RI LGBTQ+ Community Archive at PPL is a community archives initiative to collect and provide access to the current and past stories of LGBTQ+ people in Rhode Island.
Interview with Ally P. Sha by Adam Harrington. Julian Vargas is a female to male trans person who performs as as drag queen named Ally P. Sha. He identifies as queer. Topics in order of discussion include: childhood awareness of being trans and queer and growing up in a traditional Catholic; Portuguese family; coming out at age 25 as trans; physical changes resulting from hormone treatment; gender stereotypes within the trans and drag communities; experiences of harassment while in and out of drag; developing a drag persona and professional experiences as a performer. This interview was created as part of the Queer Stories Project - an oral history project developed by Dr. Virginia Thomas to train LGBTQIA young adults to conduct oral history interviews with LGBTQIA adults in Rhode Island. Queer Stories Project was funded by Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
Photograph of a woman named Judy driving a pickup truck pulling a float for the Pride Parade. In this photo, Judy is looking out the rolled down window and making a face at the camera. There is another woman in the passenger seat. They are both wearing sunglasses. There are pink and purple balloons attached to the truck. The red crepe paper on the front of the float is slightly visible. There is a sign that reads "1989" on the windshield.
Photograph of women dancing inside the Kings & Queens. Judy (left) and Heather (rght) Pollack are in the foreground of the image with their arms around one another and posing for the camera. Unidentified patrons are in the background dancing.
Undergraduate thesis by Joe Saperstein about LGBTQ+ oral histories from Rhode Island. Topics of discussion within thesis include coming out, gay bars, homophobia, AIDS, gay bookshops, the gay community, police brutality, lesbians, drag queens, divorce, Rhode Island cities and towns, Providence neighborhoods and redevelopment.
Photograph of Johnny Riendeau inside the Kings & Queens smiling and looking towards the camera with one arm raised. He is wearing a knit white sweater with his hair pulled back. Behind Riendeau, a handmade sign on the wall reads "New Year's Night." This photo is from a folder called "Some of our family who died of AIDS."
Photograph of Johnny Riendeau inside the Kings & Queens looking at the camera with one eyebrow raised. He is wearing a fluffy white jacket and a white shirt. Behind him, a halloween decoration is hanging on the wall. This photo is from a folder called "Some of our family who died of AIDS."
Photograph of Johnny Riendeau inside of the Kings & Queens wearing a blue sequined top. Riendeau is looking at the camera. Behind him, there are handwritten posters on the wall. This photo is from a folder called "Some of our family who died of AIDS."
Photograph of Johnnie dressed as the musician, Prince, for Halloween. He is standing next to the bar inside the Kings & Queens with his left elbow resting on it. There are Halloween decorations and a hand made sign that is advertising for an upcoming event.
This thesis documents how LGBTQ+ people in Rhode Island from 1960 to 1980 created and sustained spaces of community in the face of repression. Drawing on twelve oral history interviews with LGBTQ+ elders alongside archival research, it explores gathering places ranging from bars and clubs to churches, cruising grounds, and informal networks of connection. Using the framework of “queer constellations,” the project emphasizes the fluid, shifting, and often hidden ways queer people claimed space in both public and private settings. By centering lived experiences often absent from the historical record, it highlights resilience, creativity, and the importance of oral history in preserving LGBTQ+ memory. Together, the thesis and interviews enrich our understanding of queer life in smaller cities and towns beyond the well-documented histories of large urban centers.
Interview with Joe Elliot by Joe Saperstein. Topics of discussion include coming out, the Hudson Valley, gay bars, community newspapers, cruising, Providence neighborhoods, Providence redevelopment, city transformation, property ownership, homophobia, AIDS, Pride parades, travel, travel guides, and homeownership.
Photograph of Joannie Brier standing inside a living room. She has her hands behind her back. Her body is slightly turned towards the right side of the image and her head is turned towards the camera. Behind her, a couch, and three paintings of flowers in a vase are present.
Interview with Joann Ayuso by Pauline Wakudumo. Joann is a queer Afro Boricua; social justice activist; licensed physical therapy assistant and founded Movement Education Outdoors - an organization that provides outdoor experiences to urban youth. Topics in order of discussion include: moving to Providence in 2006 from Boston and impact of the economic recession; volunteering with Black and Pink and PRYSM; coming out at age 27; gay social spaces including beaches and nightclubs; ancestry and heritage; career transition to work with youth in the outdoors after a significant accident; serving in the Army Reserve. This interview was created as part of the Queering Oral History course - an oral history course at Brown University in Spring 2020 and taught by Dr. Virginia Thomas. Students were trained in oral history practices and interviewed members of the Rhode Island LGBTQIA community.
Photograph of Kings & Queens patrons, Joan Pacifici and unidentified man, seated inside of the Kings & Queens at a table. Both are smiling and looking at the camera. Joan is seated on the right side of the image with her head turned towards the camera and the man is seated at the end of the table looking directly at the camera.
