Projects

Location and history of gay bars in the QCA, compiled by Rich Hendricks and Sara Meyer

PDF link


Our Story: Pride in Memory documentary

"Our Story: Pride in Memory" (working title) shines a light on the untold history of the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities’ LGBTQ+ community. From the guarded 1950s, AIDS, and gay marriage to current attempts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, the film reveals the story of a personal and local civil rights movement.

The new documentary features the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ residents through illuminating on-camera interviews and combines them with compelling archival images, documents, and film footage to tell an inspiring story of struggle, achievement, and pride.

Emmy® award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Moline, Illinois-based Fourth Wall Films are conducting the production phase of the documentary.

Research Projects

Augustana students in the spring of 2023 completed research projects on the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the Quad Cities as part of their Queer Theories class. Topics researched and the discussions of findings are archived at the following links: