LGBTQ Community History

Sioux City PRIDE Roots is a project to preserve and share history of the LGBTQ community in Sioux City. The Sioux City Public Museum received funding in February 2019 from Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities to conduct, preserve and share oral histories and provide a public program with historian/author Neil Miller in June 2019.

Museum staff worked an advisory committee to select individuals to be interviewed and questions to be asked. While those who were interviewed were quite diverse in their backgrounds and history, most were 60 years of age or older. Former Sioux City Public Museum Curator of History Grace Linden conducted interviews with eight individuals (you may hear Linden's voice on the edited versions); each interview lasted approximately 45 to 90 minutes and followed a series of questions. 

This project allowed the Museum to focus efforts to collect and preserve LGBTQ oral histories and artifacts. Museum staff believe that it is vital to look to previously underserved communities – we have never focused a project aimed at gathering LGBTQ community stories before. By researching and shining a light on underserved populations, specifically the LGBTQ community, we recognize and hope to share the fact although their stories may have been unknown to the general public previously, these individuals have always been and continue to be important voices in our community history.

Sioux City PRIDE Roots was funded by Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views and opinions expressed by these individuals do not necessarily reflect those of Sioux City Public Museum, Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trigger warning: Some interviews include references to substance abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, the high rates of suicide for LGBTQ people, and and intense language. Listener discretion is advised.  

Interview list:

Douglas Federhart

Karen Mackey

Jeanne Calhoun

Ryan Sommers Dowell Baum (They/Them/Theirs)

Connie Jones

Tim Orwig

Michael Scott

Vicky Whitmore

The interviews in their entirety are available upon request.