History of Gender Commons^™

The Queer Life Of Lorena Hickok, Samantha D. Leyerle

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis explores the life of Lorena Hickok, a remarkable woman whose story has been glossed over throughout history. Hickok was an accomplished journalist and writer, and her life offers a fascinating glimpse into being queer in the early twentieth century. While much has been written about Hickok’s relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt, this thesis aims to go beyond their connection to examine Hickok’s entire life and experiences in greater detail. Through analyzing her work as a writer, as well as her personal correspondence and unpublished autobiography, this thesis illuminates the quiet details of defining moments in history, including the Great …

A Forgotten ‘Riot’: Discovering The Black Cat Tavern Raid’S Place In Queer History, Katelyn "Katie" Nash

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

The Black Cat Tavern Raid of 1967 has long been relegated to the footnotes of history, and, when it is remembered, it is portrayed as a riot similar to the one that occurred at the Stonewall Inn two years later. Using archival and contemporary sources, this article explores the events surrounding the raid and subsequent protest and places them within the greater context of the 1960s. In addition, I contextualize and analyze the legacy of these events, explore their often overlooked contributions to queer history, and conclude that, while they are often overshadowed by Stonewall, they still deserve to be …

Queer History In The Streets: A Walking Tour Of Portland, Maine, Megan Macgregor

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The University of Southern Maine’s Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer + Collection preserves the history of LGBTQ+ communities in Maine. The collection contains books, personal papers, photographs, and newspapers documenting the LGBTQ+ activism from 1970s to 1990s.

While three research publications have some out of the collection (one article and two thesis), no overall history about Maine’s LGBTQ+ community has been written. As a result many Mainer’s, queer and straight, know very little of the history. The instruction and outreach librarian and the staff of USM’s Special Collections wanted an opportunity to …

Gay Side Story Original Poster, Audacity Theater

Gay Side Story

Poster for original production of GAY SIDE STORY as presented in conjunction with Symposium X at the University of Southern Maine, 1983.

Gay Side Story Playbill, Gay Side Story Collection

Gay Side Story

1983 Playbill for Gay Side Story with forward by John Frank

WRITTEN BY

Avis

Diane Elze

Rico Estabrook

John Frank

Dale McCormick

Tony Norton

Cheryl Ring

Chris Thurston

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO

Leonard Bernstein

Arthur Lawrence

Stephen Sondheim

Phil Spector

Gay Side Story Scrapbook, Gay Side Story Collection

Gay Side Story

Scrapbook containing photographs and ephemera from original 1983 production of Gay Side Story.

The full playbill can be seen here.

Gay Side Story Original Script, Diane Elze

Gay Side Story

Original script for Gay Side Story

WRITTEN BY

Avis

Diane Elze

Rico Estabrook

John Frank

Dale McCormick

Tony Norton

Cheryl Ring

Chris Thurston