The Project

Realizing our history.
Sharing our stories.

LGBTQ+ history didn’t just happen in San Francisco and New York, here in the South we have our own groundbreaking figures and stories of resilience. It is because of these LGBTQ+ figures, we are able to continue to advocate and seek liberation for all community members. Their lives inform our liberties and pursuits today. Our desire and hope is to bring greater awareness to their stories and the rich LGBTQ+ history of our Atlanta community.

The Project Includes:

+ In-person & online exhibitions honoring LGBTQ+ luminaries who have changed the landscape of Atlanta’s queer community, through life stories told in their own voices and portraits made by local LGBTQ+ photographers

+ Oral history interviews with each exhibition subject, to be preserved and archived with Georgia State University’s LGBTQ+ History Archives

+ A podcast created from the recorded oral histories

As a celebration of Atlanta’s prodigious LGBTQ+ talent, this project is a proud collaboration between local LGBTQ+ photographers, designers, writers, and audio editors.

Our project is honored to include:

Charlie Brown
Atlanta Drag Performer

Dee Dee Chamblee
Executive Director at LAGENDER INC

Grant Henry
Owner & Resident Artist at Sister Louisa's CHURCH

Jen Maguire
Co-owner, My Sister’s Room

Julie Rhoad
Former President & Director of The Names Project & AIDS Memorial Quilt

Sen. Kim Jackson
Georgia State Senator, Senate District 41

Lena Lust
Atlanta Drag Performer

Monica Helms
Creator of the Trans Flag

Rabbi Joshua Lesser
Founder of SOJOURN
Rabbi. Bet Haverim

Rep. Sam Park
Georgia State Representative,
House District 101

Others to be added as they confirm their participation in the project.

The Team

Sam Landis (They/Them)
Co-Founder & Creative Director of The Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project
& Co-Host/Producer of the Out Down South Podcast
Design Lead & DE&I SteerCo Member, Delta Air Lines
Freelance Art Director, Designer, & Creative Strategist
Board of Directors & Advancement Chair, Georgia Equality
SamLandis.com
Instagram – Twitter – LinkedIn

Rachel Garbus (She/Her)
Co-Founder of The Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project
& Co-Host/Producer of the Out Down South Podcast
Deputy Editor at Atlanta Magazine & Culture Editor at Wussy Mag
Freelance Oral History Maker
rachelgarbus.com
Instagram – Twitter – LinkedIn

Jon Dean (He/Him)
Co-Founder of The Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project
& Producer of the Out Down South Podcast
Editor-in-Chief & Director of Operations, Wussy Mag
Instagram – Twitter – LinkedIn

Jonathan Thomas Maiocco (He/Him)
Sound Designer & Audio Editor
Music Producer, Film Composer, and Recording Artist
jonathanthomasmaiocco.com
Instagram

Amanda Killian (They/Them)
Contributing Designer & Social Strategist
Senior Brand Designer at Planful Inc
Freelance designer, writer, and photographer
Former creative director, Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project
amandakillian.work
Instagram – LinkedIn

Zion (Zee) McThomas (She/Her)
Contributing Researcher & Historian
Artist, Historian, Poet, & Filmmaker
Instagram

Project Interns

Alyssa Zhang, Alex Campo, and Hunter Buchheit.

Special Recognition

Rachael Ward, for their role in co-founding the project.

Ryan Roemerman, for his guidance, while Executive Director of The LGBTQ Institute.
Tim’m West, for their guidance and collaboration as the current Executive Director of The LGBTQ Institute.

Morna Gerrard, our oral history & archive guru, for help in coordinating space to record oral histories, and use of oral histories she already had recorded.

Daniel Ballon-Garst, Patrick Long, and Kacie Willis for their contribution and collaboration in the first year of the project.

Paul Conroy, for his support and partnership as Out Front Theatre Company’s Founder & Producing Artistic Director. The Out Front Theatre Company is the fiscal sponsor and partner of The Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project.

Photographers:

Project Partners

* These are partners of the project, but should not be seen as the same entity as the project.
Each organization is separate but works in collaboration with The Atlanta LGBTQ History Project,
with the exception of Out Front Theatre Company, our fiscal sponsor.