JD Doyle Collection of LGBTQ Radio Programs

Collection

Identifier: 2022-016

Staff Only

The collection contains recordings of radio programs that were broadcast on KPFT and collected and digitized by JD Doyle. It is organized into three series: Wilde ‘N’ Stein, Lesbian & Gay Voices, and Various Radio Spots. There are 34 episodes of Wilde ‘N’ Stein, 94 episodes of Lesbian & Gay Voices, and 8 various radio spots, including Gay Pride commercials, PSAs, and others.

Dates

1981-2001

Creator

Doyle, JD (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish from copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian. Reproduction decisions will be made by Special Collections staff on a case-by-case basis.

Extent

12.4 Gigabytes

Additional Description

Historical Information

The radio program Wilde 'n' Stein was first broadcast on Houston’s Pacifica radio station, KPFT, in 1975. Hosted first by Ray Hill and later Mike Miesch, Jack Valinski, and Deborah Bell, the show focused on filling the void left by national and local mainstream media, which were silent on issues of interest to the LGBTQI+ community. The radio program bore the same name and held a close affiliation with a Houston bookstore that described itself as “a bookshop for Gay people and their friends.” Wilde ‘n’ Stein, the bookshop, fulfilled a critical need for information and community space in Houston. At a time when most opportunities for members of the LGBTQI+ community to socialize took place in either bars or churches, the Wilde ‘n’ Stein bookshop offered an important alternative for community-building and organizing. Wilde ‘n’ Stein the radio program created a similarly community-focused environment for listeners across Houston, particularly for those for whom going to an LGBTQI+ bookshop or even having a gay newspaper was too risky.

During the height of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, Wilde 'n' Stein partnered with representatives from AIDS Foundation Houston to air safer sex programs and provided listeners with accurate, lifesaving information. Likewise, Wilde 'n' Stein kept listeners informed on political issues that affected the LGBTQI+ community and frequently invited local activists and politicians on air, including many of Houston’s most notable LGBTQI+ leaders, such as Annise Parker, who went on to become one of the first openly gay mayors of a major U.S. city when she was elected Houston’s mayor in 2010.

In 1992, Wilde 'n' Stein was canceled, but the following year was restored to the airwaves under a new name, Lesbian & Gay Voices, in reaction to listener demand. The show continued in a magazine format featuring “interviews with local and national leaders, activists, and others, as well as news, reviews of cultural events, and women’s music.”

The recordings were collected and digitized by JD Doyle, of the JD Doyle Archives (http://www.jddoylearchives.org). Doyle is a community archivist who has made extensive contributions to the documentation of Houston’s LGBT history.