Our Own Voices
the sounds of queer community and activism


The Friends Radio tape collection at Rainbow History covers nine years (1973 to 1982) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer activism and community building in Washington, DC and around the nation. The Friends collection includes poetry, music, interviews, candidate interviews, social and political commentary and analysis and accounts of the creation of community services and organizations.

Rainbow History received a collection of more than 300 1/4inch acetate tape reels of varying diameters from Bruce Pennington, a founder of the Stonewall Nation Media Collective, which produced and broadcast the show at WGTB and WPFW. Rainbow History raises funds to pay for preserving, digitizing and sharing the recordings. Stay tuned, there is more to come.

The following recordings are copyright of Rainbow History.

Poetry

ERNIE ACOSTA

recorded live on Friends Radio 1974

Bedrock: Definition of Love

Novus

Can This Be Love?

JOE BRAINARD (1942 - 1994) brief biography and artistic details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Brainard

I Remember live on Friends Radio, 1973

PERRY BRASS for biographical details and publications see http://www.perrybrass.com

In Loving You read by David Aiken, Valentines Day 1975

ED COX (1946 - 1992) biographical detail from Richard McCann at http://washingtonart.com/beltway/cox.html

from Friends Radio poetry show 1974

Sun

Rain

Remember

What Do I Know

Merry In November

EMILIO CUBEIRO poet, musician, filmmaker

interviewed by David Aiken circa 1974

Kiss My Ass

The Revolution Ain't Over

Forgot How to Write

TIM DLUGOS see the brief biograph at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Dlugos. Dlugos' papers are held in the special collections at New York University.

recorded live in Georgetown and on Friends Radio 1974

Mallarme

The Eyes of Our Hearts

Knowing It

So Far

Too Far

JIM EVERHARD (1946 - 1986) see Terence Winch's recollections of the DC Poetry scene at http://www.dcpoetry.com/history/winch

This Day read by Bruce Pennington, Valentines Day 1975

LEE LALLY see http://douglangsdcpoetryblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/lee-lally.html for biographical background and also http://www.dcpoetry.com/history/lally for comments by her husband Michael Lally

recorded live at Mount Vernon College 1974

Thanks to the Felicians

Electric Gadfly Eye

West 12th St and Eighth Avenue

recorded live for Friends Radio December 1974

Some of the Parts Equal the Whole

Collective Living

Apology for Wet Kisses

Now and Then

AUDRE LORDE (1934 - 1992) see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audre_Lorde for a brief biography

recorded live at Harambee House during the Third World Conference October 1979

Harriett, a poem for my sisters

Between Ourselves a declaration for a black writers conference

Meat to Eat a love poem

RON MORGAN

recorded live at Harambee House during the Third World Conference October 1979

That's What They All Say

DICK MUNN

recorded live on Friends Radio 1974

Atlanta Sonnet

I Scold Your Smile

PAT PARKER (1944 - 1989) see biographical details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Parker

The National Womens Studies Association sponsors an annual Pat Parker Poetry Award.

Gays Shouldn't Be Blatant live at the June 1978 DC Gay Pride Festival

IAN YOUNG

Gay Canadian poet and editor of The Gay Muse an early 1970s anthology of queer poetry

Creating the Gay Muse

Poetry in the gay community

Angel

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