Oral History with Patrick Crowley

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Born in 1954 and moving from Chicago to DC after college, Patrick Crowley describes his life in DC in four ten year increments. Though initially excited to live out and proud, he reflects on his first ten years in DC as a time where he remained in the closet and struggled with alcoholism. Beginning the next ten year increment, Mr. Crowley briefly describes a series of revelations that led him to change course in his life and find community through DC’s gay AA network. Becoming known for finding speakers and putting together events, he identifies his third ten year phase as renovating the Congressional Cemetery in Capitol Hill. He describes his leadership on the board of the Cemetery and how he connected with the “Gay Ghetto” of gay men buried in the cemetery, including Leonard Matlovich and Frank Kameny. After finishing his time as Chair of the Cemetery’s board due to term limits, he briefly describes his fourth ten years as a time of career development and notes his involvement with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.

This oral history interview belongs to the Rainbow History Project

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1 audio file available, (59:13), 109.6 MB