By Wendy Korwin

This LGBTQ+ History Month, we’re delighted to share that the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has selected to support the Gay Ohio History Initiative (GOHI) through its Recordings at Risk program! 

This grant will enable the Ohio History Connection to digitize and preserve fragile U-matic, VHS and audio tapes that document decades of LGBTQ+ life in Ohio. Many of these recordings are currently unusable due to outdated formats and deterioration.  

Soon, we’ll be able to offer access to historical audio and video collections from Stonewall Columbus, the Berwick Ball, the Shepherd Initiative and more. From public access television and underground drag performances to faith-based conferences, these recordings offer a vibrant, complex view of Ohio’s past. This grant helps to ensure they won’t be lost to time or technology. 

We’re kicking off the project in October, a perfect time to celebrate Ohio’s LGBTQ+ stories. Stay tuned for updates! We can’t wait to share more sights and sounds from Ohio’s past.

In 1983, William F. Anderson became the first person in Columbus, Ohio to die from complications of AIDS. Propelled by Anderson's wish to share information about AIDS, Steve Shellabarger organized with friends and doctors to educate the local community. The William F. Anderson AIDS Foundation raised funds to create a television program that aired on public access channel 3 in June of 1983, only two months after Anderson's death.

The foundation shared its wishes in a letter to "friends":

"We hope to greatly increase the awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk reduction of AIDS to prevent the type of epidemics already present in New York and San Francisco. We will maintain a continually updated list of local physicians who are knowledgeable about AIDS. We are committed to humane, caring support for those with AIDS. Please join us in this effort."

A VHS copy of the Anderson Foundation's program will be digitized with the funds received from CLIR.

Discover more stories  through our LGBTQ+ History Research Guide.