black Pride’s Opening Night Reception, held at the Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia
Community Paint Day
Saturday, April 25, 12–3 pm
The public is invited to a free community paint day, to take part in the creation of this exciting new public artwork
Mural Dedication
Friday, June 26: 11 am – 1 pm
Celebrate Pride Month in the heart of the Gayborhood at the LGBTQ+ Leaders mural dedication
About Santiago Galeas:
Santiago Galeas, an artist born in Silver Spring, Maryland, weaves the realms of gender, sexuality, and nature in his paintings. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with a Masters in Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art, Galeas portrays queer Latinx Americans against the simultaneous backdrops of North American landscapes and a vibrant fantasy of Latin America. His work explores themes of gender, ecology, sexuality, immigration, and diaspora, celebrating the power of queer and trans individuals in portraiture. Visit his website to learn more.
