One of the most important aspects of the Milwaukee LGBT History Project is conducting interviews with key individuals in the community. While most of the people the Project initially concentrated on were prominent figures (that is, people who were "movers and shakers" in making major strides forward in our freedoms and in developing the LGBT "community"), the Project wants to be more active in encouraging and facilitating everyday individuals recounting their own personal memories as well.

Unfortunately, volunteers to conduct and transcribe interviews have been in short supply, so this effort has lapsed after a good effort the first 2 years. We continue to seek volunteers willing to conduct brief interviews or even collect statements from individuals on an ongoing basis. Another proposed approach is to conduct group sessions where groups of people can recall the history of a particular group, business, etc.-- we believe that in group settings people can build on each others' stories, triggering and capturing nearly forgotten recollections from others.

While oral history taking has basically ceased, the Project has continued to create new Biographical panels, based on available information. Efforts have been focused on varying topics; for example, several panels were created in 2007 after some notable deaths, and in 2011 for transgender emphasis.

Following are are some of the individuals who have had Biographical panels created for display by the Project, and often re-displayed at the annual PrideFest History display:

Miriam Ben-Shalom (panel created 2011)
Tom Boll (panel created 2007)
Terry Boughner (panel created 2007)
Donna Burkett (panel created 2011)
Susan Cook (interviewed early 2003)
Loree Cook-Daniels (panel created 2011)
Manonia Evans (panel created 2011)
Shirley Fitzpatrick (interviewed early 2003)
Ron Geiman (interviewed early 2003)
michael munson (panel created 2011)
Eldon Murray (panel created 2007)
Si Smits (interviewed early 2003)
Karen Snider (interviewed early 2003)

The original audio recordings as well as any transcipts of all interviews conducted by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project, Inc. are available in the LGBT Collections at the UWM Library- Archives Department, which is designated the permanent repository for preserving archives and memorabilia collected for and by the Project.

Credits: concept and format by Don Schwamb.
Last updated: June-2012.