The Washington County Gay Straight Alliance, Inc. (WCGSA), in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students from Washington and Jefferson College (W&J), will be holding a public launch of their LGBTQIA+ oral histories project archive (OHP) on October 12, 2024, from 2:00 to 5 pm in the Clark Family Library at W&J. The archive is comprised of stories from LGBTQIA+ narrators from or around Washington County, Pennsylvania.
The mission of the Washington County GSA Oral Histories Project is to build a comprehensive and publicly accessible archive that preserves the diverse oral histories of LGBTQIA+ individuals residing in or around Washington County, Pennsylvania. Recognizing the importance of representation, the OHP aspires to provide a mirror of hope for LGBTQIA+ individuals who may seek validation and understanding through the narratives of others.
“This project is priceless,” Jaden Raerhys, program facilitator for WCGSA, said. “Sometimes our story only needs to be heard by one person for the world to change.”
The archive features verbatim interview transcriptions, podcast episodes for each interview, and documents submitted by interviewees, such as photographs and art. The archive template was designed by W&J students for a senior practicum project and will be hosted on the WCGSA’s website and through W&J’s digital repository. The podcasts, created by W&J students, will also be available on all major streaming platforms.
“This project is remarkable not only because it preserves LGBTQIA+ stories at a time when we are seeing mass anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation on a national and global level but also because it came together through the labor of so many volunteers who were dedicated to making sure this archive happened,” Stevie Berberick, associate professor of Communication Arts at W&J, said.
The Oral History Project was founded in 2022 and is dedicated to documenting, preserving, and curating stories of the LGBTQIA+ experience in Washington County. Originally envisioned by the board of directors of the Washington County Gay-Straight Alliance, the OHP is staffed exclusively by volunteers and funded by private donations.
Check out the project here.
