A queer history researcher will highlight the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the First State during a talk next week.
Carolanne Deal is an associate registrar at the Brandywine Museum of Art and an independent scholar who led the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs' LGBTQ history in Delaware research project. On October 15, she will present some of her recent research on the queer history of the First State.
“So starting with the 1890s, going into the early 1900s, how Delaware's history overlaps with queer history, and I go all the way up until the 1980s," she says.
Because her research goes into the 1980s, Deal was able to talk to living figures who were a part of the history she is researching.
“I did about 30 oral history interviews with different queer people in the state," Deal says. "So gathering their lived experiences and using that data as part of what I'm presenting.”
Among the topics Deal will discuss are the perceptions of queer people, the movement for queer civil rights, key figures in the state’s history, and lesser-known stories that came from her research.
“I really hope that my presentation shows people that queer people have always been around," she says. "We have always been here. We have always been a part of history. And in fact, we've contributed very positively to Delaware's history.”
Deal will present her talk, “Queering Delaware History” on Wednesday, October 15 at the Delaware History Museum in Wilmington. The event is free, but registration is required.
