Voices of LGBT History in Rochester, New York

FAIN: PW-253737-17

University of Rochester (Rochester, NY 14627-0001)
Jessica Lacher-Feldman (Project Director: July 2016 to June 2019)

Collaborative planning for the preservation and digitization of the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley’s collection of oral histories, radio programs, photographs, videotapes, newsletters, and corporate papers, as well as a pilot project to digitize 174 audio and video oral history interviews recorded for the Shoulders to Stand On documentary and 33 audio recordings of the Gay Liberation Front’s “Green Thursday” radio program.

The University of Rochester River Campus Libraries and the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley plan a joint pilot using a subset of a cultural heritage historical collection related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement in Rochester, NY. Beginning with the "Shoulders To Stand On" oral histories and "Green Thursday" radio program, collaborators will conduct and evaluate pilot activities, such as transcribing, closed-captioning, and creating metadata for the material. The partnership offers a wealth of documentation on the Gay Movement's history, along with the technical/curatorial infrastructure to preserve and disseminate previously hidden archives. A strategic plan for the sustainable preservation and access of this rich collection in its entirety will result from the pilot, contributing to an inclusive history of the struggle for civil rights with hitherto undisclosed LGBT materials that will interest scholars, students, and the public.