Author: Alisha Stranges

“histories ‘from below’”: A Conversation with Dr. Lucas Wilson

October 24, 2024
by Alisha Stranges
Academia / Collaboratory News / Gay History / Lesbian History / Oral History / Queer History / Religion / Trans History

In this conversation with Dr. Lucas Wilson, a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Toronto Mississauga, we dive into his bold shift from Holocaust studies to queer history. Luke shares how his personal journey—from surviving conversion therapy at an evangelical university to embracing his queer identity—now fuels his groundbreaking research into white Christian nationalism and its impact on LGBTQ+ communities, offering a powerful voice against oppressive systems.

“Bisexual History is Queer History”: A Conversation with Gabryelle Iaconetti

August 28, 2024
by Alisha Stranges
Academia / Activist Histories / Bisexual History / Collaboratory News / Queer History

Meet Gabryelle Iaconetti, a passionate historian dedicated to preserving the rich and often overlooked narratives of bisexual activism in Canada. From their journey into queer history during the pandemic to her doctoral research on bisexual support groups in smaller Ontario cities, Gabryelle's work reveals the powerful connection between bisexual history and queer history. Explore the unexpected joys of oral history and discover how tangible pieces of Toronto’s past have deepened her research.

Queer & Disabled Activisms in Tkaronto Project: An interview with Creative Scholar Megan Ingram

April 5, 2024
by Alisha Stranges
Academia / Activist Histories / Archiving Oral History / Collaboratory News / Community-based Oral History / Disability / Oral History / Public Humanities / Queer History / Trans History

Welcoming Megan Ingram, our inaugural “Creative Scholar in Virtual Residence.” Part scholarship and part cultural production, Megan is developing a new documentary project, using oral history interviews conducted with community activists working at the intersections of disability, queerness, healthcare access, housing, and poverty.

Public Event! Trans Histories in Canada and Germany: A Roundtable Discussion

September 13, 2023
by Alisha Stranges
Academia / Collaboratory News / Trans History

Did you know that October is Canada's official LGBTQ2S+ History Month? To mark the occasion, we invite you to join us on Monday, October 2, 2023 for a moderated roundtable discussion about current trends, challenges, and interventions in the research and study of trans histories in both Canada and Germany, featuring visiting historical scholars from Freie Universität Berlin and graduate students in history at the University of Toronto.

Call for Applications: Social Media Manager, Work Study 2023-24

August 15, 2023
by Alisha Stranges
Collaboratory News

Are you a full-time UofT student? Do you have a passion for the LGBTQ2+ past? Are you invested in reaching broader publics with historical research, through an intersectional lens?  The Collaboratory seeks a Social Media Manager with Video Editing and Graphic Design Skills to amplify our research activities and connect our audiences to LGBTQ2+ public and digital history projects, creative interventions, and the people behind them.    Responsibilities – Developing social media content relating to LGBQT2+ oral history […]

NOW OPEN! The Pussy Palace: An Instagram Story

June 12, 2023
by Alisha Stranges
Collaboratory News / Lesbian History / Oral History / Pussy Palace Project / Queer History / Trans History

If you find yourself in Toronto’s East end this Pride season, drop by Gallery 1265 at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) to experience The Pussy Palace: An Instagram Story. Commissioned by UTSC’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office and the Positive Space Committee, this interactive, self-led exhibit blends digital art, narrative text, and interview soundbites from the Collaboratory’s Pussy Palace Oral History Project, immersing patrons in an “average night” at the Palace. The Pussy Palace […]