Grinnell Queer History Project

Okay‚ so getting started. This interview was conducted by Morgan Smith‚ class of 2026‚ on May 2nd for the Grinnell Queer History Project. If you would please introduce yourself‚ what is your name‚ class here‚ and where do you live now?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Okay‚ my name is Gabe Rodriguez‚ class of 2000. Um yes what my major was.

Morgan Smith '26: Yes. Or well class year. And where do you live now? We'll get to the major. Mm-hmm. Um and then what did you study and if you had a favorite class or professor‚ what or who was it?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: I was a history major. Um my favorite professor was Victoria Brown. She was in the history department. Um was my advisor my last two years after I declared. Um but I I um had already heard it. She had been on Tabatical and then Grundell London and I had heard so much about her that I I had to have a class with her and asked her to be my advisor after even though she was fully I mean she was very popular had ton of advice but she took me on and uh but prior to her I had George Drake for the first two years because he was my tutorial advisor and uh I had chosen my tutorial based on the faculty member. I went through the bios. They used to send you a fat catalog with the tutorials in the back and the profs. And I decided it would be pretty it probably would be a good a good idea to have the former president of the college be your college advisor. And uh he seemed like an an interesting guy coming back from the Peace Corps. So um that's I ended up with two the most incredible advisors you could ever have and it probably had a lot to do with my success in stay in in retaining me up for my first year and succeeding in subsequent years. And uh my favorite class um actually was a probably one of my religious studies classes with Harold Casimov because I was not a morning person‚ I still am not‚ and that class is eight in the morning twice a week. And um I just didn't want to miss an opportunity. to have uh to just sit in audience uh with such an is like legendary uh just person. That's like a phenomenal man. Um a gift to Grinnell and like society and I it was like I'm gonna be a little Absolutely. Every class was just pretty wondrous. So it was outside of my my major‚ but uh and then my class of Victoria were always pretty

Morgan Smith '26: Mm‚ yeah. I mean the Grinnellian way‚ taking classes out of your major. Um can you describe your main activities at Grinnell College‚ particularly in key connection to like student life?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah‚ um it was definitely right away involved with SOL uh student organization of Latinos that that's what it was called at the time and uh so that took up a good I'd say my first years but uh right away I was involved with with that but um Immediately‚ I want to say like a month into college‚ there was a big controversy because the GUM‚ the Grinnell Underground magazine had you know had done a like a spoof of the previous years. Um there was like a there's a sesco centennial I believe and there's been a but there was a big tent on campus‚ big party. I can only imagine the kind party at Grinnell for 150 years celebration. And there had been a protest by the Asian Students in Alliance kind of protesting the need for multicultural space when there's this big tent on campus and so there's this photo of them outside of the tent with like their own tent and the students protesting it and then the gum. made the really terrible mistake of thinking they were spoofing it‚ but also it's the Asia acronym‚ they turned it into‚ it was like Something like uh Asinine students in alliance. It was really crazy. And but it was the first time like a lot of us as freshmen. um first years had kind of like we're suddenly we're thrown because we woke up one morning‚ we everyone's going to class and there are posters all over campus that this is racist‚ racist‚ the gum is racist. I was like‚ what happened? So like ever there's like it's it was a huge deal and um so it was like a crash course introduction into like what happens when things go awry everything. And what's interesting was like that we were hit with that right away and I can't think of many things that were bigger than that because it was huge. But that and that set the tone really I think for the four years. because multicultural space wasn't it was clearly an issue before that and then it exploded my freshman year so I think that really colored like it must have yeah I've never actually thought about it before but it had to have have colored like because the subsequent discussions like small group in the doors like what's going on us together students of color like it was uh it was super intense and I really you know a lot of those folks became my friends and And um very I mean anyone would be hurt by that kind of it's just completely even though it's a satire magazine‚ like it was all it was all like cis white men who were running it and like just completely oblivious to what they were. doing.

Morgan Smith '26: Mm-hmm.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Uh I forgot the question. But I confirmed that we're oh yeah uh activities on campus. Yeah yeah it was a lot of the multicultural stuff. Um what else did I get involved with? Um I was really intense my freshman year. Oh I also got my eye severely injured. my first three weeks into college that that kept me from joining things right away so I there was a delay and then I finally was able my eye healed thank god W We have the Marshalltown Wolf Clinic. I don't know if anything goes wrong with your eye‚ go to Marshalltown. They're the Mayo Clinic of Eyes and they save my left eye. Uh thankfully I was able to continue with college because I really thought I was gonna have to drop out after just getting here. Um so but like could continue. I really continued to work on multicultural space and queer issues. I did get involved with Stone Co and started right away to sense the tension that was going on in Stone Co‚ like immediately. Like it was like grumblings about like what is the point of this organization‚ what do we do? Are we activists? There's like a split in in the group and uh My friend Celia Davis‚ uh who was a senior at the time‚ started her own discussion circle that was just kind of a social like in Maine Lounge that ended up becoming really popular. And uh Um it was just a cozy gathering at eight o'clock before the pub on pub night on a Wednesday and like we'd everyone sit gathered around the cut and then the I think the only rule was like no gossiping about each other‚ no bitching about each other. Like let's keep this to just queer topics or not queer topics‚ but let's just be in community. And um I credit that with really planning the season for Cupac and I meant to be in touch with her before this to just let her know that 'cause I've never connected those dots or really but when you showed me the article with the timeline‚ I was like‚ you know‚ and that came out of Celia. uh that that discussion circle because that's really what Cupac bec really was when we started it was let's just gather I think we did a potluck for like the second time we met let us bring some food it was really just to start having discussions like Like‚ what's life like here? What are we doing? Like‚ like how are you feeling? Like Chalm's like a wellness‚ it's more like a wellness group‚ to be honest. Anything else?

Morgan Smith '26: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um you kind of touched on the starting atmosphere‚ but how would you describe the general atmosphere of student culture during your time? Um at Cornell‚ what issues kind of animated the student body? Uh that was the 796.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Um so presidential It just that's right‚ it was that fall. Right. And it was Clinton's second election. Yeah‚ so that was done by the time we're done. I kinda checked out because I was like Transition to grin. I didn't even have time to think. But anyway‚ he was gonna win. Like so like I remember that. Like nobody was concerned. So Clinton's coming in. Um so like activism my film was not really that strong because there weren't very I'm sure there were things going on. Um I know the social the Grinnell socialists were very active on a couple of campaigns‚ but specifically I can't tell you. I just you just know there were uh things going on. There was a I don't even know is there a campus Republicans group today? It's not. There was when I was here and uh I used to crack up because I'm like I was curious how many people were in it. They they existed. Mm-hmm and uh we never quite knew what they did but We don't know where they met‚ like we're like‚ who are they? Not that we're trying to find them out‚ but it was like‚ oh‚ they exist. North campus‚ which was um pretty uh consistent with what previous I I want to say like the previous maybe like five years had experience. It seemed like that was the because it was a very jockey north side campus and it was very um not jockey. It was like it was really split like that and it really had access had to do with like access to the peck‚ which was over here. Yeah Um it's gone now‚ right? It's like the physical education is the actual building gone? I don't know.

