About the Project
The Colorado LGBTQ History Project was established to collect and preserve oral histories from those who lived it, archive these histories and make them available to the public, and actively educate the community on LGBTQ history.
If you have questions about this project or would like to get involved, please contact David Duffield at history@lgbtqcolorado.org.
Oral Histories
Oral histories are digital recordings of the lives and stories of LGBTQ Coloradans. Listen to them in our collection at the link below. This project has been funded by The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Telling the Full History Preservation Fund, with Support from National Endowment for the Humanities.
Terry Mangan Memorial Library
The Terry Mangan Memorial Library is home to more than 2,000 volumes of LGBTQ+ texts, making it the largest lending library of its kind in the state. From leisure-reading fiction to LGBTQ+ history and everything in between, the library houses a diverse collection of books, magazines, journals, and other materials.
"The Gay Revolt at Denver City Council" - Now Available
Before The Center was founded, a group of activists gathered to fight harassment of gay men by the Denver Police Department. Their activism culminated in a protest at Denver City Council fifty years ago that became known as the Denver Gay Revolt. It became the first time in U.S. history that a city council changed an anti-LGBTQ law because of the activism of queer citizens. Some compare this seminal event to Stonewall in New York City. Gerald Gerash, a founder of The Center, led the Revolt. To mark this important moment in history in 1973, Gerash produced this documentary titled “The Gay Revolt at Denver City Council.” The full documentary is now available on YouTube.
Lavender Hill: Then and Now
Where there are people, there have always been queer people.
Lavender Hill is Denver’s queer cultural district.
With the formation of the Lavender Hill Queer Cultural District, activists once again are embracing the color lavender to celebrate our queer heritage. Many contemporary queer community resources, such as The Center on Colfax, find a home within the newly formed district. Cheesman Park and other historic sites in the local neighborhoods continue to be important to Denver’s contemporary queer communities. This exhibit represents a few important locations that are part of Lavender Hill Queer Cultural District and help tell the story of Denver’s rich queer history, from its early days through today.
Colorado LGBTQ History Project Services
- Oral History: The Colorado LGBTQ History Project (The Project) conducts ongoing collection of oral histories from members of the community. We have over 100 oral histories of LGBTQ+ Coloradans available in our Omeka catalog. We provide trainings and facilitate collaborations and collection of oral histories.
- Document Archiving: The Project has worked out a process to create inventories of collections owned by organizations and individual collectors. We have donated 30 collections through this method to the Denver Public Library and other institutions. Through bi-weekly remote meetings and monthly in-person inventory archives, the Documents Committee works to train, consult, and connect with donors with archives around Colorado. If you are interested in joining the Documents Committee, please contact David Duffield.
- Education: The Project has pioneered tours, exhibits, and lesson plans for LGBTQ history. We collaborate with teachers on trainings in August and May for professional development. If you are interested in learning more about the work or creating LGBTQ history lesson plans, come volunteer with us!
- Networking: The Project works with organizations around the city to create and demonstrate LGBTQ history centered projects and presentations. Recent projects include partnerships with tours in Capitol Hill, dozens of presentations on DEI and history, and inter-institutional partnerships with cultural organizations around the world. Contact us for information on how we can help your organization develop deeper cultural connections with the LGBTQ community.
To inquire about joining any of our LGBTQ History Project work groups or for more information about the project, please contact David Duffield at history@lgbtqcolorado.org.
Oral History
Oral histories are digital recordings of the lives and stories of LGBTQ Coloradans. Listen to them in our collection at the link below. This project has been funded by The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Telling the Full History Preservation Fund, with Support from National Endowment for the Humanities.
Congratulations to the winners of "The Words We Teach" Art Contest!
The winning pieces of the Words We Teach art contest are up at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD). A big thanks to all our contributors, especially to Dr. Stephanie Kang for organizing, jurying, and teaching these collections. We are so proud of you all! The exhibit will be up at RMCAD through June 2024.
