The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project
The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer plus (LGBTQ+) history and activism in Colorado Springs is mostly invisible to mainstream queer history. The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project was established in 2020 by Dr. Rushaan Kumar, Associate Professor of Feminist and Gender Studies at Colorado College with Dr. Tre Wentling, Associate Professor of Women’s and Ethnic Studies at UCCS, as a key contributor.
The Project emphasizes four goals in studying life, resistance, and resilience.
- Document the rich LGBTQ+ history of Colorado Springs by collecting stories of long-term LGBTQ+ residents, focusing on black, indigenous, and people of color voices.
- Incorporate high-impact education practices, which positions undergraduate students as co-producers of The Project.
- Preserve and make accessible a digital repository for The Project.
- Celebrate The Project in ways that bring together members of CC and UCCS and the broader Colorado Springs community.
We have collected 59 oral history recordings, which are accessible via multiple platforms: the Tutt Library Digital Archive, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Dr. Tre Wentling has directed 58 UCCS students in their role as co-producers of Seasons Three, Five, and Seven of The Project, totaling 26 of the 59 oral history recordings. Wentling has received support from the following sources: Faculty Revitalization Grant, CU President’s Fund for the Humanities Grant, and Inclusive Culture & Belonging Impact Fund.
Mx. Larry Eames, Digital Curation and Scholarship Librarian and Assistant Professor of the UCCS Kraemer Family Library, created the Second Digital Curation Exhibit, featuring seven narrators from Season Three recorded by UCCS students.
The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project harnesses the power of oral histories in preserving LGBTQ+ subcultures, memories, and lived experiences while simultaneously observing practices of joy, resilience, and community building among queer and transgender-identified people in Colorado Springs.
Project coordinators can be contacted at rkumar@coloradocollege.edu and twentlin@uccs.edu and through our Instagram @cos.lgbtq.oralhistoryproject
Seasons