Morgan Smith '26: Uh I'm not sure where the physical education building was. Oh no‚ it is gone.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah‚ it's where the parking lot is. If that's where he was. Um but but because the Harris Center is still there. But Norris being um close to it had a lot of football players that were upperclassmen‚ but uh I lived in Norris and there's a lot of freshmen. uh that live there and it was just a jockey side of campus and so that was what I remember most other than the multicultural space was there really was and that was where 1010 came out of. was that um there was that split. Yeah‚ it was all about like uniting the two sides of campus. Um because it was it was an issue‚ I think. Um I think athletes felt uncomfortable of times like in at Grinnell and they really and it it it's there was not a lot of intermixing of like the two sides. It's just strange because it was such a small space. And I distinctly remember like always feeling like like the the parties thrown by like the swim team or whatever‚ like they were kind of off limits at times. You know‚ it was weird to be pronouncing like‚ yeah‚ that's not really our kind of party. So there was a lot of like kind of segregating going on.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah‚ so when 1010 started‚ was that like starting in North Campus and going all the way to South Campus‚ or what did that look like?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: I want to say it might have because it was started by Nate White‚ class of 2000‚ and he's definitely a South Campus guy. I want to say like we might have gone the other direction. in like kind of a solidarity‚ like we're gonna end and we're gonna sol but you know what we did meet in the middle at the end of the night. Like we all met at the forum. There was like a campus shot and it was like a midnight shot and it was supposed to bring like everyone together. at the forum. It was beautiful actually. It was like really something to behold. Like nothing had ever been done like that. So big credit to Nate Wayne for um coming up with that. But I don't remember‚ I'd have to ask Nate Like how that what was the what was the crawl? But like if you made it to the other side at some point‚ congratulations‚ but like I don't I think there was an active move. Like people were like‚ all right‚ next‚ next‚ next.

Morgan Smith '26: I've got to get out of here. Yeah. Um kind of shifting gears a little bit. Can you tell me a a bit about kind of what your relationship to queerness looked like um before arriving at Grinnell? if you have one. Before yes‚ I did.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Um I came out when I was fifteen and in a very rural area‚ but it was nine 92‚ 93‚ uh fresh freshman year of high school. Well‚ sophomore year of high school really‚ but like really starting to tell like close friends. Um and at that so at that time it was like March March on Washington. It was‚ I think it just happened. Or it was about like it was in or was happening‚ I don't remember exactly. But um I would get like occasionally when we go like drive to another city‚ I would I would go to the bookstore and I because I looked older than I was‚ I would get things like the Advocated Out magazine and those and just like have information and take it home and read them and like hide them. Like the pornography like I hide them. So I had a pretty good sense and it was television really because I was in a rural area helped me understand. So I had an understanding of it and I felt comfortable enough to come out. So I was out in high school. rural area. School of high school of 200 and some‚ graduating class of 63. Um and I just felt that I couldn't be I had to be true to myself and I couldn't buy I and when you're in a small town‚ everybody knows who you are and they know your families and I it felt like I never felt like it would be dangerous. I felt like I was making I had a good read. I was like‚ these people have known me since kindergarten I would and they like me and I was like I I don't I can't really see people turning their backs on me. In fact the only times I had trouble were with people who didn't really know me well. In fact it was my hometown is the county scene and so like like the kids from the ranches would get bussed in. It's like this r uh the different kind of busing‚ you know? Because they were all they were spread out on like farms and ranches. And uh so those are the ones I had trouble with. 'Cause it was a racial thing. Um‚ but it was also like they just we didn't have the same kind of they didn't they didn't know who we were. And then they had their own internalized like issues with they were the minority and you know‚ here's this like big Mexican guy who's uh seems to have no problems like being who he is. And it was um side note‚ I just have to let it out because I just found out‚ but like I have to express this and I don't care that it goes on the record. I had a math teacher in high school. Who let me who let me get bullied in his class. Yes. And it's the only B I ever got in high school and it kept me from being validating tomorrow again. I'm just gonna say this because it's still like looking back at it is like wild. And the story just writes itself because actually I had two math teachers who both did that. Like why is it the math teachers? But this particular passed away after I I left high school‚ but like the other who was like a preacher with a family and kids and like like like five kids‚ like it was yeah. just um was not very not kind to me and um really just was not a good classroom manager in terms like he just looked the other way when I was like getting bullied. I found out recently that he came out of the closet in his‚ I don't know‚ at this age‚ like in his 60s‚ 70s‚ and like has a partner now. And like‚ like‚ can you imagine what he was I know in 2026 like I mean who knows when it happened‚ but like I I'm like a 48 years old and then like it just took I was like you motherfucker like letting me get like turning the other way I needed help and you were like you were someone who could have helped Yeah just by being the teacher‚ you know‚ not even anything to do to like a gay teacher‚ like and like and decades‚ decades later‚ like this is your reality. Like I would love to run into him Sorry.

Morgan Smith '26: Let me I just had to be a little bit of a first thing you're just ever hearing about this. Yeah. Um I mean that's part of what this is for is kind of the the recollection. Um just because I don't think that we have it‚ where did you grow up? Not necessarily specifically‚ but like What state?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: New Mexico. Okay.

Morgan Smith '26: Southern New Mexico.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Very rural. Um Yeah‚ as isolated as you can get pretty much. Three and a half three hours from an airport. And uh yeah‚ small‚ small rural school. Yeah.

Morgan Smith '26: Um what did the Stonewall Resource Center look like during your time here? How did it evolve over that time?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: It was um I liked it. It was um a building near Derby and a little kind of offset from everybody everything else of had like a little bit of isolation‚ which to me felt good. It felt like hey it's reserved. And I know some people were irritated that we had to share it with two other offices‚ but uh two other departments‚ but um I never felt like it was intrusive or like they weren't kind of coming over nobody's reporting on us. So it was um oh I meant to look for pictures. I am gonna look I know I have some off resource on a picture somewhere But um oh no‚ it was um forgetting the uh the name of the the coordinator that's administrator that's involved. Um who was their trans man

Morgan Smith '26: During your time‚ I'm not sure. Oh no‚ no‚ when we were when I was just here two weeks ago. Misho Adler. Misho. Yeah. Okay‚ smart questions.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Um Uh yeah‚ I gotta find pictures him. But it was a colorful‚ bright‚ huge couch. Everyone remembers the couch for some reason. It's like it's it's it's I I can still see it. Great library of like videos. You know‚ oh no. VHS. It was only VHS at that time. And um very welcoming. Um students worked there‚ so there's always somebody on duty when it was open. And it was like I didn't I can't say like people went there to study. I don't know. Maybe it did have a study space‚ but it was really more it was absolutely social. Um I liked it‚ I really liked it.

Morgan Smith '26: Since everybody remembers the gouge‚ what did the couch look like.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: The couch it was like‚ oh‚ it's like this like long‚ kind of velvety‚ how is it like pink or purplish couch? Um definitely could fit two people. I horizontally. That's all I'll say about that.

Morgan Smith '26: And then you mentioned that students worked there. Was that a paid position or were those volunteers? Oh good question.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: I think they were paid‚ but I could be wrong. I felt like that was a that was a coveted role. I think it would be paid.

