Oral history interview with Louise E. Gant

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In her interview, Louise Gant discusses her experience as a black bisexual woman in Washington DC, considering herself one of the few politically vocal activists in the black LGBTQ+ community at the time. Being first exposed to the community through the Sapphire Sapphos, Gant went on to be involved in the DC Coaltion of Black Lesbians and Gays. Later in life, Gant joined the Mautner Project, a health service for LGBTQ+ with cancer. Part of her inspiration to join the Mautner Project stemmed from her desire to add her own diverse voice to a predominantly white-led organization in order to further visibility of and within the black queer community. Notably, as such an active leader in the community, Gant discusses how such a role can become burdensome, especially during the AIDS epedimic which saw many losses within the black gay male community. While asserting she still plans to keep an active role in the community, Gant ends the interview with a discussion on creating spaces for the older generation of black LGBTQ+ people.

80s-00s

Native Washingtonian, African-American lesbian experience, Sisterfire, DC Coalition

Yes, transcription available

Yes, recording available