The Pride Center Oral History Project By Cynthia Bott, PC Board President
When the Pride Center began planning the celebration of our 50th anniversary COVID had not even been imagined. As the realities of the pandemic settled in and restrictions began to be imposed, we had to alter plans, and like many nonprofits, figure out ways to continue providing services to the community on a reduced budget. Thankfully, we were able to forge ahead with plans for an oral history project because of the capacity to conduct the interviews virtually. Working with Ashley Hopkins-Benton, Senior Historian and Curator for Social History with the NY State Museum, interviews began earlier this year. Potential interviewees were identified by contacts of the center and through a review of the Pride Center Archives in the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, housed at SUNY Albany. Those who had been interviewed were also instrumental in identifying other potential candidates. As you might imagine, finding members of our community who were instrumental in the center’s founding and the early years proved to be a challenge. Some of those important people are still with us, but others have died, and some simply could not be located. Ashley continues this important work that will become part of the permanent collection of the NY State Museum. In addition, the interviews were used to create a documentary previewed at our 50th Jubilee. Filmmaker John Romeo donated his time and skill to craft a 30-minute documentary highlighting different themes that emerged and our center’s history. Both John and Ashley served with grace, considering the restrictions of our budget and the complete disregard of deadlines. I was 11 years old when the Pride Center was founded. Watching the documentary and listening to the interviews reminded me that much of the freedom I enjoy today is because I am able to stand on the shoulders of those who were willing to put reputation and safety at risk to grow and nurture our community. All of us owe a debt to those who came before, and all of us have an 4
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obligation to lift up those who come after us. Special thanks to David Kahn, board member and Executive Director of the Adirondack Museum, who facilitated Ashley’s introduction and kept pushing for the project. Additional thanks to Ashley and John, who have treated this project with respect and care. Finally, heartfelt thanks to those who sat for an interview and shared your experiences, preserving a vital part of history for the LGBTQ movement and the Pride Center. Those individuals are: Nancy Burton Richard Conti Gloria DeSole Judy Disco Scott Edward Judith Fetterley Candace Groudine Sheila Healy Scott Levine Paul Leyden Joanne Mattera Maggie Morrison Ken Mortensen Frieda Munchon Gary Pavlic Libby Post Ken Screven Stephanie Slominski Keith St. John Cindy Swadba Vince Quackenbush Dr. Ray Werking Gwen Wright THANK YOU!