Morgan Smith '26: If we don't pay for those kinds of things then‚ yeah. Yeah. Um makes sense. Um what student assor student organizations were connected to the SRC during your time? And how active were they? Were there any traditions that were associated with any of them that particularly kind of stand out in your mind?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Connected. We did have a big multicultural likes activism. meeting there once that was very dramatic or not it's memorable because it was it was an intense meeting where like there was we were trying to figure out some kind of campus action. It was like a Sunday and it was weird to have like a Sunday afternoon‚ which is not a normal. It was an abnormal time. But I think I don't know if it was just queer students. There was a lot of people‚ so it had to have been more than that. And um You know‚ we were just brainstorming ideas and uh something got a little wild and I remember I was having to rein some folks in because people were really pissed about the whole thing. And what's interesting‚ I'm glad you showed me that article with Amy Joe Lingerfeld. Um mentions that we don't even have our own building because at the time we felt like yeah we people really felt strongly like we don't even have our own yeah it's called the SRC but like IT's here‚ the health center's here Um I forgot that that was still because to me that building it's always just been like SRC‚ but yeah‚ it's true. students to have really truly their own space. But whoa. I think Estoneco was absolutely involved with like all the multicultural organizing or tried to be. But there was also dissatisfaction with like what its purpose was. Was it just like a social thing that you know I don't remember what day of the week the month meetings they may have been like Sunday nights um but it was uh Yeah‚ people were really looking for purpose. I think people were hungry. Maybe it was on a product of like the 96‚ like maybe there wasn't a whole lot to per like going on‚ but there was though. Um At least on the queer side of things. But uh I don't know‚ but what it uh I I'm I'd have to think about that more. Like but And um yeah‚ Stonewall b because it had already been around for a bit‚ I think I might maybe ten years.

Morgan Smith '26: When did Stoneco get officially Stoneco‚ I'm not sure‚ but the Stonewall Resource Center was originally founded as the Human Resource Center. Center in 1986.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Okay‚ so yeah‚ yeah. I saw I don't know where I saw a quote from someone that said that that naming of the human resource center was really controversial. controversial. I didn't know that. In fact I didn't even know that HRC was even uh that that was a yeah how it started.

Morgan Smith '26: Um yeah it was quite controversial at the time because students wanted to be the Gay Resource Center. And Jim Teterman at the time‚ who was‚ I believe‚ the Dean of Students. was the one who was making the decision and there was concern about having gay on a street sign as well as potentially making the space less welcoming for questioning or straight students. Hmm.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Interesting. Yeah‚ but I I but I can't speak to any what else it was connected to. It was one of the‚ I would say it was one of the more prominent groups. Yeah. So it kind of was its own thing.

Morgan Smith '26: Mm-hmm. Makes sense. Um‚ what kind of financial and staff support did queer students in the SRC have access to at the time? So you mentioned already student assistance potentially getting paid‚ but like Like‚ was there a staff member associated with the SRC? How did funding work for student organizations if you recall‚ those kinds of things?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Staffing. I don't know. I would think that there had to be been a some kind of either fac maybe not faculty‚ but a staff‚ liaison at least. hard time to remember that. But um I was in it the actual I mean I was part of the group and not in the leadership. I don't remember that part. But um There were I mean Stillmore got his budget from the SGA‚ so there was that. Um National‚ there was definitely resources for National Coming Out Day. That was a big party. In fact‚ I was a What was it? That's a note‚ that's like the fall‚ right? Why was it prospered during Pride Weekend? Which is not a very good time. I would say in retrospect‚ not a good time to come as a process because you're just like‚ whoa‚ okay‚ everything. And then then you have to go back to reality. And I went home thinking‚ yeah. But uh it was but I got to see full bloom grenade. And uh So there's those kinds of budgets. I don't know if um there were definitely no scholarships for gay students like that kind of exist today. I mean those have just gotten started‚ like they're not that old. But now I'm very happy to say like I've s having donated to it and given to it and seen the results of it‚ it's like wow‚ good for you know. People really give me to that so there's there's a hunger for it. Um but paid stuff I don't other resources Oh we did the college paid for us to go to the Midwest Queer student conference. That was cool. Freshman year. I got to go to that. It was the UAC in um Chicago. So like I want to say a lot of us went. I want to say like it was a good I want to say it was like 15 to 20 students went. It's a lot of money‚ you know‚ like and it's not like we were all piled up in one‚ like we all we had a hotel‚ we had Um‚ you know‚ I'm trying to remember who the um there definitely had to have been administrators driving us there. So I I can't rem the I remember the sophomore year once 'cause there's a lesbian couple on campus. One was the sole advisor and a career life person. and one was uh RLC. Um Lorianne Varella and I'm blanking on her partner's name was the RLC. I was closer to Laurien. Um they were amazing. They were only here for one year But um but they did a lot for us our sophomore year‚ but freshman year. Um I don't remember as much. Yeah‚ that's okay. Um but very cool the college to send us. Let us go to I don't think it had been on that conference had been going very long. It's like a Midwest Association of like LGBT college groups. Yeah.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Moving more towards kind of QPOC‚ um what is what was the relationship between kind of queer students of color and the broader queer community um during your time at Grinnell?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Not good well not hostile‚ right? But I think not definitely not good because um the sense was I remember feeling like this is all you're already at Grenal‚ right? We're all coming from a lot of us are coming from way more diverse places or or like places like me‚ we're like It's a Mexican and Mexican American‚ but a lot of students coming from New York and Chicago. And it's just‚ it was such a white‚ heavily dominated uh mid um mid Western uh organization that um not by any fault of theirs. It was just it it just didn't feel like It just didn't feel welcoming. So in that but also like white students also felt like it wasn't their place either‚ which is why Celia's group became what it did became because there was a hunger for something different um so you could already see the cracks because and i when you told me that like for i was shocked that like q block was the block is running because i had just assumed stoko continued because i Like‚ why would the gay student group continue? And it didn't. But and now looking back‚ it's like‚ yeah‚ those cracks started early. Um people are like‚ well what what is this for? Like what are we doing here? Do we throw parties? Do we I'm sure other groups on Canvas kind of feel this way because there's always so much acad activism you can do when you're studying full-time‚ working‚ and then like trying to run You know‚ this there's just so much you can do. Um when you're in Iowa and you're trying to affect change on all these different levels‚ but there are some things‚ but yeah. Um I think that by the time spring rolled around‚ um It's with Celia's group. It felt so good to like have that space. There's something about her specifically that was just she was like the perfect moderator and organized. She was very chill. You know‚ um lesbian from Kentucky. Uh she she'll tell you like she she showed up here like you know wearing dresses and like thinking I think you know‚ just and very quickly realized that she was a big butch lesbian And um and kind of a campus icon to be honest. By the time I showed up when she was a senior‚ like I would yeah‚ she was very well known. for like she would go shoot pull at rabbits like and I'm not sure sometimes that they thought they knew she was not a man not too no for real um and I just find that Awesome. Like and she didn't give a shit. Like she was just like that kind of a badass. Um and uh so she was great‚ but she was also very maternal at the same time‚ like very like wanting like the there was a real effort between her and other I would say see that's what I would say what I have to point out. Upperclassmen at the time really took care of the young of the of the incoming classes. I just I I don't like out of duty I think or just or having gone through it themselves like I I was I benefited from that but so did others. I know that like it was a real um it was such a beautiful asset to have these people say you're gonna make it you're gonna do this place is great it's got its problems but like hang in there Because it does get‚ you know‚ back then it was like already like it gets better‚ I promise. Um and so like plant she planted those seeds of like she's she helped really uh start thinking me thinking about like yeah we can we should think

