Cloe, Maxwell Oral History

Scope and content:

Maxwell Cloe received a BA in American Studies and English from William & Mary in 2020, an MA in American Studies in 2021, and is currently a Program Coordinator for the Sharpe Community Scholars Program. They are from Mechanicsville, VA and currently live in Richmond, VA. While at William & Mary, Maxwell completed research on queer archives and art in the Appalachian Mountains, and continues to maintain a queer digital archive, "Wildcrafting our Queerness."

Maxwell Cloe describes their academic experiences at William & Mary related to queerness, including GSWS classes and their undergraduate and graduate research about queer art, culture, and life in the Appalachian Mountains. They also discuss the Triangle bar, which hosted queer nights until it closed in 2019. After this, it was difficult for queer people to find a dedicated space to socialize, and Maxwell describes efforts by queer organizations like Lambda Alliance and Rainbow Coalition to host events. As a current staff member, Maxwell discusses the opportunity they have to serve as a mentor for students as well.

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