BREAKING BARRIERS
Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains
WE ARE CREATING A RECORD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS about your experiences growing up in and/or living as an LGBTQ person in the Northern Plains. You were a hidden minority, viewed negatively by the culture and many religious groups. Nonetheless, you were part of the “pioneer generation,” who blazed new paths, broke new ground, wrote new rules, and provided new role models.
“We both agree there is value for people knowing how others in the Midwest grew up gay or discovered that aspect whenever they did in their lives, survived, and carried on with their lives through discussion of personal examples might lead someone else to the knowledge and to acknowledge there are “those amongst us” so they become informed and for others they might not feel so isolated.”
— Mary Eagelson and Cindi Psychos
“I was so glad to hear about the Oral History Project and know that the struggles and challenges that the GLBT community in general and my wife and I in particular had faced through the years would not be forgotten. Acceptance and equal justice were remote ideas back in 1975 when Diane and I fell in love.”
“Much has changed in the last 45 years. We never dared dream we would one day have a child or be able to legally wed. The pain of having our baby boy denied baptism in the Methodist church back in 1998 forced us to find our voice and begin to speak out for change. We have never looked back. Onward we continue, telling our story so people will never forget.”
— Valerie Nelson