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Um so we've kind of partially addressed this‚ but when did you and Leslie class of nineteen ninety nine‚ right? Um Start Cupac and what did that look like? Um if there's kind of any further details that you want to share there.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah‚ it was um what was that article? It was like what date was it? It had to been f it was fall of ninety seven. Yeah‚ because we'd come back‚ um‚ and you know‚ I admit that like I had the timeline wrong in my head up until when you showed us That's right. Like I in my head it it came later. And but like it just didn't make any sense once I realized like‚ no‚ that's actually could not have she graduated. Yeah‚ I think we came back with some new energy and ideas and like a sophomore year felt different for me. Personally‚ I was like‚ okay‚ I got this. Like I got this. that first year not that I got this but like I'm not I'm in a different place and I already knew as I start playing abroad so like I had a different like I was like right I was starting to like see the beginnings of like where things were going right and uh I'm gonna say it was um maybe mid semester like we started. That sounds right. Um yeah that sounds right. I don't remember exactly but uh Um I we just I it's we got the I just remember we got the email account and then it felt I it felt really real. I was like cue back and um I think one time her mom had emailed the QPOC account too. I was like‚ what? I'm like‚ Liz‚ this is for you. Like‚ you gotta keep your drum off of here. Um But uh we um have you ever seen a Vax? Like

Morgan Smith '26: email system do they have an like a antique like an antique sitting around somewhere I have not seen them on a computer I've definitely seen printouts so like they have these little terminals in the backstone so like the office

Gabe Rodriguez '00: use or I forgot how we or no I'd be in the sole office checking the you could check the account but it was like this little terminal getting those emails um but you know we just reached out to people people those that we knew and um I Don't remember exactly how we advertised it. I think a lot of word of mouth I had to admit because I think we just like started emailing folks and be like‚ hey‚ we're gonna have this meeting. And it was just like people that we knew of and um which is too bad that we like there was an other way like I other than I which is why the article in the pain in the SP was pretty key. So get the word out as well. Um but I said the first meeting we had was exciting because I want to say it was like I don't know ten to fifteen folks. Met I think we met in Yonker‚ the Yonker Lounge and just talking like hey‚ it was more like

Morgan Smith '26: Mm-hmm.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: You know‚ we just wanted to gra gather people together. Do we want to do what do we want to do? Um I think we decided like it was just good to just check in and meet‚ like a nothing like too uh former I don't think we had a I think we did register as a student organization but like we didn't have like we didn't really have a budget I don't think because we didn't have anything to spend it on Because we were it was very organic. So yeah‚ it wasn't there's like no big fanfare. In fact‚ that article was like I remember when it came out I felt like‚ oh my god‚ this is this is really real now. Like this is like it's we've announced that we've arrived‚ you know? Um but uh it felt good. But it also caused some like grumblings‚ right? Mm-hmm. Like because stone at that by that point there there were definitely uh issues going on with like Stonewall Coalition and its purpose and it seemed like a big break. It seemed at the time it felt dramatic‚ I remember. And I think a lot of time at the time I think it really was Cup was about making that statement. More than anything ever. I mean it was maybe secondary. First was like the community‚ but the second was like‚ let's just make this statement. And I was stunned to found out if I

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Um so who attended meetings and how regular were the attendees? Like um Did it kind of expand past that initial like people that you knew? Um what did that look like? Oh getting started.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: What I do remember was um definitely allies were there right away. Like c people like BIPOC allies. So that was great. Like so or or like very inclusive of like everyone‚ like so like by and um but I was really happy to see other folks like want to sort of show their support turn in. Um did we do I don't think we did anything formal like a speaker you know‚ bring speakers in or like do anything like that. And then we might have d I I I don't remember throwing a party per se. But other than just like maybe we went to the pub together and like hung out‚ but like it was really a social thing. Um I Oh and then you know Liz was getting ready to graduate and then I was going abroad. And so‚ you know‚ we had a couple more meetings. We kept yeah‚ I think I we definitely did a potluck at one of the But it was I remember that it was heavily um Asian‚ American and Asian students. Um that I that sticks out like I when I picture everyone‚ it's like so that that's uh just like one one thing that I happened and um some Latino students less black students than I think we were hopeful for and uh or I was hopeful for but definitely a few of you know I I I'm sure I tried to get some folks excitement to come. But we didn't have a charter or mission or purpose. It was just really to um just gather in the spirit of like the the previous discussion discussion circle.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Um so you don't know what happened when you went abroad to the group? Did it continue kind of on its own or did it pick up again once you returned? So I was gonna fall in 98 and I think that's when Joseph now said

Gabe Rodriguez '00: arrived on campus as a fresh first year. Because he‚ yeah‚ he when I came back‚ he was a friend. Yeah. So I think that's when he like took up the mantle. And uh but I I was so in London. I was in London. I cared two shits about anything I Iowa. Like I really truly did not care. So like I was so happy over there and uh I um we did get the S and B. They would send us the S and B to London. Isn't that wild? And it would come kind of timely. Like it was like the to you know like wow we would actually get the paper in time see what's going on um uh but the thing that did the the very big thing that happened Matthew Shepherd was killed um while we were in London and that was a big so I didn't get to experience that on campus and um part of me is kinda glad um because I can only imagine what it would have been felt to be in a rural area feeling‚ you know‚ with that happening. Like it's hard to tell it's hard to express to people how what a um what's the right word? not monumental‚ but like what a um catalyst that murder was um for the gay rights movement at that time. So like if any issue had come up‚ that was probably the big issue that had come up. at the time‚ but like and it was strange to be like in London living my queer life. Like of like to the top I was maxing myself out. Like up until that point‚ rural kid‚ I was sort of rural school‚ and then left London. I was like All how broke loose. And um yeah‚ but I I remember that. We got that I read that. I mean we heard it on the and then but then SB covered it. It was like a vigil on campus‚ I remember. And I thought‚ wow‚ what a what an intense time to be at Grinnell. So I missed that. I'd love to know what was actually. I never really‚ by the time I got back‚ like that had kind of died down a little bit.

