New Initiative Seeks to Preserve Alabama LGBTQ Histories
Many people in the South’s LGBTQ community often think their histories don’t matter. This is especially prevalent in Alabama where a recorded history of this community doesn’t exist. But historian Josh Burford is trying to change that. He’s one of the founding members of the Invisible Histories Project Alabama. The new initiative is aimed at finding, recording and preserving what Burford calls the “always vanishing” stories of LGBTQ Alabamians.
On what he means by “always vanishing” histories
Well, the queer community has lost so much history since the mid 1980s. The AIDS epidemic wiped out one entire generation of community leaders, and their histories were oftentimes intentionally destroyed. We can’t even conceptualize the things that we’ve lost because we don’t really know at this point what we have.
On what he’s learned about the history of Alabama
Even a person like myself who teaches queer history all the time was wrong. There’s this mythology about the South that either queer people don’t exist here because by why would we; because of small “c” conservatives and religion. As if somehow queer people are not religious and conservative. That we were always behind. There’s this enduring myth that the South was 20 years behind like New York and Chicago. That our history is if it exists at all is very young. And so for a historian you know like 80s and forward and all of that is untrue.
On what has been the most difficult obstacle to overcome as far as finding that history in Alabama
People generally don’t imagine that their history is important because we can’t conceptualize history as the history of sort of like large faces. So, like [Martin Luther King Jr.] is not the whole civil rights movement. Like there’s millions of people involved, but we want to celebrity one person. And the queer community doesn’t really have that. And so it’s individual people toiling away oftentimes in isolation or in very small groups making what for them are small gains but for the community is a large gain. So, convincing someone who’s 70 or 80 that their life– existing, living and thriving– is important to the history is difficult. People don’t believe it. They’re like, ‘well that’s not important.’
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
Breaking down Alabama’s CHOOSE Act
It’s been a year since Alabama legislators passed the CHOOSE Act allowing families to apply for state funds to use towards homeschool expenses and tuition for participating private schools. The Alabama Daily News’ education reporter Trisha Powell Crain has been diving into how the funds are being used. WBHM’s Andrew Gelderman sat down with her to talk about what we’re seeing so far.
Huntsville is growing fast. Here’s how it’s stayed affordable
Home prices are rising in Huntsville, but so far, the city’s avoided the skyrocketing costs in other boom towns.
What are your unique holiday traditions? NPR wants to know
The holiday season is full of traditions and we all celebrate them a bit differently. NPR wants to your most unique holiday traditions. What makes celebrating this time of year feel special for you?
