The Oral History Collection
We have already lost too many community memories to illness and death. The oral history collection keeps us from losing more by preserving individuals' memories on tape. Often these are memories that aren't represented in archival collections.What is Oral History? Everyone has an oral history. No one is insignificant. When you record your memories of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered life in metropolitan Washington DC, you are a narrator of our history. Narrators come form all ethnic, religious, sexual, political, economic, racial, social, and other backgrounds. And everyone has a story to tell. When all the stories are collected together, we have a portrait of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered life in our area.
What do I do? All you have to do is talk. In any language or style.
Our volunteers help you get started and help keep you on track. Most tapings last between 30 and 60 minutes. We might have to change the batteries or the tape, but you decide how long you want to talk.
Talk about coming out, about events you have attended, about organizations you joined or supported, about people you've known and clubs you went to, about how you met people, how you were treated at work, at home, in public ... You control the content of your story and the memories you add to the The Rainbow History Project collection. We hope you will choose to share your memories with us, you contemporaries and future generations. Let them all know what it was like to be you.
Who can hear what I say? Your story joins all the other stories in the collection. We index it, copy it (so it doesn't get lost), and look after it. People can come and listen to the tapes. Each narrator fills out a release form which gives The Rainbow History Project title and copyright on your oral history. But you choose whether your name is used, or an alias, or no name at all. On the release form you can say what restrictions you want to put on use of the oral history tape. We respect your conditions on sharing your stories.
Share your story with your community. Get in touch with us to schedule a time and place to narrate your oral history.
Contact us at: info@rainbowhistory.org
Tapes already in the collection are listed on the narrators page. Also avaiable are tapes of our topical discusssions which include panelists discussing aspects of community history.
Help Collect Oral Histories in Our Community
GLBTQ Oral History Collections