Morgan Smith '26: An area for future exploration? Yeah. Um so that kind of leads into another question‚ which is then how did the group kind of change over your time as a student? student‚ did it stay very discussion and social based or did it get kind of more formal?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: No‚ I don't think it didn't formalize. And then when I came back Um Joe‚ I'm gonna say like a couple of Joe‚ there was another student who it was like the younger kids like working with it. I had moved off campus and I was not as involved at that point. Like it was just kind of we started it‚ we made our statement and uh got had meetings and then kind of like we just kept‚ I don't know‚ really like we all had other things going on. Liz left. And I came back from study abroad and I remember someone asking me about it and and I was so like busy and like thinking like I don't even know what I would do at this point with it because it just felt like it died out a little Mm-hmm. So yeah‚ I yeah. Mm-hmm. I which is ex exactly why like I was stunned to see it in a uh say it's stunned. It was I got a view book like when I had just graduated and I'd arrived in Chicago and like it's still it was just listing QPox still and I was like‚ oh‚ I hope it's still something. Um because it was um I thought it was important for but I was also like is the college just using this because it sounds sexy? Like did this really continue? Right‚ are we being is it's what we started being used? Maybe it wasn't. But no‚ I don't know a lot about what happened after that.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah‚ that's fair. Um so do you know of any kind of connections between um students involved with the LRC‚ the SRC‚ and kind of broader queer organizing or queer groups beyond Grinnell in Iowa or elsewhere.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah‚ that's it. There‚ what was going on at the time? I'm sure things were going on with the Matthew Shepard‚ but I I'm not aware‚ but I do know that there were oh you know National Coming Out Day. No‚ is it yes‚ National Coming Out Day dance. Like I rem distinctly remember there was uh uh we invited students from other campuses to come and they came. Like so it was fun because like all these um some of the Queers everywhere. And uh one of my funniest ones is there's this like hot guy on canvas. And I mean‚ you know‚ Grenelle‚ this is like Like everyone's like clamoring‚ right? Everyone's like new blood. And um and then at one point one of my friends comes up‚ it's like so this new hot guy you guys were all finding over‚ just like what lesbian and um exactly like we came everyone's tripping over themselves to get in front of and get in front of him and this whole time it was just this like super hot butch lesbian And um I'll never forget it because we were all like‚ oh fuck. What college she was from‚ but um‚ but yeah‚ it was that was great because It it made us feel like are we like we're the conveners of this like at Grinnell? Like we're like the one they're coming to us from Iowa City and like a Luther there are but there's a group from Luther that came. Um I don't I can I'm sure other colleges‚ but like it was like I was like a good twenty-five to thirty other queer students came and like uh yeah‚ it was fun. So I felt like there were I'm sure some associations were made there‚ but like somehow we were able to contact all these folks and like I don't know what network that would there's had to be something um I don't know if you were at the SRC when I was talking about when I ended up in the Des Moines Gate Pride I don't think so‚ but please do tell. I um I stayed here for the summer after my freshman year because I had a was a student work in the library and they needed people over the summer and I was like rather work in an air conditioned library than go home and work at McDonald's. So I stayed on campus that summer‚ had cheap rent‚ and um my uh a friend who lived in town‚ a grenade townsperson‚ um Lori‚ who I'd gotten to know. Um she was a lesbian and her dad was actually a a famous drag queen in Des Moines Wow. Yeah. Very it was a very gay time in Iowa at the time. So uh her dad um was living in Des Moines‚ but he was part of‚ I don't know if you do you know what the imperial court system is? Have you heard of it? No. It's still very active in San Francisco. Like they still actually elect people there. I'm sure there's some it was originally‚ I don't know what if it came before the AIDS crisis or it became a thing. after they it was a system where um it was like a royal like um like um they would elect like the emperor of or like the like a king and queen of like the state or like and it was it became like a it was like a drag sh a drag thing but it was also like a fundraiser for AIDS for for HIV and AIDS causes and um some of them still continue today but they had a very important role in the community and that it was like also bringing joy in a time of Just complete everybody‚ you know‚ uh heartbreak. And um she wanted us to go to the gay pride parade in Des Moines‚ so like a carload of us went‚ but we went to his house first because he was getting ready. And so we got to watch dad. Or like dad was like busy g 'cause he was he was the Empress of Iowa. So I was in the Empress's home and uh we got went we're just going to watch the parade and he was gonna be in it‚ but they knew And I just I had never I went to go watch me my first gate pride parade. So my very first gatebread parade‚ I ended up marching at the very front of it. As if I believe I'm such an imposter. I'm like‚ I don't believe I'm not from Des Moines‚ but hi everyone. And my friend Leslie. I believe she's the one who ended up on in the Des Moines register. I mean I was I was like I don't know if I was just just out of the shot or like there's a part like a tiny part part part of it. Like you can't tell it's me‚ but it's like Les and I came back to the library. I didn't know this paper‚ this is Cheryl Nor Norbert from the library was uh do you know Cheryl? Do you remember her? Yeah‚ she was uh yeah‚ she was amazing. She she had hired me as a student worker and so So I got it was close to her. She was like‚ did you do anything interesting this weekend? She's the first person to show me that it was in the register. I'm like‚ that's amazing. But um also like‚ wow. Like I had no intention of marching this thing. But um we did a lot of going to Des Moines and I was really more Des Moines. and uh connections are made there. But uh we did have this through the town. There were a lot there actually a h decent number of queer people in the town that found refuse refuse refuge uh uh with students on campus. So like there's this kind of‚ if there were some townground relations‚ I think that the queer community was kind of a bridge for all of that. And I remember distinctly there was a high school student who was like taking classes at Grunau. like we didn't quite know what to do because it was like he's like 16 and needs like the like he there was just like an awkward couple like we're at college campus and nobody really wants to deal with a 16 year old You know‚ but like he what other resources is he gonna have? So I know some folks are like really concerned about like how do we fold him in without like we can but we can't really because he's underage like So like it's like everyone's everyone be careful with this. Like no liquor‚ nothing of that's no shenanigans‚ like not that anybody was doing that‚ but like it was just um sensitive. But it But yeah‚ the fact that there's like a 16-year-old who's like seeking that out‚ I'm like‚ that's amazing a resource to have Brunel here. Like that. I'm sure we are a resource today. But um as far as larger networks‚ I don't think so. I think actually QPOC does it really good. I've heard about the kind of partnerships they've had with like drag groups and uh drag group at Des Moines. I think it's super important to uh acknowledge the w the history here that's like the black and Latino and uh Asian just all the the long history of of of of the trans and you know and the drag community in Des Moines that I was first exposed to when I 1996‚ yeah.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Um something that you had mentioned is I'd love to hear more about kind of how AIDS was affecting campus or queer life. Um And kind of how that played out. Were there connections between kind of AIDS history and campus square history? What did that look like?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: I think that's a big area that's missing. Um it's never I always wondered like who we arrived in ninety six‚ that's when all the ART the AR um anti retrobiotherapies came out the first ones. Nobody knew if they were gonna work or I mean they knew that they worked‚ but they didn't we didn't know for how long. Yeah. So up until then I think that those of us who entered in with my class here‚ it was um still a death sentence really. And like we were all scared shitless of getting it and um There's definitely a‚ you know‚ we're all you imagine coming to college when there's this like cloud of death hanging over your sex life. You know‚ like and it wasn't even as intense as it had been just off that long early‚ you know‚ not not that far back into the past. Uh only recently did I just see that um some people from like the class some class in the 80s had um formed a scholarship in memory of a classmates who died of AIDS. First time I actually heard of a grunion. That Grunion be mentioned that died of AIDS. Um‚ because at the later years I thought I know we have classmate uh or alumni who did. It's just the shame is still so great or like it's just not being kept or like it doesn't get up‚ you know‚ like so what how do we tell talk about that because I think did the A did you ever find out the did the Ace School come to campus? Did you say anything about that in your research?

Morgan Smith '26: I believe it had. We also had students make a couple um sections. Um one of which is preserved in the college archives actually. And so yeah‚ there was some of that definitely. And I'm working on exploring that more as well. That's awesome.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Um‚ but there was‚ I mean‚ condoms everywhere. God‚ you could‚ I mean‚ too many condoms.

