LQA Virtual Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Community Group Forming to Preserve Greater Lansing LGBTQ+ History
Volunteers sought for collaborative local history zine project
LANSING, Mich. — An enthusiastic group of volunteers is issuing a call to be a part of
Greater Lansing’s queer history.
Organizers say the effort grew out of conversations about the importance of preserving
LGBTQ+ stories in both urban and rural communities at a time when many fear those
histories are being overlooked, erased or silenced.
A new community-led effort is taking shape in Greater Lansing with the goal of
documenting, preserving and sharing local LGBTQ+ history through a collaborative
quarterly zine project.
The newly formed group meets on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. at
Everybody Reads, 2019 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing, 48912. Organizers say the
project is open to anyone interested in helping tell the stories of LGBTQ+ people,
spaces, movements, events and experiences connected to the Greater Lansing area.
Organizer Frank Vaca said the project began after he approached the Salus Center
looking for ways to become more involved in the community and was encouraged to
connect with Everybody Reads. What started as a conversation about building
community quickly evolved into a broader effort to document and preserve local
LGBTQ+ history.
The group is currently seeking volunteers with a wide range of skills and interests,
including writers, editors, artists, interviewers, photographers, designers, archivists and
local historians. Organizers encourage community members with personal stories,
historical materials or knowledge of Lansing’s LGBTQ+ past to get involved.
The project aims to create an accessible, community-driven publication that highlights
both well-known and overlooked pieces of local LGBTQ+ history. Future editions may
include oral histories, essays, artwork, photography, archival research and reflections
on community spaces and activism throughout the region.
Organizers say no prior publishing or professional experience is required to participate.
The group hopes to create a welcoming environment where people can collaborate,
learn from one another and help preserve stories that are often missing from traditional
historical records.
“This project is about community memory,” said Vaca. “We want to preserve the stories
of LGBTQ+ people in Greater Lansing because those stories matter and deserve to be
remembered. At the same time, we hope this project helps bring people together and
build community in the present.”
Meetings are free and open to the public.
Community members interested in volunteering or learning more may attend an
upcoming meeting or email vacaafrank@gmail.com with the subject line “LGBTQ Zine.”
Media Contact:
Frank Vaca
vacaafrank@gmail.com