Bella Rodriguez (she/her pronouns) ‘23
LGBTQ+ Oral History Project Experience
The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, assigned as part of “WEST 3090” Peep Show: Sexuality through Popular Culture,” was a great experience. Not only was it a wonderful opportunity to speak with someone who was a part of the LGBTQ+ Colorado Springs community, but it was also fun to work with a fellow classmate. As we all know, it has been hard to meet classmates during these last years from COVID. Luckily, in WEST 3090 we were assigned a group to work together on this project. I worked with a classmate named Brianna and working with her on the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project was a dream. Brianna and I communicated effectively on this project, and I gained a new friend along the way.
At first, the LGBTQ+ Oral History Project felt daunting, yet also exciting. We had the chance to talk to someone about their community and culture. Although Brianna and I prepared for the interview, the questions and transitions escaped my mind as soon as I started talking! It felt nerve-wracking to ask a stranger about their personal life. Luckily, though, our narrator was willing to answer all of our questions without hesitation. I enjoyed learning about what she has been through, how she is raising her kids, earning her PhD, and making a career—all influenced by her past. It made a lasting impression to hear from her perspective about the Colorado Springs community and how she engaged in the LGBTQ+ community when she was younger, too.
At the end of our semester, my class and I presented our interviews to each other and reflected on what we learned. This was my favorite part of the assignment: being able to hear about my classmates’ experiences and learn from the interviews they conducted. For example, one group ended up not reaching the assigned narrator but was able to invite one of their friends to participate. From my perspective, that group gained an even deeper, personal experience while hearing their narrator’s story. It was so cool because she even joined our final presentations class when we listened to the short clips from each interview. Being able to hear the different interviewees’ voices brought the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project to life.
Although we all worked on the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project and were given the same instructions, everyone’s narrators offered different perspectives of intersectionality and inclusiveness. Overall, this project was a great learning experience from me and my other classmates. I truly enjoyed this class and I hope this project is implemented in future WEST classes. I hope you listen to some of the stories yourself, which are available on Spotify and the Colorado College Charles L. Tutt Library.