Morgan Smith '26: I mean just every week.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: It's wonderful. But you could get um but the shitty thing was that you couldn't get an HIV test in Cardinal. you had to be driven to Iowa City. And like if you so like and it was like student drivers at the time‚ so it was really weird. Um because like a student would be driving‚ you know‚ it's confidential‚ right? But like you're being driven to a like and through an in it‚ it was a very intense life or death situation. Like you're you're really I would not have been in good shape. in that van ride. Like I don't think the students are capable of like providing you the amount. I mean maybe the I as a friend‚ but like it was a very um kind of I don't want to say But it was like not the best situation because you had to be driven to Iowa City to get it. And back then I think you had to wait a while. Like if there's no rapid testing happening. And uh so that was definitely hanging over everything. Um we didn't‚ I don't think we discussed it a lot because it was start the tide was starting to turn a little bit. Um Um and the therapies were starting to come out. And by the time I graduated‚ we still weren't sure they were working‚ right? And so like it was just like everything had been changed. Like like people were now. I was not they were gonna die or not dying. But um I there was no like AIDS activism. Maybe oh there was actually you just reminded me there was there was something. There was like an AIDS I think somebody who was HIV positive on campus but did was anonymous either Oh‚ Stone Cold. It was very coded. It was like the way it was a letter to the editor. And it it was um I'm not sure it should have been published if the way it was. the whole thing was a little felt malicious in a way. It was like almost it's like you did nobody was named but every it's such a small community. Everybody knows who you're talking about. And um or narrow you could really narrow it down to who this is supposed to be about‚ but it was kind of calling out Stone Co and like queer leadership at Grinaw for the hip hop for hypocrisy and in terms of like AIDS and like I think there was some kind of like not an I I have to go back and look but it was like either an AIDS group or like a HIV activism group. There was something on campus that definitely was and it was getting called out by somebody by a current student but it wasn't I don't think that student was named who they were I think it was um yeah something was going up but I I'd have to go back looking at what jug my memory but something happened with in that regard. I wanna say in like ninety ninety seven or ninety eight. But um that's one only big thing I remember. But we really didn't deal with it much. other than like being a completely terrified of it and people had I'm sure had um scares and had to go to Iowa City and like it but it was all very there's still so much shame involved still is today and I worked in I worked in HIV uh after college and um I I was I don't I don't think I was actually kind of progressive at the time‚ believe it or not. It was like kind of a blue kind of purplish state democratic leadership and like I think it's actually more hostile now to that kind of stuff‚ so Lord knows. God‚ yeah Yeah‚ was there another part of that question? Sorry.

Morgan Smith '26: No‚ you answered the question well. Um and I will look into that letter to the editor.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah‚ I if you can find it‚ I'd love to I don't quite remember what the what it But it was uh heavily c I feel like worded in a way to try to call someone out without doing so. Yeah.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Um so then next question‚ what was it like being a queer student grinnel kind of beyond organized groups? um like student organizations‚ what's the social scene like? What I call it.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Stifling? My my I yeah‚ I think anyway for anybody it was just I mean such a small community that um I mean you're ch uh at the time it was thirteen hundred students. very limited‚ you know‚ and in a small town in rural Iowa. But it's such a what a weird situation being like heavily queer. To me‚ I w I looked for colleges and a lot of people did. time by looking for queer friendly colleges and it was this it was like Grinnell and Oberlin were like absolutely top two um was like I guess all a lot of the Bellars are like McAllister uh maybe Carlton a little bit um Um but um the atmosphere was good‚ it was accepting. Um occasionally there'd be some it's like Nothing like no no nothing violent but like something written somewhere. It's like someone right and then everybody would be like whoa like what's that about? And uh just thinking looking back on it‚ it's like probably some asshole being just uh not obviously provocative‚ but just some asshole being an asshole. But like I mean you can't avoid those things‚ but um Towns the going well we went to town a lot for stuff and like we'd be like not queer bar takeover but like or you know like there would just be nice there's just a lot of queer people at the pub and like There's towns and towns of folks there and um that's just the way it was. And um I never felt unsa I felt it was a as good an environment as it could be for a small college‚ but like like dating wise was not a fabulous uh fact I think well uh there's this perception that the it was great if you're a lesbian Is that still the case?

Morgan Smith '26: Uh I think it there's definitely a perception that it's easier if you're a lesbian than a gay man on campus because there's a lot less Specifically gay men. There's bisexual men‚ but the gay male community specifically is still pretty small. Yeah.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah‚ and it was it was absolutely small. We knew who everybody was and like occasionally and then when like the hot new there's some hot new guy from another campus comes on and it's actually a lesbian‚ it's it just makes you question what the how you did with your your early 20s. But um I my freshman year was tough because I had this different idea of what college would be and I think a lot of us did. And you're kind of like‚ okay‚ now I'm gonna be like‚ it's gonna be fun‚ it's gonna be like guys‚ it's gonna be free to do whatever. And then you're like‚ oh wait‚ I'm God‚ this is like First of all‚ I don't have any time. Like I'm stressed out with my classes. When I am social‚ like it's like nothing to there's like not an outlet. we were there was nothing that was kind of off limits to gate to career focus on campus. Maybe you couldn't like go to like the football party and like like start out making out everywhere. you know‚ but like even that'd be or maybe they were doing it and we just didn't you know we missed out on those things we just didn't go. But um no it was good. It was a good I really liked it. I really enjoyed it. Uh um even though it was limited‚ I was uh there were times when I regretted not going to like a bigger city and having that a more of a well-rounded uh well-rounded queer experience but like I I did get out thankfully to thanks to Lori and like other folks like I did get out. to Des Moines a lot and I had good friends who lived in Des Moines or who came here from Des Moines and so like when they would go home sometimes I'd go with them and we I all my straight friends got to know the blazing saddle very well. And uh especially my friend Brian‚ whose article‚ whose movie ratings you showed me‚ um once just was just beating uh woman after woman. uh the poll table and they were getting very upset. He was just on fire. I just remember I was like you he because uh I guess the role I don't apply I don't play poll. It's like you keep playing if you're winning when the next person comes and plays you I guess that was the role of the saddle. I don't know. But he was on a hot streak and he was killing everyone. But um but yeah‚ no‚ the uh I made my own connections to other places‚ other people. I dated some of my city. Briefly and like yeah‚ some other pr actually like cities 20 miles away and uh and dated a town. I gosh I do wow‚ I did date more townsfolk‚ I think than that's interesting. Yeah.

Morgan Smith '26: Just reminded me of that. Yeah. Um so we've mentioned parties a couple of times‚ but what kind of parties and traditions um both for queer community and just more broadly? were both major parts of campus life and then also within the cream like what was going on parties wise there.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah the Pride Party‚ the Pride Weekend was the big weekend. So was National Coming Out Day weekend or whenever that was. I think was it always a Saturday? I think it might. I don't know. But the party was around and and uh that was big‚ but Pride Week was a huge blast. But Um so those are the two main queer things. Um there may have been some other minor minor ones that we or occasionally there's just be like a stone coat party that we throw at the and But the the largest party on campus my entire four years was Disco. And I was happy to hear it still happens. I don't know how big it is anymore. It's still pretty big. Is this still big? It's still big. It is absolutely you would never see more people at Harris than that party. And I heard that at one point students were throwing in

Morgan Smith '26: I feel like I've seen this at some point during my time here.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Someone who was an administrator from like who graduated from my year was um she didn't send pictures but she was like you would just die and um what they pretty what they think the 90s was sound like oh well i wonder what people think of our seven of our disco outfit Because that poor the poor rags to riches was like is still around now? It's like a consignment shop downtown.

