Monday, August 11, 2008
Tami Albin said she was tired of hearing stereotypes about Kansas, especially regarding the lives of gay and lesbian people. Some people showed Albin, KU undergraduate instruction and outreach librarian, pity once they learned she lived in Kansas.
“They made comments, just derogatory comments that had no bases,” Albin said. “Kansas, full of tumbleweed a wasteland, nothing was happening here. There wasn’t any kind of progressive politics happening in the entire state.”
In response, Albin started an oral history project, “Under the Rainbow,” in the past year to challenge stereotypes about gay and lesbian people living in Kansas. She interviews gay, lesbian, bisexual, intersex and queer people, or GLBTIQ, in Kansas to find out how they feel about living in the state. She received several research grants, including a two-year fund from the KU Center for Research.
“I think this project will create a better understanding,” Albin said. “Progress can be gained through understanding stories of people living in Kansas.”
About 72,500 gay, lesbian and bisexual people lived in Kansas as of 2005, according to the Williams Institute at University of California-Los Angeles School of Law.
Albin talked to more than 20 people, including Gilbert Baker from Wichita, who created the Rainbow Flag in 1978. Albin said more than 90 people across the state had contacted her and wanted to share their stories. She plans to travel to western Kansas this summer to conduct more interviews.
“The goal is to keep on going and do as many as I can in my spare time,” she said. “If people want to talk to me, I should listen.”
Albin plans to open a database on the KU ScholarWorks in September. Her oral and visual interviews will be available to any researcher who is interested in GLBTIQ issues in Kansas.
Holly Mercer, interim coordinator for scholar services, said the database was an innovative use of the KU ScholarWorks.
“That’s a really nice component not to just read someone’s story but to be able to hear them talk about their stories themselves,” Mercer said.
Milton Wendland, graduate teaching assistant of women’s studies, contributed research material to the database along with his students. Wendland taught the course “Gay and Lesbian Cultures in the United States” last spring. His students worked on research projects related to GLBT people in Kansas.
He said the research topics varied from domestic violence in same-sex relationships to the Gay Games to how fraternities and sororities at some Kansas schools had dealt with homophobia.
“Not all LGBT history happens in New York, L.A. and San Francisco,” Wendland said. “This database, I hope, is going to be like a gold mine for scholars who are interested in starting to look beyond the coast.”
Matthew Blankers, Claremont, Calif. junior, conducted research about violence against queer people in Kansas and created a bibliography that would help researchers to learn about the issue.
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how difficult it is to find a lot of information about various queer people in Kansas,” Blankers said.
Albin said she hoped the project would help researchers and also people who thought they might be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer.
“When you are realizing that you might be gay or lesbian or any of these categories, it’s a really hard and lonely process,” Albin said. “Having access to material that other people have gone through same things is very, very helpful.”
— — Edited by Deepa Sampat
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Comments
Researcher interviews GLBT people in Kansas
Hello and thank you for the opportunity to comment, although this is more of an inquiry. I have just moved to Lawrence and am already loving the experience. I am a gay man who has be somewhat closeted most of my life, especially to my family. I am very knowledgable about the gay issue from the perspective of science, philosophy and religion and would love to be of service in some way. I am a DJ/KJ by trade and have had the opportunity to meet and talk to many GLBT'S (old and young) in what is commonly known as "straight" bars and clubs and am aware of the fear and loneliness that many endure due to religious and socialogical prejudices and intolorance. I have put much time into investigating the reasoning (or lack of it) behind these prejudices and intolorances and believe that I can show evidence based on science, religion and biology to refute the cause behind this injustice and help those who were once afraid, loose their fears and stand proud and confident. I have seen and heard of too many suicides and killings to remain passive on this subject. If you are aware of any specific organization with which I could be involved, please inform me. I would also be willing to be interviewed as per the article above. Thank you in advance for your responce to this inquiry. I look forward to speeking face to face at some future time. Sincerely, Jeremy Jackson
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