Interview with Jenn Steinfeld. Jenn is an activist and was the founder and first director of the RI Campaign for Marriage Equality and is currently the Director of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development for the National League of Cities. She/they identifies as a queer Jew, dyke, non-binary, organizer, strategist, gardener, knitter and cat steward. Topics in order of discussion include: growing up in Pittsburgh and coming out, youth volunteerism in a teenage hotline and early activism for HIV / AIDS with ACT UP, moving to Rhode Island to attend Brown University, involvement in AIDS Project RI and Youth Pride and their Street Health Initative, involvement in civil rights policy advocacy to add gender identity added to the civil rights law in Rhode Island, transition to working for a national organization, bearing witness to trauma that LGBTQ people experience, activism at the State House for marriage equality, strategies for community organizing, impact of COVID-19 on policy advocacy and racial advocacy, balancing activism with personal life for sustainability. This interview was created as part of the Queer Stories Project - an oral history project developed by Dr. Virginia Thomas to train LGBTQIA young adults to conduct oral history interviews with LGBTQIA adults in Rhode Island. Management of the project was transferred to PPL in 2021. Queer Stories Project was funded by Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
Photograph of two women, Jen and Diane, with their arms around each other inside the Kings & Queens. They are both holding a drink. The woman on the left side of the image is smoking a cigarette and is wearing a bolo tie.
Interview with Kira Stone by Jane Freiman. Kira Stone is a drag persona performed by Jeff Gaudor since 2010. Gaudor identifies as a white; gay man. Topics in order of discussion include: growing up in Attleboro (Mass.) including a support network including his mother; a gay family friend and a gay teacher; participating in drag pageants and wining Miss Gay Massachusetts USofA and Miss Gay Rhode Island USofA; living in Los Angeles; issues of substance abuse; her drag family and the drag community in Rhode Island; changes in LGBTQ identity over time. This interview was created as part of the Queering Oral History course - an oral history course at Brown University in Spring 2020 and taught by Dr. Virginia Thomas. Students were trained in oral history practices and interviewed members of the Rhode Island LGBTQIA community.
Headshot of performer, Jeannette Sylvester, also known as Gina Gee. Jeannette is on the right of the image smiling and looking at the camera. She has her arms around a handmade horsehead on the left side of the image. The horsehead is decorated with buttons and mosaics.
Photograph of Royal Court Softball team member, Jeanne Malo, outside wearing sunglasses. She is looking at the camera smiling with her mouth open. Her right hand is held up as she makes the peace sign with her index and middle finger.
Photograph of Kings & Queens bar patrons, Jeanette Doyan and Charlie Holbrock seated at a table inside of the Kings & Queens. This is a candid photo and Jeanette and Charlie are looking towards the camera.
Interview with Jazzmen Lee-Johnson by Cindy Villaneuva. Jazzmen is a queer; Black artist; dancer and rapper; and parent. Topics in order of discussion include: early life in Baltimore; the impact of art and creative practice on her life; support from her mother; her discovery of queerness; being queer and Black; living in Rhode Island; her student experience at Rhode Island School of Design; her travels and study abroad. This interview was created as part of the Queer Stories Project - an oral history project developed by Dr. Virginia Thomas to train LGBTQIA young adults to conduct oral history interviews with LGBTQIA adults in Rhode Island. Queer Stories Project was funded by Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
Interview with Jaye Watts by Selene Means. Jaye Watts is a transgender man, political activist, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Topics in order of discussion include: transgender civil rights and legal protections; Rhode Island hate crime laws; Safe Schools Act and bullying; the Rhode Island DMV and the drive to simplify changing gender designation on driver's licenses; changing gender designation on birth certificates; the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and transfer health care access; Thundermist; the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), protections for queer and trans youth in state care, and the Children's Bill of Rights in Rhode Island; the non binary gender marker for driver's licenses and birth certificates; LGBTQ+ people of color; assimilation; trans housing issues; and Options Magazine. This interview was created as part of a series of LGBTQIA interviews in a project managed by Dr. Virginia Thomas and funded through an Equity Action grant from the Rhode Island Foundation.
Photograph of Hope Aquaviva seated at a table. Aquaviva is dressed elegantly and seated on a gold chair at a table with a gold tablecloth. She is smiling and looking towards the camera with a cigarette in her left hand. Behind her, other women seated at tables are present.
Photograph of a woman named Heather posing in a doorway. She is wearing a red and white striped v-cut one piece bathing suit. She is looking directly at the camera with one hand on her hip and one on the doorway.
Photograph of Kings & Queens patrons, Heather and Yitska, embracing and looking at the camera. They are both wearing tinsel. The woman on the left side of the image is wearing a "New Years" headband.
Photograph of Heather (left) and Joan (right) inside the Kings & Queens during a 1981 New Year's Eve Party. The two women are smiling at the camera and posing for a photo. Heather has her arm around Joan while Joan is leaning into her and their heads are touching.
Photograph of the decorations inside the Kings & Queens. These decorations are for the 1998 New Years Eve party. This photo shows a sign that reads "Happy New Year! '98'" hanging under silver tinsel curtains.
Photograph of a green handmade Happy Anniversary sign hanging on a mirror above the liquor at the bar. There are green reflective streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. This sign celebrates the 15 year anniversary for the Kings & Queens.
Photograph of a float made by bar patrons and owner of the Kings & Queens for the Providence Pride Parade. This photo shows the float parked on the side of the road in Providence. The float is in the process of being decorated. Two men are standing at the back of the float hanging silver tinsel while two other men look on. The float is covered in silver and red tinsel and has red and blue balloons. There is an American flag on the top of the float.
Photograph of a handmade sign on the wall at the Kings & Queens. The sign reads "The wonder of time is the speed with which it passes- IF we are fortunate, it leaves in its path fond memories of both Lovers and friends. Thank you for contributing to Our Good Fortune." There are leaf decorations present on the wall around the sign.
