January, 2015 Volume 10 Number 1 NEWSLETTER FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE TRETTER COLLECTION LegacyLegacy GrantGrant TeamTeam MakesMakes GreatGreat Progress!Progress! Inside this issue...... -- Cover Story - (read about it on Page 6) -- In Memory of Harvey Hertz -- HIV/AIDS Healthcare Providers Oral Histories -- Ken Moses e-Clipping Collection Helps Researchers -- Transforming Ourselves: 2015 Upper Midwest Queer People of Color & Indigenous Conference -- Preserving & Protecting to Prevent Bi Erasure -- Major Grant Funds Transgender Oral History Project You Can Help! The Tretter Collection relies on the support FROM THE CHAIR of organizations and individuals, like you! Please consider making a charitable donation to the Tretter Collection using the By Anne Hodson, Chair hours of oral history that will be enclosed self-addressed envelope as part of Greetings everyone, and preserved. your giving plan. Your support will help to preserve GLBT history now and for future welcome to the latest edition Archiving LGBT history is generations. of the Tretter Letter. It’s a really a growing field, even the Thank you. exciting time for us here at the Smithsonian has begun to collect Tretter Collection. We had a LGBT objects for display, yet the great time at Pride in the History Tretter Collection continues to be NEWSLETTER FOR THE FRIENDS OF Pavilion again this past year, with one of the largest collections in THE TRETTER COLLECTION many people coming through to the country. https://www.lib.umn.edu/scrbm/tretter Advisory Committee visit and see the exhibit. We’re Long time readers may have Community Representatives already looking forward to next noticed that lately there is more Anne Hodson, Chair year. Eric Colleary Trans* content in the newsletter, James Garlough The cataloging project is going which is intentional as we Jay Hansen well, with over half of the project diversify the collection and Martha Hardy Frankie Jader goal complete (see become more inclusive Jean-Nickolaus Tretter, Founder center spread article). of Trans* identities. Stewart Van Cleve We are also expanding Stef Wilenchek We are proud to University Library Representatives receive a grant to our Bi, Pan, Fluid, and Kris Kiesling hire an Oral Historian Omni materials. Kathy McGill Lisa Vecoli, Curator who will conduct The Tretter Board Sodlis Emeriti, Ex-Officio interviews and welcomed three new Jim Bones research for our members this year, Shamey Cramer Jesse Field Transgender Oral Stef Wilenchek, Frankie Greg Gronseth History Project. The Jader, and Martha Ralph Hanson project will include Hardy. Be sure to read Christoph Heydemann Angela Nichols oral histories, an the article in this issue, Anne Phibbs online exhibit, and Anne Hodson, Chair “Preserving BTQLG Adam Robbins building relationships History and Preventing Linnea Stenson Phil Willkie between the Trans* and Gender Bi Erasure” by Martha and her Newsletter Editor/Production Queer communities of the wife Sarah Weaver. George Hamm Upper Midwest and the Tretter The University of Minnesota is an equal As I write this, we have learned of opportunity educator and employer.This Collection. There has been the passing of long time pioneer publication can be made available in little work done in the past to and activist Leslie Feinberg. alternative formats for people with disabilities. document the often hidden lives Direct requests or address corrections to Lisa Leslie was an author of several Vecoli, Special Collections, Andersen Library of Trans* and Gender Queer seminal books on gender and Room 111, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-624- people and with this grant we culture, “Stone Butch Blues,” 7526, ([email protected]). can begin to explore in greater “Transgender Warriors,” “Trans The University’s mission, carried out on detail the lives of this rich and multiple campuses and throughout the state, is Liberation,” and “Drag King threefold: research and discovery, teaching and diverse community. This is a Dreams.” The Tretter Collection learning, and public service. three year-long project and has a skateboard that signed by © 2015 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. will be a collection of great Leslie in the archive. significance with up to 400 2 Tretter Letter January, 2015 Thanks to the generous support of our donors...... We gratefully acknowledge the • Ken Moses - Stillwater, MN From the following individuals for their support • Colin de la Motte-Sherman - Germany and give thanks to countless others • Len Olds & Hugh Rouse - CA field.... whose generous spirits have made our work possible. • ONE Archives - CA • Quatrefoil Library - Minneapolis, MN • Earl Austin - Duluth, MN • Raymond Rea - Moorhead, MN • Sanford Berman - Minneapolis, MN • Julie Redpath - Chisago City, MN What’s happening in national & • David Bjork & Jeff Bengtson international circles..... - Minneapolis, MN • Robert Reed - Minneapolis, MN • Timothy M Bonham - Minneapolis, MN • Estate of Ankha Shamin - Minneapolis,MN The HIV/AIDS Healthcare • John Burnside - Minneapolis, MN • Laurie R Simon - Maplewood, MN Providers Oral History Project • Calliope Women’s Chorus • Marlene Somers - MN - Minneapolis, MN By Barb Sommer, Emil Angelica and Peter Carr • Lyn Crosby - West St Paul, MN • TC Pride - Twin Cities, MN • Andrew Eddy - FL • Jean Tretter - St Paul, MN (In memory of Harvey Hertz) On August 14, 2014, the HIV/AIDS • David J Edy & Jason Lue - CA • Jean Tretter - St Paul, MN (In memory of Healthcare Providers Oral History • GLBT Historical Society - CA the parents of Michael Welch) Project team, Emil Angelica, Peter • Bob Jansen - Superior, WI • Lisa Vecoli - Minneapolis, MN Carr, and Barb Sommer, delivered the • Maria Kochaver - CA first ten project interviews to the Jean- • Robert Werner - Rochester, MN • Peter Koeleman - Minneapolis, MN Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, • Beth Zemsky - Minneapolis, MN Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender • LGBT Therapists Network • Li Zhu - Minneapolis, MN Studies. The purpose of this grant - Minneapolis, MN supported project1 was to begin • June Mazer Archives - CA to document Minnesota’s response • Dr John W McConnell - Minneapolis, MN to HIV/AIDS from first identification • Michael McConnell & Jack Baker of the disease in the state through - Minneapolis, MN ongoing focus on prevention and • Tom McNaron - Minneapolis, MN care. • Richard E Madigan - St Paul, MN Through project interviews, the team (In memory of Paul Richard) began to document how Minnesota healthcare providers, broadly defined, responded to HIV/AIDS during the first decades of the epidemic. Project information includes: early identification of the disease; responses to HIV/AIDS by members of the Twin Cities medical community and leaders of community-based organizations; changes/transitions in responses; interactions – competing and complementing responses; disease trends and impact on responses; and lessons learned. Voices of our interviewees illustrate these points: [describing hearing about HIV/AIDS] “…things hadn’t even been described yet … but you could hear a certain drumbeat that this [HIV/AIDS] was ready to explode and was going to be From the Field, Continued on Page 12 Tretter Letter January, 2015 3 Transgender Oral History Project Grant! (The following is a slightly edited version done so much in so many diverse volunteers with the Tretter of our press release on the project.) areas to spread enlightenment Collection, said she’s thrilled to be Tawani Foundation has generously and education,” said COL (IL) contributing her story. awarded a major multi-year grant Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Ret.), “My story, and all of the others, to the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Founder, Pritzker Military Museum will add to the diversity of voices Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Library. “I particularly wish to and experiences for people and Transgender Studies at the use this as an opportunity to salute in the future,” Atchison said. University of Minnesota Libraries and honor fellow veteran Jean- “Volunteering in the archive gave for the purpose of documenting Nickolaus Tretter, Founder of the me the opportunity to learn and the historic and contemporary Tretter Collection at the University, take courage from those who experience of transgender for his scholarship and most of came before and now I can pass individuals in the Upper Midwest. all for his years of valuable and that gift on.” distinguished service in the United This will be done through the States Navy.” The project is hiring now and collection of up to 400 hours of expects to begin gathering oral oral histories involving 200 to 300 Other project goals include: histories in early 2015. Anyone individuals over the next three • Increasing awareness and use interested the Transgender Oral years. A major effort will be the of the archives in the Tretter History Project or the Tretter recruitment of individuals of all Collection Collection in GLBT Studies is ages and experiences for the oral • Adding to the holdings of the encouraged to contact Lisa Vecoli histories. Tretter Collection through the oral at [email protected]. You may also This project will support the Upper histories and the addition of other follow the project on our Facebook Midwest transgender community materials, such as journals and page: Transgender Oral History and empower individuals to photographs Project – Tretter Collection UMN. tell their story, while providing • Documenting the role of the The Transgender Oral History students, historians, and the public Program in Human Sexuality