Queer History

By Us, For Us

Why We’re Here

The Queer Cultural Preservation Society aims to ensure that LGBTQ+ stories will always be remembered.

We are creating a space where different generations can come together and share in the vastness of Queer experience. Moreover, we want to make that a lasting reality, so that the next generation of Queer people can grow up knowing they’re not alone.

History has a nasty habit of leaving out marginalized communities like ours, and with the possibility of a digital dark age looming, there’s no better time to focus our energy on preserving the life, work, and history of LGBTQ+ people today.

Conservation

Craft

Community

We’ll accomplish all this with a few key ideals: conservation, craft, and community

One of our biggest initiatives at the society is interviewing members of the local community, including fellow society members, and turning those interviews into handbound books. (Yes, real paper books!)

It may seem kinda old school, but we believe it’s deeply important for us to create physical records of our history. Thanks to social media, we live in an age of neverending content, but that overwhelming excess of information can make it hard to sift through for the good stuff, let alone actually preserve any of it. Of course, all of our content will be accessible online, as well, but the physical copies will be open to society members at our library.

Although the library is a big part of our work at the society, we also know it takes more than words alone to keep culture alive. From zines to memes and fashion to folk punk, Queer history has often been preserved through more unorthodox forms of expression, and we want to honor that, too.

In addition to our conservation efforts, we also work with local Queer artisans to host workshops in crafts like leatherwork, chainmail, and bookbinding. This way, no matter what form you use to express yourself, we’ll always have something for you.

The QCPS library is more than just a collection of books and resources, however, it’s also a gathering place where Queer folks of all ages can turn to whenever they need a friend. A place where you can gather, create, and commune, like a medieval guild hall or a masonic lodge—only way gayer.

This all started with the idea of wanting to put together collections of stories from older LGBTQ+ people to help young people understand that they are not alone, no matter how wild their own lives are. Ultimately, _________.

Becoming a member is easy:

be queer, be brave enough to come inside, and learn the handshake.

Here’s what you’ll be able to do:

  • on things like storytelling or zine making

  • -Hear audio and video interviews from local elders

  • -Look through old books, magazines, and newspapers related to our community

  • -Utilize our shared artist’s workshop, which specializes in bookmaking and leather working.

“I don't want to lose so many stories like we lost during the AIDS crisis.”

— Q.C.P.S. Founder