This collection features oral history interviews with LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Same-Gender Loving) community members, leaders, and activists in the greater Cleveland area. Interviews explore the history of Cleveland’s LGBTQ+ communities, groups, organizations, places, and spaces both past and present. Interviews in this collection were conducted by Riley Habyl, a graduate student at Cleveland State University Department of History, beginning in the summer of 2023. Topics include discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, activism, civil and human rights, HIV/AIDS, Lesbian Feminism, Cleveland’s Ball (Ballroom) scene, and more.

Cleveland Voices

View the LGBTQ+ Cleveland collection on Cleveland Voices, the official home of the Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection. Cleveland Voices includes improved support for mobile devices, social media sharing, and printing, as well as interactive transcripts, user guides, and more.