Center Blog

Guest Post by Jeff Adams

On May 12 Center Authors presented the third and final installment of its Queer Nerds series with “A Queer Nerd Travel Guide,” which celebrated the publication of the third issue of FAQNP: FAQNP’s A Queer Nerd Publication.

FAQNP’s editor Ray Cha introduced some of the contributors to “A Queer Nerd Travel Guide” for a reading.

First up was Anna Dunn, the Editor In Chief of the Diner Journal, who said she likes to write for FAQNP because it allows her to write things she doesn’t usually get to write. She read two of her FAQNP articles. For the current travel issue she wrote “How Do You Say Anchor.”

“When you have moved past the experience of experiencing a place, you start to understand how the place experiences you,” Dunn read from her work. “Sometimes, I felt as though I barely existed in Mexico. I was a blind spot following around three young attractive women, which almost felt like success to me. Over the last twenty years, I have invested in living with my queer identity instead of living through it. That is to say, I try to be present and fluid in the way I exist, not deliberate or overt.”

Next up was Dean Hooks, a Brooklyn-based freelance copywriter, reading from his essay “In/Out,” which detailed his time in Tokyo. “Japan’s premier gayborhood is Shinjuku Nichome, a small five-block area containing the world’s highest concentration of gay bars. Most seat ten to twelve people, each catering to a very specific type of homo: twinks, bears, BDSM-ers, and regular everyday queens just into a bit of karaoke. I spent many nights wandering the streets, occasionally summoning the courage to sit down, have a drink, and make a connection.”

FAQNP’s creative director Erich Nagler read from “Scandinavian Libraries, Budapest Bathhouses.” “I’m working overseas in Europe,” he read from the essay’s opening. “How glam, I thought, when I started. A Texas kid, a few years out of college in New York, and now this. Really, though, it’s not as grand as it sounds. Europe on a shoestring budget is pretty much the same (read: just as un-glam) as anyplace else without money. Ramen, tunafish, spaghetti, not going out. But I have my work to sustain me, and that’s been enough—till now. Now, I’m desperate.”

Editor Ray Cha read the last piece of the evening, which was his introduction to FAQNP’s second issue, which focused on computers. He chose it because it gave insight on why he’s doing the FAQNP project. The piece also happened to have a little travel flavor to it as well. “We now use geographic metaphors when describing the Internet (R.I.P. Geocities), with terms like “information architecture” or “visiting” a website,” he read. “But in fact, the Internet removes a sense of place. Actual physical location—or at least geographic distance—disappears. For those of us English speakers living outside of queer epicenters like New York or San Francisco or London, the Internet removed the physical boundaries limiting our interaction and community building.”

You can get more details on FAQNP, and pick up its third issue, at its website.

Guest Post by: Wils Cain

The opening reception for Surveying the Immigrant Experience on April 27 provided all of those in attendance an opportunity to dig deeper into the diversity of the LGBT community, specifically art by immigrants that now call New York City home. The exhibition, running through September 1, showcases the art of 20 artists, which when shown as a group illustrates the wide range of backgrounds within the LGBT community. Diversity is the underlying theme of this show; in the regions the artists were born, their journeys to New York City, the medium of their work, and the messages they deliver.

The artists’ work is spread throughout the second floor of the Center with gilded world maps by Gilbert Baker, designer of the Rainbow Flag in 1978, leading the way from one region of an artist’s origin to another. Circumnavigating the globe this way it is easy to see the immense geographical range the show provides, with artists from Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, India, Israel, The Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, United States and Venezuela.

The show’s diversity is interwoven into the subject matter, the race and ethnicity of those depicted, style of dress, as well as  the mediums used themselves, including video, photography, oil and acrylic paintings, digital prints, answering machine recordings, found objects, spoken word and rap.

A highlight of the evening was the presence of so many artists standing by their work mingling with the crowd and talking about their work and experiences.

This show is important for the LGBT Center as it shows how much we have to learn from each other’s experiences.  It is important for us to seek out and learn more from one another and to share our own, and others, stories so we learn from them as well. Surveying the Immigrant Experience allows us to look closer at a segment of our community – immigrant artists, telling us their stories, all of whom just happen to be part of the LGBT community.

