JUNE DIGITAL HIGHLIGHT
Civil rights institute of inland southern california
Out in the IE Archive Collection
the Collection
Queer Life and Activism in Inland Southern California
The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California (CRIISC) partners with community members to digitally preserve materials that tell the story of how people across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties have envisioned, advocated for, and secured their civil, political, legal, and human rights.
The Out in the IE archival collection highlights the often overlooked and underrecognized histories of queer life and activism in Inland Southern California. The collection began with an oral history interview with longtime lesbian activist Connie Confer, a founder of the Inland AIDS Project and the Political Action Coalition for Elections. Since then, she has contributed dozens of photo albums, now digitized and publicly accessible through the archive.
Her photograph collection provides insights into the display of
the AIDS Names Quilt in the 1990s and important AIDS walks and marches in our region.— From the Out in the IE Collection
Oral Histories
46 Interviews
conducted 2025
Collection
200+ Photos
& documents
Grant Award
$90,000
CA State Library
From the Archive
Click any photo to enlarge
2025 Expansion · California State Library Grant
Starting in 2025, a $90,000 Preservation & Accessibility of California’s LGBTQ+ History Grant enabled CRIISC to grow the collection and open the corresponding exhibition Out in the IE. Between January and August 2025, CRIISC conducted 46 oral history interviews — including a conversation with drag performer Mayhem Miller, and George E. Sonsel, founder of the Desert AIDS Project. Explore the exhibition at inlandcivilrights.org/exhibitions/out-in-the-i-e
“To have an event in San Bernardino felt special because it felt like I was honoring my queer family … honoring my cousin Armando and my cousin Tommy.”
Jean Decay, Drag Artist & Historian
“Meeting this young, very suicidal gay male, I couldn’t stay in the closet.”
Martha Kazlo, Counselor, Cal State San Bernardino
Collection Themes
personal Perspectives
Mayhem Miller
Donated behind-the-scenes photographs from drag venues in Riverside and Ontario
George E. Sonsel
Explore his collection of images and newspaper articles documenting the early years of the Aids epidemic.
Martha Kazlo
Kezlo’s personal collection offers insight into campus activism in the 1970s and 1980s.
Grow the Archive
Your Story Matters
CRIISC continues to expand this and other collections. If you — or someone you know — has photos, documents, or stories that help tell the history of social justice in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, we invite you to connect with us.
Explore & Connect
archive.inlandcivilrights.org · inlandcivilrights.org/about-the-archive