How has your life been different than you imagined? Have things changed for the LGBTQ community over the last fifty years? How do you hope life will be different for the LGBTQ community fifty years from now? What advice would you give your teenage self? What are you most proud of? How do you want to be remembered?
StoryCorps OutLoud launched in 2014 on the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Dedicated to documenting and sharing stories from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people from across the United States, OutLoud is an extension of our longstanding commitment to preserving LGBTQ stories in a time of profound change in social attitudes about sexuality and gender identity in our country.
To honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, in 2019, StoryCorps asked people across the country to pick up their mobile devices and use the StoryCorps App to record the stories of people within the LGBTQ community who were born before the Stonewall Riots. Each of these interviews become a permanent part of American history at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
The anniversary might be over, but the importance of the work continues. Help us preserve the stories of LGBTQ elders before they are lost to history. Anyone can participate!
Make plans to interview an elder and/or another member of the LGBTQ community. We have resources for individuals and organizations below, along with a signup for our OutLoud email list.
There is a way for everyone to participate in OutLoud. You may be moved to record a story with an LGBTQ elder in your life, invite friends over to listen to and record stories together, or host an event at a local senior center.
We hope these resources help support you in your recording. If you have any additional questions about recording or the work that we do, you can always reach us through our Help Center.
Toolkit content produced by Blueshift Education.
Featured Stories from OutLoud
2019 Stonewall OutLoud National Partners
2019 Stonewall OutLoud Wall of Pride
Champions of Stonewall OutLoud who have committed to participating in the project.
A Place for Us
American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living
American Library Association, Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services
Baptist Church of the Covenant
Brooklyn Public Library
Campaign for Southern Equality
Centenary United Methodist Church
Center on Halsted
Compass LGBTQ Community Center
ENBY Spoken Histories
Family Equality Council
Florida Trans Proud
Harvey Milk Center for the Arts
Invisible Histories Project
IU LGBTQ+ Culture Center
LGBT Aging Project
Metropolitan Community Churches
Plexus LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
Rainbow Elder Care of Greater Dayton
The Dallas Way
Woodlawn United Methodist Church