On March 8, the Queer Nerds series of programs from the Center Speaker series presented “Queer Nerd Print Culture.” For this historical program, Ray Cha, editor of FAQNP: FAQNP’s A Queer Nerd Publication, dug into the Center Archive to find signs of the queer nerd in the pre- and early-Internet era.

Cha decided to research what the archive had because he’d come across an ad for “The Backroom BBS” while putting together FAQNP’s second issue, which focused on early computer and Internet culture. For those who don’t know, before the Internet existed as it does today, a BBS (a.k.a Bulletin Board Service) was one of the ways of making connections through the computer network. Of course, people still connect via computer today it’s just done through different—and more user friendly—formats.

In the archive Cha found many examples of LGBT people using the print medium to stay in touch.

Cha found several examples of queer nerds getting together, including:

• The Tri-State Gaylaixians, which met at the Center in the early 1990s, focused on gay and lesbian images in the comics.
• “Where No Gay Has Gone Before” was a letter writing campaign targeted at the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation to persuade them to add a gay character to the show to help commemorate the 25th anniversary of Trek.
• There were several examples from the Girth and Mirth Social Club, which had the Fat Apple Review and The Spare Tire. Each of the publications celebrated “wide pride.”
• In 1996 the Lords of Leather Ball XIII had a Star Trek: TNG theme and featured an image of the U.S.S. Enterprise on its flyer.

Before Google and Yahoo, the primary way to find things was through print directories. A 1970 edition of The Gay Persons Guide to England listed organization, services, products, radio shows and more. From 1985 there was the Directory of Homosexual Organizations and Publications, which had among its listings the nerd oriented Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Science Organization and Gays at MIT. More recently there was the 1991 Lesbian and Gay Community Phone Book, which covered New York City. Perhaps the best title of all is 1971’s The Gay Insider: A Hunter’s Guide to New York City and Thesaurus of Phallic Lore.

Even as late as 2001, there was Cybersocket, which promised 2,500 of the best gay sites. Cybersocket still exists today, but rather than a directory of sites it carries mostly adult ads and a few articles.

“Things were much harder to find in the time before Google,” said Cha. “Now we have so much information available that we have to filter what we get. These directories are good historical documents as on what was happening in gay life in a particular time and place.”

One of the primary uses of computer technology revolves around meeting people, which was one of the things the Backroom BBS was for. In the time before sites like Craigslist, ManHunt and Grindr there were personals in print publications.  QQ Magazine had personals that offered “a good look back for how people would look for other people,” said Cha.

Among the ads he pointed out were one from “CB Freak,” who was looking for information on how to find other interested CBers, as well as a white engineer who was looking to get together with a black engineer.

Today it’s easy to find groups of interest through a site like MeetUp. Before that, flyers and zines were the primary way to find out what groups were meeting and when.

There are many examples of pre-Internet publishing too. Today a lot of activism takes places on websites and on Facebook. However, there is a strong history of activist publications. The 1965 publication The Ladder was directed at lesbians and included an article titled “Does Research into Homosexuality Matter.” Another lesbian publication shown was Tribad: A Lesbian Separatist Newsjournal, which carried the warning that it was to be sold and read by lesbians only.

The AIDS crisis led to many publications, including the Diseased Pariah, which is considered the first AIDS publication that didn’t treat those infected as victims. Cha said this was quite radical at the time. There were only 11 issues, however, before it folded because its founder passed away.

The final installment of the Queer Nerds series is coming up on Thursday, May 12 at 7pm with “A Queer Nerd Travel Guide.” Queer travel is the topic of the third issue of FAQNP, which will debut at the event. There will be readings from the issue as well as the opportunity to talk with the creative team behind the magazine.

Written by Jeff Adams

On February 16, the Center Authors series presented the first of a three part series focused on Queer Nerds. For the “Yaoi for Beginners” installment, Ray Cha, editor of FAQNP: FAQNP’s A Queer Nerd Publication, discussed and showed examples of this popular subgenre of manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation).
Yaoi focuses on boy love romances and is primarily targeted towards women (as opposed to the Bara genre which is created specifically for gay men). It also tends to be written by women.

