Breaking Barriers

We hear from a former minister who served in churches in Iowa and Minnesota. He married a fellow seminarian, a woman, in 1969 and raised a family. But he eventually came to terms with his true self, came out to family and friends, and discovered a life he never thought possible. Here’s a portion of his visit with volunteer Darrell Hansen.

Jan Titus grew up in a Methodist church, and later became a Lutheran minister. In this excerpt from his oral history, we learn how church leaders reacted when they learned he was gay. He visits with volunteer Larry Peterson.

Roger Schobinger was known across North Dakota for speaking on the issue of HIV & AIDS. On August 1st, 2018, he passed away at the age of 63. In this episode of the Breaking Barriers podcast, we share an excerpt from Roger’s oral history as he visits with volunteer Bob Stone.

An anonymous interviewee describes his gradual realization about his sexuality, the impact on his family, and the joy he finds in his new life with his new love. He is interviewed by project volunteer Larry Peterson, professor of history emeritus.

Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains is an oral history project from the Red River Rainbow Seniors. It features stories from folks who grew up back when being “out” was much harder. In this first episode, we get an introduction to the project and hear an excerpt as Mark Chekola, a member of the Red River Rainbow Seniors visits with Prairie Public host Doug Hamilton.