For Pride Month, I highly recommend listening to 25 Years of Stories: Pride by The Moth. In this podcast episode, members of the LGBTQIA+ community tell stories about impactful parts of their lives. One story is about chatting to members of the gay community on AOL instant messenger (AIM) and another is about a woman coming out to her father. The stories provide valuable insight into what life can be like for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and they are filled with amusing anecdotes.
Donald Harrison tells a story about using AIM to communicate with the gay community. He describes using it for the first time and gives impressions of the sounds that AIM makes. Being he was still in the closet, AIM was the only place where he could be himself. When Harrison went to college, he met two people he chatted with on AIM in-person and he even dated one of them.
Tara Clancy describes the absurd way that she came out to her father. When she told him she was a lesbian on the phone, he asked that she talk to him in person. They end up having a conversation at a recreated Alpine village in Georgia. Though he initially struggles with her admission, he ultimately accepts who she is. Clancy ends her story with a toast that he gave: ”To Whiskey and Women!” Clancy is an amazing storyteller and her monologue is practically stand-up comedy.
Both Harrison and Clancy’s stories are profound. You get a glimpse of what life can be like for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and you gain empathy for the isolation that they face. Though the topics they talk about are serious, they incorporate a lot of humor into their stories and you will find yourself laughing throughout their monologues. The Moth’s 25 Years Stories: Pride is both insightful and highly engaging!
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library.