Morgan Smith '26: Oh no. No. We do still have our consignment shops‚ but not rags to riches. Rags to riches.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Or people would just like the really the good folks the people who really put together the office would just like spend their year figuring out what they were gonna do. But it was fun. That was the big one. And then um And then when 1010 started‚ that was that was mixing years. So that was that and I I'm I'm sad I didn't get more of those because that actually ended up being the 1010 was the best thing I ever experienced. on campus‚ like at party wise. It was truly special. I'm happy it continues on it. I'm sad it doesn't have it on campus. That's just such a bummer.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Um now this is‚ I'm realizing where I've placed it in my writing‚ a more somber question. Um‚ but were there any major instances of and I think you mentioned this earlier a little bit‚ but any major instances of homophobia on campus or in town that kind of impacted students while you were at Grinnell? Any major

Gabe Rodriguez '00: I mean we would have I grew up in a small town like Grenal but much smaller. So like having high school students drive by in a truck I could just yell faggot. Like maybe very jarring for some folks. It was not for me. Yeah. I was like‚ whatever. Like‚ it's just like I mean not that I didn't not that I liked it. It is jarring. Yeah. Like that to but it it's like‚ I'm like‚ it's just like a little high school. Like let it go. Like but I someone threw a beer bottle on you. Not because I was gay‚ but or maybe they thought it was who cares. It was just a college they think all the college kids are at least then they would just assumption they were all queer. But I yeah‚ someone didn't throw a beer bottle in Once. Um‚ so that sucked. It was more like that kind of thing. Mm-hmm. But uh actual incidents I I can No‚ I thought that that caused any kind of that I wouldn't I didn't hear anything like that. Have there been any germ anything major?

Morgan Smith '26: Um I forget whether there's been any major during my time here. What is that? Um but definitely historically there have been some. Really? Yeah. Um especially people getting things slipped in their mailbox.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Oh that‚ yes. The Duke letters. Do you know about the Duke letters?

Morgan Smith '26: I think so‚ but please tell me.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Incredible. Probably the best piece I've ever read in Grandma magazine. Someone finally figured it out. It seemed to be these mysterious these letters would show up as a student's post office box. And Creepy as all. Fuck. I'm not gonna do the story justice because that that article in Gridown magazine just look at a D-U-C-L-O-D. Um I don't remember exactly what was in the letters‚ but it seemed to target queer students. But um‚ but but but it also kind of was kind of random. So they and and other students‚ but it was like They were like stalker letters. It felt like a stalker‚ but it felt like someone who don't want to stalker. Um it felt like someone who knew something about you. They definitely had your paleo box. Very mysterious‚ like where it came from‚ what why you I don't remember the contents exactly. It's been a while since I read. That came out the article came out a while ago. I was like jumping up and down when I saw that someone had had actually figured it out. That I I felt like that article should have gotten way more like because for the students around my year who got those letters‚ I think Celia had got It's incredibly disturbing. Imagine getting as like a mysterious piece of mail that's like alluding to like things about you and um And I think‚ yeah‚ I won't spoil anything for you‚ but like I you should read it‚ because it was freaking out queer students on campus. It was freaking people out in general‚ but definitely some queer students who had received those letters and I was so amazed that someone was managed actually an incredible investigative local journalism. I forget who did it. I think might have been somebody and it happened to But uh definitely look it up. But so the yeah you're my but like so like mysterious things showing up under the door saying like something really horrible. Yeah‚ I had a provocative like fake Nike ad on my door. I was like‚ just do it. Poster. I forget where I got it from. And uh it was just um‚ yeah‚ it was it wasn't graphic‚ but it was suggestive. And it lived on a very football-y floor in Norris. And we did have issues in Norris more‚ but it was more like a a football players versus first years kind of thing. But as the one of the queer only queer people in the door‚ you know‚ I I someone did write something once on my on my on the poster or on my whiteboard. Whiteboard vandalism. That was like the extent that I remember for myself. But um nothing‚ thank God‚ nothing major. Um but uh that's really shitty to get something like into your physical space like that. Yeah. Did the candles do things like did anybody

Morgan Smith '26: I forget. Um but I will find out. Um were you involved in any kind of political activism or campus advocacy on campus or beyond campus‚ what did that look like if so I know that you mentioned multicultural space is were a bit was a big thing.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah that was absolutely and then um Really I was super‚ I was I was mostly involved with Seoul. Like that was really where I focused a lot of. I was the intern my sophomore year. That took up a lot of my time so that was my paid I worked in the library and I had that as a paid job. I don't think I was supposed to work that many hours but they didn't have the systems back then to track that some buzz part Oh‚ I needed the money anyway. Um I did a lot to make soul‚ I worked really hard to try to make it more inclusive because when I arrived on campus it was heavily dominated by Mexican American men. And there were definitely more than Mexican American men on campus. There were in fact women on campus. I'd be shocked to learn. And um I just thought and and they were involved‚ but I thought this isn't not right. Like it felt it reminded me of the macha machismo of home. And I just uh I was like I did not come here to have this this bullshit experience again. And they were nice guy I love some of them. Like they were they meant well. And they didn't mean they it's not like they meant to turn it into that. It's just they were the ones who like were active in it and like they were a bunch of but they became friends and like but it felt like a big click. And so when I came in‚ I was really intentional about reaching out to like to more like non-Mexicans‚ like people part of Seoul and like because we were starting the the Latino population was starting to diversify in a major way and to I it's remarkable what it is today. I think uh uh the college has done an amazing job of getting students to come from from you know all parts of the by the time I left there were students from definitely Latino like Dominican and Puerto Rican students from the East Coast coming. Which is great‚ but like I yeah‚ soul was really my my number one‚ to be honest. Um that's where I felt like I had a lot of I'm really proud of what I did with QPOC‚ but I to be honest‚ like I we started it‚ we we we met‚ it was like very informal. We made our statements and then like we just kind of it just fizzled so um yeah god bless the students returned in and i i came here i was here for a i think it was during multicultural student reunion The last one they had? When it was also coincided with the drag show? Mm-hmm. Or was it some or might have been a different meeting?

Morgan Smith '26: This would have been fall twenty twenty three. That sounds right‚ yeah. Because I presented at that actually. At the there was a panel at Multicultural Reunion that I presented at. Maybe this is when I was just getting started with my research. Um and I was in a panel of a couple of researchers talking about various multicultural histories on campus.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Maybe maybe I did see you. I came to that and like I think the drag show was happening‚ right? Sounds right‚ yeah. I I I could be mixing it up‚ but um I was I was like the Cupac. I but then I knew Cupac had existed and I heard heard that they did a drag uh I definitely had heard that there was a drag show. I just did not I didn't know what it was. I didn't and I didn't realize until like That weekend‚ I was like‚ this is a huge thing. This is big. And um I just could not believe I went to the show and I was like beside myself the whole time. I was just like‚ this is unbelievable. This is such a‚ and it is like. Well attended.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah‚ it's one of the events of the semester‚ every semester. Yeah.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: When did it start the actual drag show?

Morgan Smith '26: Uh the drag show started in the fall of 2006. I believe.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Oh‚ so that's opposed to anybody I would have overlapped.

Morgan Smith '26: Um so we are‚ however‚ coming up on an anniversary.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Yeah. And I want to say there was uh other Joseph Nelson I think there was a student‚ I think his name was Charles‚ it was like Charles Coles maybe. African-American. I think he was from Texas. And uh I think he also had something to do with that after like there was a s I think he might have been the bridge into like the early two thousands who kept things going. Um but yeah that was wild. I could I the performances were actually like I I didn't know what to expect. I'm like‚ these are really good. These kids really put a lot of effort into this. And uh I love that if people were going up there through money on the stage. I was like that perfect.

