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LGBTQ+

We embrace LGBTQ+ culture and Warhol’s role as a gay icon.

From his 1950s Boy Book drawings that lovingly depicted the sensuous male form to his poignant self-portraits in drag in the 1980s, Warhol openly expressed his queer identity in life and art, even when homosexuality was criminalized and suppressed in the United States.

Learn more about Warhol's life

Visiting the Museum

We celebrate free expression and strive to be an inclusive institution where diverse perspectives can coexist. The Warhol affirms people’s right to choose the restroom that best meets their needs at that moment.

LGBTQ+ Youth Prom

The Warhol hosts an annual LGBTQ+ Youth Prom, one of the only LGBTQ+ youth proms in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Prom is often considered a rite of passage and creates memories that last a lifetime. The Warhol’s Youth Prom offers a safe, gender-inclusive space where LGBTQ+ young people can celebrate with dinner, dancing, and artmaking. Prom is open to young people ages 13–20, and it is planned by a youth committee.

Queer Performance

We are a destination for contemporary queer performance. The museum annually hosts TQ Live!, a locally-focused cabaret performance, in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University School of Art.

We also offer a free seven-week School of Drag workshop, where youth ages 13–19 can learn about the history, culture, and practice of drag and gender-bending performance. The workshop series culminates in a showcase with youth and adult performers. To learn more about School of Drag and how to apply, visit our Teens page. School of Drag is generously supported by American Eagle Outfitters Foundation.

The Warhol has also recently presented artists such as Perfume Genius, Mark Eitzel, Narcissister and DarkMatter.

Dandy Andy: Warhol’s Queer History

On the last Saturday of each month, artist educators lead a museum tour that explores how Warhol’s sexuality influenced his work and shaped his relationship to the art world. The tours trace Warhol’s romantic relationships and queer identity against the backdrop of the historical gay rights movement in the United States.

Image Gallery

A print of two, overlapping male torsos with their arms pressed together in front of them. A peach square is overlaid on each of the torsos, but some of the squares are hidden my red and lavender shapes.

Andy Warhol, Torso (Double), ca. 1982
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
1998.1.2644

A line drawing of a seated male nude. A small heart has been drawn on the head of his penis.

Andy Warhol, Seated Male Nude, 1955-56
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
1998.1.1685

A black and white film poster for Andy Warhol's My Hustler. It features the tagline from 42nd Street to Fire Island and a photograph of a man with blonde hair reclining with a man with black hair.

Film Poster ("My Hustler"), 1965
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
1998.3.5596

A screen print of a drag queen with a large afro and prominent eyelashes set against a turquoise stripe that runs from the bottom left to the top right of the page and is flanked by smaller streaks of green and mustard yellow.

Andy Warhol, Ladies and Gentlemen, 1975
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
1998.1.171

A line drawing of a penis which has been decorated with small hearts and flowers and has a ribbon tied around it in a bow.

Andy Warhol, Male Genitals, 1950s
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
1998.1.1740

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LGBTQ+ Youth Prom Planning Committee Meeting

A group of people engaging in arts and crafts, using colorful materials like markers, paper, and pompoms on a table.

Photo by Maria Elisa Cevallos

Dandy Andy: Warhol’s Queer History

A black and white photograph shows Andy Warhol from the chest up in drag, wearing a short coiffed brown wig, heavy face powder, black eyeliner, and dark red lipstick. He turns his head slightly and stares at the camera, with a loose white blouse unbuttoned at the neck.

Andy Warhol, Small Acetate (Self-Portrait in Drag), 1980
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
1998.3.1135

LGBTQ+ Youth Prom 2025

Saturday, May 31, 2025, 6 – 10 p.m.

Person wearing an orange hat and sunglasses dances joyfully at a lively party with colorful decorations in the background.

Photo by Elisa Cevallos
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