51ÉçÇø

Oral History Interviews

UNO’s Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives began collecting oral history interviews from community members in 2016. Oral histories are an important primary source, especially so when analog or digital records documenting people and events do not survive for study and use. Over 50 community members recorded their voices and shared their stories between 2016 and 2020. Many of these recordings are available online from .

The archives will consider future donations of interviews collected by community members only when consent forms are included as part of the donation. Community members are invited to volunteer to be interviewed in the future or nominate someone to be interviewed. This project is only possible with support from community members like you. Contact archivists at unoasc@unomaha.edu or 402.554.6046 to learn more or discuss a potential donation of your interviews.

Supporters are invited to make a to support this LGBTQIA+ initiative to collect, preserve, and share 51ÉçÇø and greater Nebraska's LGBTQIA+ history.

Chronology of LGBTQ+ Voices: The Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives Oral History Project

2020: Grants and private donations funding the collection of new oral history interviews came to an end during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

2019: An award matching the Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment grant was received from the Eugene S. and Sunny M. Thomas Endowed Fund for Innovation.

September 2018: The Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives received a grant from Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. LGBTQ+ Voices: The Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives Oral History Project included a free oral history workshop (November 17, 2018) for the public. The grant was matched with gifts to the Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives from private individuals and organizations.

2018: An award matching the HN grant was received from the Eugene S. and Sunny M. Thomas Endowed Fund for Innovation to record and share more oral history interviews.

June 2018: Oral history interviews were available online. Visit the to listen to, browse, or search interviews.

September 2017: The Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives announced a $2,000 grant funded by Humanities Nebraska (HN) and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. LGBTQ+ Voices: The Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives Oral History Project included a free oral history workshop (October 2017) for the public and the collection of 20 oral history interviews. The grant was matched with gifts to the Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives from private individuals and organizations. Since 2017, all oral history interviews have been recorded by Luke Wegener.

Fall 2016: During the fall 2016 semester, Dr. Jay Irwin's Sociology 3700: Introduction to LGBT Studies students conducted oral history interviews with community members as part of their coursework. These interviews were intentionally collected for the archives and were transferred to the archives at the end of the semester. Dr. Irwin also conducted oral history interviews with Emeritus Dean Shelton Hendricks and Emeritus Professor Meredith Bacon in 2016 for the archives.

July 2016: The Queer 51ÉçÇø Archives was officially launched in UNO's Criss Library.