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Quad Cities Pride in Memory maps LGBTQ+ history in the QCA
By Sharon Wren,
1 days agoAn Augustana College geography professor is working to ensure key moments and places in Quad Cities LGBTQ+ history aren’t forgotten.
Professor Chris Strunk has created an interactive digital Story Map with narrative, oral history videos, places and information. The Story Map documents key moments and places of LGTBQ+ history in the Quad Cities that were gathered by the Quad Cities Pride in Memory (QCPIM) steering committee. The Story Map is available to the public on the QCPIM website. A form is available on the website so people to submit additional materials for inclusion.
Strunk and Augustana students have been collaborating with Pride in Memory over the last five years. “Pride in Memory is a terrific example of community-led research,” Strunk said. “The stories in these oral histories demonstrate the wealth of experience and resilience that exist in this community. The project was a great opportunity for students to connect with and learn from older generations.”
“I am so impressed by the work being done by Augustana staff and students,” said Rev. Rich Hendricks, QC PIM Chair. “We must tell our stories now more than ever. First, to preserve them for history before they disappear. Second, because we are experiencing an unprecedented amount of governmental persecution in the LGBTQ+ community today and people need to be inspired again about equality for all.”
Quad Cities Pride in Memory, Inc.’s was established in 2021 with a mission to document, protect and preserve LGBTQ+ history in the greater Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities area and educate the public on that history and its significance. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit has conducted over 60 oral history video or audio interviews with key historical figures in the
Quad Cities LGBTQ+ community to date. It has collected printed materials and artifacts for a permanent archive at the Putnam Museum & Science Center and at the Davenport Public Library Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center.
QCPIM has worked with Augustana College students in Queer Theory, Theater Arts and Film studies, along with Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Geography faculty members. Community members also created a portable historical panel display focused on LGBTQ+ history in the Quad Cities.
QC PIM is seeking donations for a feature-length documentary film being produced for QC PIM by Fourth Wall Films, a five-time Emmy award-winning independent media production company based in Moline. Click here for more information on the documentary “Our Story: Pride in Memory” and how to support or donate to the project.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
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