Our Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories of Northeastern Wisconsin Digital Collection Launches

After years of preparation, the UW-Green Bay Archives unveiled Our Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories of Northeastern Wisconsin Wednesday night. This digital collection, curated by students and volunteer staff with the Archives over the course of four years since 2020, makes LGBTQ+ history in Northeast Wisconsin come alive through an interactive database with more than 40 interviews with local individuals who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. Deb Anderson, Coordinator of the Archives, said during the presentation that storytelling is something that “takes us back into the past, and allows us to discover history through personal experiences.”

Many members of the university and Green Bay communities were in attendance, including staff members of the Pride Center and library staff. Anderson spoke about the collection and what all went into producing the collection. They wanted to collect and tell the stories of the LGBTQ+ community in the region to highlight their experiences and struggles. Our Voices is available to browse on the Archive’s Digital Collections website, complete with audio recordings and transcripts of interviews. The Archives are continuing to gather interviews and materials for this ever-growing collection.

The unveiling was followed by a presentation of Pride Wisconsin, a collaboration between the Archives and PBS Wisconsin. An exhibit, Telling Our Stories: LGBTQ+ Voices of Northeastern Wisconsin, curated by the UW-Green Bay Archives and the Neville Public Museum will open at the museum in downtown Green Bay on February 10.