THE HISTORY CENTER
Guest Speakers
The History Center welcomes a variety of Guest Speakers!
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Admission is $8.00 General Public, $6.00 Members
This program takes place at The History Center (800 2nd Ave SE)
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July 17, 2024
Pride and the Past in
Cedar Rapids
Guest Speaker: Roy Porterfield
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Doors open 5: 30 p.m.
Program starts 6:00 p.m.
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Roy Porterfield was a bit late to the pride party, coming out of the closet at age 27 while at the U of I. He seemed to make up for the deficit (after moving to Cedar Rapids) by becoming something of a community activist. Roy launched the Iowa Congressional Civil Rights Project in 1982 to lobby for a proposed gay anti-discrimination bill. Later, he was co-founder of Rapids AIDS Project and Linn County Stonewall Democrats, and served as Men’s Group Leader for the Cedar Rapids GLRC.
Roy’s other community affiliations have included Foundation 2 Crisis Center, Hospice of Mercy, Red Cross, Mt. Mercy Social Work Advisory Council, Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission, 6th District Judicial Nominations Commission, Linn County Democrats, and Eastern Iowa Arts Academy.
He is now semi-retired from a long career in automotive fixed operations management, spending his time traveling extensively and restoring vintage audio equipment.