To help illustrate the genre, Cha screened two examples. Junjo Romantica dates back to 2002 in manga form and 2008 in its anime version. The stories, written by Shungiku Nakamura, have three couples at its core. In the episode shown on couple was featured—Hiroki, an associate college professor, and Norwaki, a med student four years younger than Hiroki. As is common in Yaoi, in the span of the 20-minute episode the couple went back and forth between “I love you” and “I hate you” several times.The second program, Ouran High School Host Club, written by Bisco Hatori, debuted in magna in 2002 and went into anime in 2006. This series has element of Yaoi included, along side other manga/anime genres. Of interest to the Yaoi enthusiasts is the relationship between twins Hikaru and Kaoru, who often use “forbidden brotherly love” to entertain the female customers of the host club.

Cha explained that while Yaoi started out as a genre for women, often written by women, it became mainstream entertainment with some Yaoi anime series airing during prime time on Japanese TV. Over the last twenty years, as magna and anime has grown in the US, the genre has grown in popularity here as well.
While Japan is still fairly homophobic due to its conservative nature, the Yaoi genre thrives because it is considered “safe” with the characters insulated in their own world that would likely not manifest itself in the real world. Cha likened it to the slash fiction genre where characters are plucked from pop culture and into romantic situations that don’t happen within their regular contexts, such as Star Trek’s Kirk and Spock having a romantic relationship.

The Queer Nerds series continues in March with Cha digging into the Center’s Archive to show examples of queer nerds in LGBT history. In May the series wraps up with the launch party for the latest issue of FAQNP.

Written by Jeff Adams

Is it so incredible that one could be involuntarily outed and functionally excommunicated “In This Day And Age?!” Sad to say, it is not. The selfsame title of the book by Isaac Namdar, M.D. chronicles his own personal experience of this tragedy which ultimately and paradoxically created a positive movement of communication within his strict Orthodox community. After being outed against his will and publicly censured by his rabbi and expunged from the membership roster of his synagogue, Dr. Namdar opened up an internet message board for all who wished to comment to do so publicly. This medium provided a podium which ultimately touched many chords that resonated within his close knit and very orthodox community. And he compiled all of the resultant dialogue into an eminently readable book which poignantly traces one man’s movement through the conflicts of loyalty to close knit ethnic identity, spiritual identity and sexual identity. It also tells a story of an ethnic minority struggling to come to terms with itself, its culture and its religion in a pluralistic society.

Isaac Namdar and Andrew Mitchell were married in a civil ceremony on July 1, 2009 and celebrated their loving union with a party for family and friends that October. A wedding website was subsequently created to share the happy stories and photos of the wedding and honeymoon for their intimates to enjoy. Little did either suspect the furor soon to be aroused in Isaac’s Orthodox community when this website was ‘crashed’ and the contents of the website made public in January of that year. A man who sought only privacy and peace had been outed by a stranger, against his will, and his world and his family’s world was certainly never the same.

The book “In This Day And Age?!” is a compendium of the discourse among members of Dr. Namdar’s tightly interwoven religious/ethnic community, as they grappled with the issues of spirituality, identity, Jewish law and customs and the morality attached to the denial or acceptance of the individual’s right to pursue his/her own path versus the needs of a community desperately seeking cohesion. The issues brought up by the many respondents on the message board Dr Namdar maintained as a forum are diverse, fascinating and show a genuine striving to come to terms with homosexuality as organic to their population and not some phenomena infiltrating from the outside.
Throughout it all, Dr. Namdar behaves with ultimate equanimity, reasonableness and an honorable willingness to engage in dialogue without compromising himself or his commitments. As he states, his goal in establishing a discussion board was to educate as many people as possible about equity and tolerance and, by the overall tenor of his account, he succeeded (of course, bigots on the fringes will exist within any religious or social group).

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, spiritual leader of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah for nearly two decades, was the introductory speaker of the evening and moderator of the lively, open discussion that followed Dr. Namdar’s forthright presentation of his work. Renowned for her humanitarian outlook and unwillingness to back down in the face of controversy, Rabbi Kleinbaum’s presence gave evidence of New York’s Gay and Jewish work for dignity, equality and human rights for all.
CBST, not incidentally, is the largest LGBT synagogue in the world, and zealously pursues social action on all gay-related issues, including youth homelessness, health, aging and marriage equality as well as sponsoring an active transgender coalition. The synagogue’s “Strength Through Community” features guest videos by noteworthy members of the gay Jewish world who speak out against hate and bullying as well as directly addressing the epidemic of gay teen suicides.

Dr. Namdar’s book is available at amazon.com and makes for a lively and provocative read.

Written by Spencer Shear

Guest Post by Center Volunteer, Mark Schulte:

Gay men are stereotyped as being members of certain professions, among them artists, fashion industry, flight attendants, hair stylists and interior designers.  Also included are actors and the those who work in the hotel industry.  Guests at the Center’s Speakers Series this past Tuesday, February 15 were treated to a program featuring Michael Fazio, author of the book, ”Concierge Confidential,” in conversation with interviewer Ernest Ortiz. 
 
Michael, a self-described “people pleaser,” spoke about how he took his passion for making people happy and parlayed it into a position as personal assistant to actor Charlie Sheen, then subsequently to that of head concierge at the Intercontinental Hotel.  In this role, it was his job to take care of rich and famous, celebrities and those who think they are.  Everything from a dozen roses to a dozen hookers, front row seats at Lady Gaga’s concert to reservations at NYC’s hottest restaurants to first class seats on an overbooked flight to Paris, it was his job to get them, and reap the monetary benefits when he was able to deliver what the guests wanted.
 
Attendees were treated to an inside look at a world alien to many and given tips on how to operate within that world.  Especially insightful was the advice on tipping, though perhaps bribing would be a more accurate term.  When does the concierge get “tipped” and when does he need to do some “tipping” himself?  How essential a role does attitude play?  How does one make the necessary connections?  These questions and more were answered with aplomb and anecdotes, though Michael was careful not to name names, just give enough clues to drive a truck through.
 
If all this leaves you feeling that you need a concierge yourself, then you can turn to Abigail Michaels, the new personal concierge company that Michael has founded.  For a mere $350 an hour, Michael will be happy to offer you the same service that Jennifer Lopez and other super-celebrities have been able to avail themselves of.  Otherwise, be sure to pick up a copy of Michael’s book and learn to do it yourself.

Guest Post by Center Volunteer, Mark Schulte:

On Friday, February 11 the main first floor room of the Center was absolutely packed for a rare screening of the 1968 documentary film “The Queen” as well as an original film called “At Least You Know You Exist” by Zachary Drucker.  ”The Queen” chronicles a drag beauty pageant which took place at Town Hall in New York City on February 20, 1967.  It still holds up, 44 years after it was filmed.  It is rarely screened.

The film depicts the contestants as they arrive in NYC from various parts of the USA, where they won preliminary contests.  The protagonist is the contest host(ess) Jack Doroshow, who is better known in the nightlife world as his drag alter ego Mother Flawless Sabrina.  The contestants are followed as they settle into their hotel rooms, practice for the contest and participate in the actual contest; we then find out what happens afterwards. 

In addition, for the first time ever, original outtakes from the after-party that were recently discovered in the University of Texas archives, were screened.  The younger audience members were screaming at this rare glimpse into our community’s pre-Stonewall history.  There was even a scene where one of the contestants, who had been denied the draft, said that he believed that there would come a day when gay people could serve openly in the military.  The applause was deafening. 
 
The screenings were followed by a panel discussion featuring Drag Historian Joe E. Jeffreys, filmmaker Zachary Drucker and Mother Flawless Sabrina in full drag.  Joe pointed out some of the elements of the film that are possibly lost on a 2011 audience.  For example, men wearing female attire was a felony at the time which resulted in common police raids.  That and other depictions were enough to get the film banned in parts of the country.  That was not the case in NYC, however, where the film had a 9-month commercial run despite being rated X. 

Jack (Sabrina) filled the audience in on a lot of the behind-the-scenes dish on the film and his own personal life of over a half century of doing drag.  He was nearly in tears by the end with all the cheering, clapping and a standing ovation.  It was clear by the end that Jack truly is “The Queen!”

The New York Times editorial page voiced strong support for marriage equality this week, calling for an end to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which “denies married same-sex couples the federal benefits granted to other married couples, including Social Security survivor payments and the right to file joint tax returns.”

The marriage issue continues grabbing headlines across the country as more states move towards equality and others face threats from anti-gay forces trying to take marriage away from our community. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is at the forefront of those discussions, as we welcome a host of voices on the topic this spring.  Four upcoming events scheduled here are literally putting the topic front and “Center.” 

