by Meredith Morningstar

I’m Meredith Morningstar. I’m originally from Dallas, Texas.  My sister, in her eloquent way, diagnosed me with a broken picker. That means that I couldn’t pick...

by Dennis Paddie

Hello. My name is Dennis Paddie. I was born in a little hamlet in Arkansas called Sardis. I came to Austin in 1965 to train for the Peace Corps. And in the course of living here o...

by Harold Cottman

1980s: Black Gay Man On Coming Out In The South: “While I Did Come Out, I Didn’t Really Feel Free.” So, you know, for me, the last thing that I wanted to be was a gay man b...

by Leona Thomas

1980s: Being Openly Gay In College “Wasn’t Without Some Level Of Risk Every Day.” When I was growing up in high school, I had no idea that I was LGBTQ or potentially LGBTQ....

by Michael Hickerson

First Shunned By Neighbors, Then The Bars: Being Black In New Orleans In The 1960s and 1970s. Well, I was born to Sadie and Charlie Hickerson. We lived in an area of New Orleans ...

by Nancy Menusan

1969: Trans Woman Reflects On Exploring Her Gender As A Child. “I Knew Inside Who I Really Was.” In 1969, I was 12 years old. I was living in Douglaston, Queens. And I had �...

by Egyptt Labeija

1980s: Seeing Trans Women For The First Time: “I Felt Welcomed.” I grew up in a town in Long Island called Freeport. And I grew up basically in a middle-class home. My parentsLate 1980s: Overcoming Homelessness, Joblessness And Abuse: “There’s Always a Way Out Of A Bad Situation If You Want A Way Out.” In the late eighties, when I finally left myLate 1990s: From Walking Balls To Mentoring Youth: “It Taught Me That You Have To Step Outside The Box.” In the late nineties is when I went to my first ball. It was interesti2010s: Giving Back To The Community. “I Am Here Today To Let People Know That They Are Somebody.” So in 2015 is when I was asked to be in the House of LaBeija. It was intense ...

by Stanley Alper

1947: Meeting Other Gays in High School: “It Was Something I Wanted To Be A Part Of.” My life actually started in early September of 1947. That was when I started my first da1948: Father Sends Gay Son To Two Psychologists. At the age of 16, which would been in 1948, my father suggested that I see a psychologist. There’s actually a pediatrician whos1963: A Five-Decade Love Story Begins With A Kiss At A Gay Bar. I had a very close lesbian friend. We first met in 1956 and we became immediate friends. It was May 4th of 1963. A2017: After Moving To LGBTQ-Friendly Senior Housing, “I Felt That I Was Starting A New Life.” After being with my partner Pedro for 49 years, 5 months and 2 days, he passed aEvolution Of Language Over Decades: “I Can Now Accept The Word ‘Queer’ And Be A Part Of It.” In my early years, people used to use the word queer. And it was always used ...

by Michael Dain

1960s: A Trip To The Met Was “The First Time I Remember Any Attraction For Men.” I first became aware of being attracted to men when growing up in the mid-sixties, when I was1970s: Melba Moore Performing At Bathhouse Changes Gay Teen’s Life. Okay, so in the early seventies when I was around 15 and attending Bronx High School of Science, still feeliComing Out To Parents In 1975: “You’re Our Son. We Love You. Be Home By Midnight.” Okay, so around in 1975, just a little before I turned 18, I was talking with my brother.1981: After Protest At Harvard, “I Was Out For All The World To See.” After high school, I took some time off because at the time I didn’t think I wanted to go to college. 1985: “Heartbreak Is A Natural Part of Relationships.” Here I am in Boston in 1985. After taking a hiatus from Divinity School, I had resumed taking classes again and I met mFear Surrounding AIDS In The 80s: “I Might Have Already Been Infected. I Didn’t Know.” I started hearing about AIDS or as it was called in the press at that point, Gay Rela...