1 25 1 https://archives.rainbowhistory.org/files/original/bb6846b655a62ba5c2f2228f232863c0.pdf eb66126b17c59a534b7a54a63f396f36 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rainbow History Project Oral History Collection Description An account of the resource Eye-witness accounts of what we’ve seen and experienced provide a valuable resource to researchers and future generations to understand our past and how we arrived where we are today. Each interview in this collection has a narrator telling the story and a documenter guiding the process. Collected since the founding of the RHP, this collection is growing and is open to researchers. All interviews have been digitized and are described in the catalog; only some of them have transcripts available. None of the interviews stream online. To obtain access to an interview, you must request by contacting us directly, providing a brief description of your project and your research interests. Our email address is: info AT rainbowhistory DOT org One of our team will share the file from our Google Drive, and you can listen from home. Please be sure to have "Music Player for Google Drive" enabled on your machine to play the recording. www.driveplayer.com Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. To see all interviews in the collection, click on "Items in the Rainbow History Project Oral History Collection" link below. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Rainbow History Project Various narrators per oral history Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview. Delaney Resweber Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed. Jay Fisette Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound. Available Original Format If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio, mp3 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 1:18:40 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History with Jay Fisette Description An account of the resource Would you like to listen to this audio? Please email <a href="mailto:oralhistories@rainbowhistory.org">oralhistories@rainbowhistory.org</a> to request access Abstract A summary of the resource. Jay Fisette discusses his path to political office and his experience as the first openly gay politician in Virginia. Jay first came to Washington D.C. after graduate school for a job with the federal government. While Jay mostly focuses on his political career, he also talks about gay life in Arlington and Northern Virginia. He got involved with the Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance in the 1980s. In the 1980s Jay began volunteering at the Whitman-Wlaker Clinic and would later become the director of the Northern Virginia clinic. Jay ran for the Arlington County Board in 1993 where he ran a close but unsuccessful campaign. In 1997 he ran again and became the first openly gay elected official in Virginia. Jay discusses how he ran his campaigns, including postcards and flyers that were distributed. Jay’s political career focused on environmental sustainability and economic development. Jay helped introduce the Capital Bikeshare program to Arlington; many of the facets of this program would later be adopted by Washington D.C. Jay decided not to run for Arlington County Board in 2017 and instead started a consulting firm with Roger Berliner called DMV Strategic Advisors. This consulting firm provided services to the private sector, nonprofits, and local governments in the region. In December 2025, Jay Fisette retired from DMV Strategic Advisors. ----- Jay was also interviewed by <a href="https://library.arlingtonva.us/2021/06/10/oral-history-arlingtons-first-openly-lgbtq-elected-official/">Arlington County Public Library </a> The library also has a collection of his <a href="https://libraryarchives.arlingtonva.us/Detail/collections/14557?_ga=2.134653938.2066443931.1779711011-894047673.1779711011&_gl=1*1m92k17*_ga*ODk0MDQ3NjczLjE3Nzk3MTEwMTE.*_ga_Z2ECWWH16V*czE3Nzk3MTEwMTEkbzEkZzEkdDE3Nzk3MTEwNjMkajgkbDAkaDA.">personal papers.</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 4/25/2026 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This oral history belongs to the Rainbow History Project 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Academic organizations Activism Alexandria VA Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance (AGLA) Arlington VA Bars and clubs Capital Bikeshare Catholic Clear Channel Council of Governments County board Democrats Dillon's Rule Discrimination Equality NoVa Equality Virginia Fairfax VA Friends Gay rights Healthcare HIV/AIDS Land Use Local government Lost and Found Medical facilities Politics Rascals Religious facilities Tracks Unitarian Church Urban development Virginians for Justice Vote No campaign Washington Blade Washington D.C. Whitman-Walker Clinic