Kathryn Eastburn and Tom Shepard
Recorded
June 10, 2023
Archived
June 10, 2023
34:17 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
mby022799
Description
Friends Kathryn Eastburn [no age given] and Tom Shepard (54) share a conversation about the ever-evolving values in Colorado Springs and reflect on how they have navigated conservative and anti-gay attitudes in the area. They also talk about the fierce solidarity that can form within queer or minority communities in conservative areas and praise today’s youth for speaking up.Subject Log / Time Code
Kathryn Eastburn (KE) remembers the intolerant anti-gay activity going on in Colorado Springs when she decided to co-found the Colorado Springs Independent, an alternative newsweekly.
Tom Shepard (TS) reflects on being closeted as Colorado Springs was becoming a hotbed for the religious right.
TS describes Colorado Amendment 2, an anti-gay amendment in the 1990s.
KE reflects on how new and different Colorado Springs felt from the deep south where she grew up.
KE discusses how Christianity became distorted in Colorado Springs as an excuse for hateful people to take away the rights of others.
KE and TS talk about the Club Q shooting.
TS reflects on the power of storytelling and youth breaking the silence surrounding identity issues.
KE and TS talk about the epidemic of suicide and gun violence in Colorado Springs.
Participants
- Kathryn Eastburn
- Tom Shepard