Russian River LGBTQ+ History: Community Response to HIV/AIDS

The Russian River Historical Society has been awarded a grant from CA State Library to document, preserve, and make accessible the unique history of how the Russian River LGBTQ+ community and their allies responded to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s. 

The grant will fund a two-year project focused on digitizing historical records from the West County Health Centers, collecting oral histories from community members and healthcare providers, and making these materials publicly accessible through a collaboration with the History & Genealogy Library / Sonoma County Library.

Community members with knowledge of the unique history of how the Russian River LGBTQ+ community and their allies responded to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s are invited to join! Learn more about this project, share your experiences, and help identify key people, events, and organizations from this period.