On February 18, as part of our “Women’s Film Series” we are hosting a screening of “Till Death Do Us Part,” the first-ever comprehensive film exploring marriage for same-sex couples. On February 22 the “Center’s Speaker’s Series” features Dr. Isaac Namdar, who was excommunicated from his synagogue after the congregation learned that he married his partner. Dr. Namdar will discuss his new book about the ordeal, “In This Day And Age.” On February 28 we tackle the issue of immigration inequality, exploring the heart wrenching challenges faced by bi-national couples who must choose between the person they love and the country they love because of a lack of federal marriage protections. And on March 10 we bring together a panel of leading experts to examine the fundamental issues surrounding marriage, including Brian Ellner, Senior Strategist for the Human Rights Campaign; Evan Wolfson, Executive Director of Freedom to Marry; and Ross Levi, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda.

Marriage inequality creates great hardships for loving and committed same-sex couples who just want the same opportunity to take care of and be responsible for one another. There are numerous ongoing court challenges to the discriminatory (DOMA) and this week’s The New York Times editorial challenged the federal government to stop defending it. “By now, such blatant discrimination should be presumed to be unconstitutional, and the Justice Department should finally say so,” wrote The Times. The Center is excited to give marriage equality a substantial platform this month and next and we welcome you to our space to learn more, find out how you can advocate on this issue and explore the best options for protecting your partner and your family.

Glennda Testone

Guest Post by Center Volunteer, Nelson Freitas recapping the Center’s recent event, “Coming Out as Old,” featuring Jonathan Ned Katz and Edward Field. Katz, who celebrated his 73rd Birthday at this Center function, is an award winning historian, author, and a director of OutHistory.org.  He recently came out as a visual artist. Edward Field is an award-winning poet, biographer, memoirist, fiction writer and editor. During this gathering he read his poems about sex and being old.

In a nutshell, together Jonathan Ned Katz and Edward Field share an exciting world of aging and creativity and make us feel optimistic about our future as mature gay men.   As we age, many of us quickly recognize our time here is limited which propels us to search for new meaning and seek out a deeper appreciation for living. 

Both talked about the stigma of OLD in our community and the need to dilute that with finding, exercising and sharing a passion, whatever it might be, that keeps you vital and engaged in life.  Jonathan achieves it through his artwork while Ed via his writing and poetry.  

Image by Ector Simpson

Jonathan’s artwork, mainly homo-erotic shows an appreciation for the physicality of the male body.  It strikes a sense of humility, with individual recognition of models through inclusion of their names and signatures. His work feels surprising and spontaneous and not over-produced.  It’s authentic rawness (he described it as a homemade affect) exudes a sense of freshness and confidence. 

Ed’s writings mix satire with human insight.  He muses about things like visiting a doctor at 52 and the doctor saying whatever he is feeling is normal given his age.  He creatively talks about remaining acquainted with our bodies as we age.  In other words, embrace your body and what it has become. He also reads a poem dedicated to his partner of fifty years.  What an achievement for anyone!  It’s both touching and honest.  

In the end, for anyone wondering, there is life post fifty.  It fact, it’s promising and filled with greater confidence and freedom of expression.   Let’s all keep living.

On Thursday, Oct 7, 2010, a panel gathered to honor the accomplishments of The LGBT Center’s National History Archive on its 20th anniversary. The panel included five local archivists and historians who have made significant contributions to preserve LGBT history:

George Chauncey (Moderator): Professor of History, Yale University, author of “Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940” (1994).

David Carter: Author of “Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution” (2004).

Shawnta Smith: Archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, CLAGS committee member, and a co-founder and Director of Sister Outsider, a collective to develop social justice projects in Brooklyn.

Rich Wandel: Founder of The LGBT Center’s National History Archive (1989) at the request of Richard Burns and The Center’s Board of Directors, ongoing volunteer head of the archive, and archivist for the NY Philharmonic.

Maxine Wolfe: Archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives; Professor Emeritus of Environmental Psychology at The CUNY Graduate School where she specialized in women and AIDS, and lesbian and gay issues; a coordinator of Direct Action for ACT-UP, and a co-founder of the Lesbian Avengers.

The evening started with congratulatory comments by Jimmy Van Bramer, City Council Member for District 26 in Queens. He noted that his gay history began at The Center in 1989 when came out there as a young man.

Robert Woodworth, the Director of Meeting and Conference Services for The Center then introduced George Chauncey, the moderator for the evening. During his comments, Robert noted that we have a tendency to romanticize history, but that the archives require dedication so that we can “tell our own story,” which became a theme during the evening.

