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.
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.
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.
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.
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Denver Gay Revolt
October 23, 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the Gay Revolt at Denver City Council, which was a monumental moment in Denver's LGBTQ+ history. In honor of this anniversary, The Center and Denver Film hosted a special film screening and discussion panel at Sie FilmCenter.
Over 100 community members came out to watch a documentary that chronicles the build up and aftermath of the demonstration and testimonials at Denver City Council from over 300 queer community members who took part in the revolt.
After the film, Councilmember Robin Kneich and DPS teacher Phil Wade discussed their experiences as being the first out people in their respective professional environments. Phil Wade was present at the revolt at city council, and explored how things have changed in the 50 years since. Robin Kneich talked about how the increased visibility and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people has allowed younger generations to come out and begin living as their truest selves sooner in their lives than we've seen in previous decades.
Thank you so much to everyone who attended this special event! See more photos from the event on our Flickr page.
