Oral history interviews are vital for understanding LGBTQ+ history in the South. Such interviews can help fill in the gaps left by inadequate archival documents. Nashville Queer History volunteers regularly conduct oral history interviews with individuals. If you would like to share your story, visit the Your Story page on our website.
Currently, NQH’s interviews are not available to the public. They will be available following the publication of the book, Y’All Come Out Now Y’Hear: An Introduction to Nashville’s LGBTQ History.
In the meantime, please explore the oral history interviews featured below from other institutions. These interviews feature individvuals who spent some time in Middle Tennessee and discuss their LGBTQ experiences here. These interviews are listed alphabetically by last name.
Oral Histories from Other Institutions
- Abbott, Franklin. Interviewed by Kate Kunath for the Outwords Archive. Click here to listen to Abbott’s interview.
- Brown, Charlie. Interviewed by Adam Albrite for Georgia State University. Click here to listen to Charlie Brown’s interview.
- Haze, Gabby and Soami de Lux. Interviewed each other for StoryCorps. Click here to listen to the Haze and de Lux interview.
- Potter, K.C. Interviewed by Kate Kunath for the Outwords Archive. Click here to listen to Potter’s interview.
- Sachet, Donna. Interviewed by Mason Funk for the Outwords Archive. Click here to listen to Sachet’s interview.
The Brooks Fund History Project
Starting in 2009, the Brooks Fund History Project provided resources to record multiple interviews chronicling the lives of gay, transgender and bisexual residents who reflected on life in Middle Tennessee before 1970. Portions of these interviews culminated in the documentary featured below, A Secret Only God Knows.