reapingwithjoy:

tarastarr1:

thecoggs:

So apparently last year the National Park Service in the US dropped an over 1200 page study of LGBTQ American History as part of their Who We Are program which includes studies on African-American history, Latino history, and Indigenous history. 

Like. This is awesome. But also it feels very surreal that maybe one of the most comprehensive examinations of LGBTQ history in America (it covers sports! art! race! historical sites! health! cities!) was just casually done by the parks service. 

This is really great??

• Chapter 1: Prologue: Why LGBTQ Historic Sites Matter by Mark Meinke
• Chapter 2: Introduction to the LGBTQ Heritage Initiative Theme Study by Megan E. Springate
• Chapter 3: Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History in the United States by Leisa Meyer and Helis Sikk

• Chapter 4: The History of Queer History: One Hundred Years of the Search for Shared Heritage by Gerard Koskovich
• Chapter 5: The Preservation of LGBTQ Heritage by Gail Dubrow
• Chapter 6: LGBTQ Archeological Context by Megan E. Springate

• Chapter 7: A Note about Intersectionality by Megan E. Springate
• Chapter 8: Making Bisexuals Visible by Loraine Hutchins
• Chapter 9: Sexual and Gender Diversity in Native America and the Pacific Islands by Will Roscoe
• Chapter 10: Transgender History in the US and the Places that Matter by Susan Stryker
• Chapter 11: Breathing Fire: Remembering Asian Pacific American Activism in Queer History by Amy Sueyoshi
• Chapter 12: Latina/o Gender and Sexuality by Deena J. González and Ellie D. Hernandez
• Chapter 13: “Where We Could Be Ourselves”: African American LGBTQ Historic Places and Why They Matter by Jeffrey A. Harris

• Chapter 14: LGBTQ Spaces and Places by Jen Jack Gieseking
• Chapter 15: Making Community: The Places and Spaces of LGBTQ Collective Identity Formation by Christina B. Hanhardt
• Chapter 16: LGBTQ Business and Commerce by David K. Johnson
• Chapter 17: Sex, Love, and Relationships by Tracy Baim
• Chapter 18: LGBTQ Civil Rights in America by Megan E. Springate
• Chapter 19: Historical Landmarks and Landscapes of LGBTQ Law by Marc Stein
• Chapter 20: LGBTQ Military Service by Steve Estes
• Chapter 21: Struggles in Body and Spirit: Religion and LGBTQ People in US History by Drew Bourn
• Chapter 22: LGBTQ and Health by Katie Batza
• Chapter 23: LGBTQ Art and Artists by Tara Burk
• Chapter 24: LGBTQ Sport and Leisure by Katherine Schweighofer

• Chapter 25: San Francisco: Placing LGBTQ Histories in the City by the Bay by Donna J. Graves and Shayne E. Watson
• Chapter 26: Preservation of LGBTQ Historic & Cultural Sites – A New York City Perspective by Jay Shockley
• Chapter 27: Locating Miami’s Queer History by Julio Capó, Jr.
• Chapter 28: Queerest Little City in the World: LGBTQ Reno by John Jeffrey Auer IV
• Chapter 29: Chicago: Queer Histories at the Crossroads of America by Jessica Herczeg-Konecny

• Chapter 30: Nominating LGBTQ Places to the National Register of Historic Places and as National Historic Landmarks: An Introduction by Megan E. Springate and Caridad de la Vega
• Chapter 31: Interpreting LGBTQ Historic Sites by Susan Ferentinos
• Chapter 32: Teaching LGBTQ History and Heritage by Leila J. Rupp

I would like to add that this isn’t odd.

The Park Service is more than just Yellowstone and the Everglades, the National Park Service has custody over hundreds, if not thousands of historic sites, houses, and battlefields. It’s part of their mission to interpret US history and make it available to its citizens. They have completed studies for African American history, Native American history, women’s history, and more.

It’s sad that people let this aspect of the Park Service fall through the cracks.