In early June, the University Archives email account received an invitation to share the history of the LGBTQIA+ community with the staff of the US Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield.

Steve Dillman, the Special Populations Program Coordinator at the Medical Center, felt the staff could benefit from learning more about the contents of the archives after reading about the Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives (OLGA) in the Springfield News-Leader and reviewing the collections on the Libraries’ website. Mr. Dillman made all the arrangements for the June 27th presentation, including background checks and sharing specific instructions regarding a visit to the Center’s campus.

Archivist Tracie Gieselman France shared the history of the LGBTQIA+ community with a presentation featuring images and documents from several OLGA related collections, including Dr. Holly Baggett’s Research Collection. The staff learned more about the community from the World War II era to the present day, with a focus on the developing community and organizations. The presentation also highlighted several impactful events, such as the area’s reactions to Southwest Missouri State University’s production of The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer, the repeal of the Bias Crime Ordinance in 1994, and the repeal of the nondiscrimination ordinance in 2015. Additionally, the staff learned about the OLGA Oral Histories Project and how the collections are used by students and researchers.

Special Collections and Archives were honored to be a part of the special programming at the Medical Center and look forward to the possibility of sharing other collections with the staff in the future. The staff and warden at the Medical Center are very welcoming!