“Why are you an archivist?”

Shawnta Smith was the first to respond to George Chauncey’s invitation to describe their archivist activities. She introduced the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn and described her recognition of the importance of a gay and lesbian archive. Like The Center Archive, Shawnta noted that the Herstory Archives is a completely volunteer organization.

Maxine Wolfe then continued a description of the Lesbian Herstory Archives and her initial work with Joan Nestle. Nestle told Maxine that the burgeoning Herstory Archives could be “anything you want it to be.” Maxine helped define the role of the Archives, noting that it’s important to “document our own history, rather than accept the narrow view of others. We need an accurate and complete history of ourselves. And we’re the only ones who can do it.”

Rich Wandel outlined his personal history, “After a year of planning, Vito Russo gave my name to Richard Burns, then the Director at the Center, and I started the archive.” He become an archivist at The Center and then went to college to become accredited. In addition to leading the volunteer archive at The Center for 20 years, Rich is now also the archivist for the NY Philharmonic Orchestra.

David Carter began by acknowledging two attendees: Arnie Kantrowitz, an early vice president of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), and Larry Mass, author of the first press reports on the AIDS epidemic and co-founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). David said that in 1975 he read an early book about the history of Gay rights in Europe. This happened at the beginning of Anita Bryant’s homophobic outbursts and “I realized that, like the advances and losses of Gay rights in Europe, our progress was not inevitable.”

“Why is Queer history important?”

In response to George Chauncey’s second question, “Why is Queer history important?”, Maxine Wolfe told several stories of women who have contributed to the Herstory Archives: a nun who did not want the first 50 years of her life to be lost; a young woman who wanted to know what she should call herself: butch (like her grandmother), dyke, or lesbian (like her mother); and a researcher who found a valued obituary with a single phone call to the archives.

Rich Wandel told about the personal value that The Center Archive provides. During the worst of the AIDS years, people called saying that they had materials from a dead partner, brother, or child. “We wanted their photos, diaries, and letters. The Archive proved that their lives, their stories, were worth saving.”

David Carter talked about understanding our history. With an archive, the world can take our history seriously. We can talk about our origin myth (such as Harry Hay and the Mattachine Society). We can record the successes of our movement as LGBT civil rights (with the emphasis on the words “civil rights”). And we can answer basic questions about our identities, including issues in philosophy, religion, and law.

Shawnta Smith talked about how queer history bridges time. “Information is not static, facts are changeable.” She pointed out how an archive can hold those changes in thought. Shawnta also outlined the goals of the Herstory Archives: a volunteer endeavor offering access to everyone; always located in the community to document political struggles in the community; how it can never be divided (and because it’s funded by the community, no governmental agency can ever control our history); and how it is in a home.

Maxine Wolfe continued this train of thought about the Herstory Archives with comments about the different histories that the Archives holds: “Both Communist and anti-Communist, pro-porn and anti-porn.” She said that the Archives offer a way to gauge our progress, to engage in the struggle.

Rich Wandel talked about the incomplete stories told in high school and many colleges that the archives can make whole, and the lies that the archives can repudiate. “When we tie Gay struggles to the struggles of others, it’s hard to tell the difference in our labors.”

George Chauncey talked about meeting John Boswell, the author of several books on gays in early Christian life and pre-modern gay marriages in Christian communities. By using archives and historical accounts, Boswell was able to uncover hidden histories, and to document how Christianity and marriages have changed in the past and will change again. George talked about presenting historical evidence in court cases, in 1992 when Colorado tried to eliminate Gays from political life and more recently in California with the anti-marriage Proposition 8. “Anti-Gay legislation depends on us not knowing our own history.”

“What can we do in the future?”

Shawnta Smith presented a slide show of various materials that the Lesbian Herstory Archives made available to a Black group in Queens recently. Because of the wealth of materials, the Herstory Archives can assemble slide shows depicting the special history for various different groups.

The evening ended with questions and discussion about making LGBT history available, recent gay bashings, donating materials to The Center’s LGBT Archives, and the general lack of history for minorities.

We were reminded again that we must record our own histories, no one else can be trusted to do this for us. Congratulations to The Center’s National History Archive and its 20 years of preserving our stories.

– Howard Williams

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