Jun 21, 2025 By Brad Hundt 3 min read

For generations, homosexual relationships were largely classified as “the love that dare not speak its name.”

At the same time, the experiences of gay and lesbian individuals were stories that went largely untold as a result of the taboos that surrounded sexual orientations and practices that fell outside the boundaries of heterosexuality.

Over the last several decades, though, the LGBTQIA+ community has gained wider acceptance and protection under the law. Now, in an effort to record the stories of LGBTQIA+ people in or near Washington County, the Washington County Gay Straight Alliance (WCGSA) has launched an oral history project that has them talking freely about their lives, whether it’s coming out, overcoming addiction or finding self-acceptance.

The oral history project is being assembled as part of a collaboration with faculty, staff and students at Washington & Jefferson College.

“Queer folks have always relied on stories, because they were denied any kind of representation because (homosexuality) was illegal,” according to Stevie Berberick, an associate professor of communication arts at W&J.

In its announcement of the project, the WCGSA said that it also hoped the interviews, which last about an hour each, would provide “a mirror of hope for LGBTQIA+ individuals who may seek validation and understanding through the narratives of others.”

So far, the stories of 12 people are part of the archive, and it has interview transcripts, podcast interviews and items submitted by those who contributed, such as art and photographs. It was unveiled in October at W&J’s Clark Family Library, and the interviews can be heard online at https://wcgsa.org/ohp-homepage/. The podcasts, which were created by W&J students, can also be found on Apple Podcasts, Amazon and Spotify.

Jaden Raerhys, a program facilitator for WCGSA and a participant in the project, called it “priceless.”

“Sometimes our story only needs to be heard by one person for the world to change,” he said.

In his interview, Patrick Arena, a Washington resident, recalls coming to terms with being a gay man when he was growing up, and living in New York City in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. In his interview, he said about 200 friends and acquaintances died of AIDS.

Arena said he decided to participate for “a wide variety of reasons.”

“I felt that it was an opportunity to express some of my personal story for posterity,” he explained. Arena added that the stories of LGBTQIA+ individuals are “often not heard” within schools, churches and the community at large.

“These slights may go on for lifetimes,” he said. “This is often our own fault too. We succumb to fear and isolation. Therefore, our own story becomes something that we have reasons to have shame about. By telling our stories and by having them available on these large platforms we are able not only to have that self validation, but to also share and inspire and even help others who may identify with certain aspects of our story.”

Berberick, who uses the pronoun they, said the oral histories would show that members of the LGBTQIA+ community “aren’t dangerous. They’re not criminals, they’re not perverts. They’re everyday people.”

They added, “We’re here and we’re not going anywhere. There’s a great joy in embracing who you are.”

Anyone interested in being interviewed for the oral history project can contact Berberick at sberberick@washjeff.edu or Raerhys at jraerhys@wcgsa.org.