Morgan Smith '26: Perfect. Yeah‚ it was really special. Yeah‚ it always is. And I where somehow it gets bigger in execution every year.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: It's phenomenal. And um what is it like to um I mean are they considered to be the main queer group on campus or is it are they all just kind of so niche that like I was gonna say I feel like everybody's it's like a council

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah‚ I was gonna say I feel like everybody kind of has their niche‚ but they definitely uh host the most popular events. Okay. The biggest and the best. Yeah.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: It's just that there's like such diversity now that they're that you can find your own‚ which is wonderful too. Yeah. That may have been part of like the origin the the growing pains of or like the cracks in Stone Cove were probably some of the early signs of like things like has gotten so much better. Like we don't like we're we're we're all kind of like Celia's‚ you know‚ a discussion group. The students of color feel like ah we're gonna have our own little space where we talk about things and get together and eat. Like just‚ you know‚ because really with I should say with with it's hard to explain just how much the multicultural space issue loomed over all of us. Um Because we felt it every day. Like when you'd go to the sole office or micro if you needed support. There was no support for multicultural students. Um and I don't I l your question about who was advising or who what faculty or administrative like it's a good question. Um I don't know if there was any until formally in fact I'm not sure if until like until I've met Micho like at multicultural student reunion weekend. Um I'm not sure that a paid position that was like had someone I don't know how long that really lasted that existence.

Morgan Smith '26: I was gonna say there was a paid position starting in 88‚ I believe. Um really? Yeah. A yeah‚ quarter sign position as far as my research thus far is That's fascinating. Yeah.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: I would never have guessed it was that that far back.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Um‚ which I'm trying to figure out for sure. More information. about that. But yeah‚ going back that far. And now as we kind of move towards the end of the interview‚ I kind of got a couple of reflective questions here. First of which is how did your interactions with the queer community here impact your post-grenela life? Oh god. Wow‚ what a question.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Um I felt that let's see so even with all like the split the the the split it wasn't even like that dramatic. I I didn't feel like that I don't feel like that now. I think that I definitely felt like it was traumatic. I was so you know‚ I'm friends with all those folks. Like we're it's amazing how many of my queer friends then are still in my life today. Are and how Um even if we don't see each other for a long time‚ like we have this like really special kind of there's something about being like queer on campus at that time. Because it was like post like March on Washington kind of AIDS is starting to kill less and less people. There's more treatment. And uh the whole AIDS question is so rich for discovery because we don't have that microdon. We really don't know. I'm sure it would be therapeutic really for people in the 80s to let that out And taught like graduates from that time because they lost they had to have lost people and we just don't know those stories. Like I would love to know those stories. Like‚ who is that person? Because I read about that guy. He was a scribe‚ he sounds like an amazing guy. Like who was he? like we lost those stories. And part of it is that like as alumni we don't we lose lots of stories and like you're absolutely going to lose the story of someone who died at 24. you know um queer life i mean i ended up working in uh nonprofit fundraising but the job i had the longest was for an HIV service organization that worked specifically with It's in New York City‚ right? So but we've worked with mainly black and Latino uh uh black and Latino men and women. Um‚ you know citizen‚ you know‚ d it it was there were no um limits on who we could work with‚ like funding wise. So like we work with everybody. But I got to help I've work on a campaign. It was coming full circle. I helped get funding for and like got to like look at campaign. We were the ones who discovered that the medications were actually working so well that people were going to start living past 50 and they were probably going to live to a normal lifespan. or close to it. So we better figure out what the hell is going on with this population. So the group that I work with called the KRIA‚ which is now part of the gay men's health crisis‚ which is what the active folks all that found Larry Kramer and all them. They absorbed us because we were very small‚ but we were kind of like a think tank. And then they took all of our knowledge and like sucked it into their situation I left because I didn't want to be a part of that. GMAC. That's a whole other story. But um they uh we discovered that uh people were gonna live to be over 50‚ which is like if you told people in the 80s and early‚ even like back when I was a student that that was gonna be the case‚ we would be like‚ what? How? How is this gonna even‚ you know‚ what's that look look like? And um so like I feel like Grinnell led me and my career experience led me too. down that path to like end up at a place because I I loved it. I got to lobby. I was like I did government relations. I did fundraising I did like all kinds of stuff. Worked on those campaigns. Um we're the first people to put up ads around New York City about old people having sex. Old old being all like 48‚ like old people being anyone over fifty. So like I'm now coming up against the we have this HIV and aging campaign that We worked in nursing homes. We worked in like people that work in aging services would be like you have to deal with these populations very soon. Here's a whole there's they're not gonna be like anything you've ever seen before‚ so get ready. And we did a lot of trainings. around the country. For that it was very most rewarding job of my life to do that. But um I'm sure Gruno had something to do with with that in doing that. But um I think queer the isolation of queer life here also absolutely led to me moving to Chicago because I was like‚ I gotta get the fuck out of here because it's I have to move to a big city. I did Grinale Monday‚ but that was limited. But uh it influenced me to go um find queer community somewhere larger and I did and I was very um involved with like organizations I was in a group called Queer to the Left in Chicago We did a lot of activism on gentrification‚ like the gentrification of Boys Town was a big deal at the time‚ right after I left Cornell was that. People were moving into queer s queer neighborhoods historically that had not been that great to live in. You know‚ they were queer‚ that's where all the queer gay bars were‚ but like not really. People were like suburbanized were not living there‚ but like people who would have been We're not moving in and complaining about the noise. It's like you move. Literally‚ a condo was built on top of Circuit Nightclub‚ which is a mostly Latino nightclub in Voice Town. So actually a Latino space in a heavily white uh area condo built right on top of it and then the people in the condo building worked to get it shut down and they eventually succeeded But yeah. Stuff like that. So they I was involved right away after Grinnell. Those kinds of things. Definitely influence‚ but um Hopefully I'm still doing green outpro on some things.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. Is there anything that you'd like to have on the record from this interview that I haven't asked about or that it hasn't been mentioned?

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Now I think that you really um first of all thank you for all of this. Like the work you're doing is just I mean it's so necessary. And uh it was at that multicultural reunion. I'm sure I saw I heard you speak. But the well is it in that laurel leaf room? What did you do that better?

Morgan Smith '26: No‚ this was in a room on the south side of the husk on the third floor.

Gabe Rodriguez '00: Oh‚ maybe I'm actually I couldn't go over some reason. I'm sorry‚ I missed it if I did. But um It was at that reunion where like‚ you know‚ Bruce Kauf‚ when all you've interviewed‚ um‚ was talking about like things from his era. I didn't know that there had been as uh beginnings of a gay group in the 70s. I always thought everything kind of started in the 80s. And I've heard him talk more‚ you know‚ and very just just so movingly about that experience. And I learned more about what that was like and it gets lost every four years it's like this turnover and we lose all those what you're doing is so important and um but I th oh god because I worked in the HIV and I worked I worked with my colleagues were long-term aid survivors and um you know aid survivor syndrome is a real condition it's devastating I it's I mean I can't even tell you the how like It's imagine watching everyone around you die and somehow for some medical freak situation or like just by luck you survived and I feel like there's alumni out there who would love to tell you I know there's maybe there's storytelling in it for for various reasons‚ but mostly to remember the people who were here because uh we lost that they can't tell their stories because they're gone and like what was their queer life like we know that was that it was here what was happening in the 80s how many of them are gone So maybe you can get that to the friend someone can get them to their friends to talk about it.

Morgan Smith '26: Yeah. All right. Well thank you so much for this interview.