LGBTQIA+ Histories in Rhode Island
A non-binary religious visionary from Cumberland—born in 1752. The Black Lesbian host of a 1990s Rhode Island public access television show, Obviously Women, focused on women’s issues—obviously. The owner of a twentieth-century hair salon on Providence’s Broad Street, which also served as a trans and nonbinary community center. These are just a few of the fascinating Rhode Islanders who profoundly impacted their communities, and the state we know today, that you’ll meet while exploring this tour.
There are as many LGBTQIA+ histories in Rhode Island as there have been LGBTQIA+ people and communities. These histories make up a diverse, intersectional, multifaceted, and complex tapestry colored by collective beauty, joy, and action; conflict, pain and violence; and individual, communal, and societal transformation. This tour is just the beginning of telling some of these stories on the Rhode Tour platform, and does not pretend to be comprehensive. Rather, it is a seed that we hope will thrive and grow with additional future contributions from community members sharing more LGBTQIA+ stories on Rhode Tour.
To tell these stories, Rhode Island Humanities worked with three Community Content Partners: Janaya Kizzie, Selene Means, and Mev Miller. We are profoundly grateful for their contributions, insights, and partnership. We also thank Matthew Lawrence and Jason Tranchida for their thoughtful and thorough input on the tour.
If you are interested in contributing stories to Rhode Tour on this topic or any other, please contact us at info@rihumanities.org–we will be glad to hear from you.
This Impetus to do the Right Thing
"Seeing all kinds of people… people who were experiencing human anguish and confusion and hurt. They had the courage to look at what and where they wanted to be in their lives. I help shepherd them where they want to grow to their best self." – Freeman T. Freeman
Freeman Thomas Freeman was 75…
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A Revolutionary Nonbinary Prophet: Public Universal Friend
“The heavens were open’d And She saw too Archangels descending from the east, with golden crowns upon there [sic] heads, clothed in long white Robes, down to the feet; Bringing a sealed Pardon from the living God.” In a note found in the Friend’s Bible titled “A Memorandum of the Introduction of…
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Lesbian/Gay TV: Produced in Rhode Island
Imagine flipping channels in the 1990s. Infomercials, old sitcoms, made-for-tv movies. Suddenly, flash!—a group of people standing in the West Greenwich sand dunes of the colloquially named “Rhode Island Desert” hold a large pink triangle together. Flash!—a person in a gorilla suit throws sand…
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Kandy’s Of Course Beauty Salon and the Lola
When it came to getting your hair done on Broad Street, Kandy’s Of Course Beauty Salon was the place to go. The owner, Kandy Rainey, lived above her beauty salon in a building named the Lola Apartments. Together, these two spaces bravely created an important nexus of community and a safe haven for…
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Lesbian Founders Distill Herbs and Queer Pride
A hub for local, independently owned distilleries and breweries, Pawtucket features a Lesbian-founded and woman-, employee-, veteran-, and queer-owned distillery: Rhode Island Spirits. The company’s ownership model has roots in Lesbian business and community history as well as the city’s history of…
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I’m a political statement just by living!
In May of 2018, Berry-Jean Murray started a new business with the vision of creating an intentional community gathering space. This business was an opportunity to create a sense of community that had been lost–as a Lesbian, she still longed for and sought the comradery of Lesbian gatherings (bars,…
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Goddesses Among Us!
In 2000, Thayer Dietrich, a member of the Rhode Island LGBT Pride Committee, suggested a performance to raise funds for Pride events while showcasing the talents of local Lesbian musicians. Mary Ann Rossoni, a musician herself, joined the efforts and together they produced the first Goddess Show at…
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“Women! OBVIOUSLY!!”
We have a show that hopefully gets out every woman’s opinion. Well, we can’t do every woman’s opinion, but as many types of views on the topic that we would like to display.
With this, Berry-Jean Murray, Production Assistant and Interviewer, summarized the thinking behind the name of the 1990s…
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Lesbians as Bait: The Development of the RI NOW Platform
There have always been Lesbians who claimed feminism and proved to be strong supporters of rights for and equality of women. In Rhode Island in the second half of the twentieth century, Lesbians were critically involved in spearheading feminist activist organizations as well as support centers for…
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Development of this tour was supported by “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture,” a nationwide initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities focused on combating hate-motivated violence.