Finding the LGBTQ+ Past in Present Places
OLLI Note: “Finding the LGBTQ+ Past in Present Places” has been postponed and will return in our winter term. Registration Monday, Oct. 12.
The history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is an integral part of American history, yet the LGBTQ+ past often remains largely invisible. Paradoxically, queer and trans history surrounds us in our daily lives: Often without realizing it, we brush up against its traces in sites that bear silent witness to the experiences of our LGBTQ+ ancestors — experiences of suffering and pleasure, injustices and struggles, love and loss, solitude and solidarity, setbacks and victories.
Focusing on Bay Area sites, this course offers an introduction to finding, documenting and interpreting LGBTQ+ historic places — and to making those places visible and socially meaningful. Members will investigate how built and natural environments embody stories of the LGBTQ+ past; will learn about the movement to preserve such places; will become familiar with formal and informal landmarking; and will collaborate on exercises in LGBTQ+ historic place-making.
Faculty Bio
Gerard Koskovich is a San Francisco–based public historian, curator and book dealer who has published and presented internationally on LGBTQ+ history, archives and cultural heritage. A founding member of the GLBT Historical Society, he has served as a consultant on LGBTQ+ historic sites and cultural heritage for the U.S. National Park Service and the San Francisco Planning Department.
Faculty Q&A
- Read a recent interview with Gerard Koskovich about his upcoming course.