Vickie Goodwin and Sissy Goodwin
There’s an electrical power plant technology instructor at Wyoming’s Casper College who stands out on campus. His name is Sissy Goodwin and he dresses in women’s clothing.
He wears bows in his hair, likes his skirts exactly 17 inches short, and he prefers his tool boxes in pink.
Sissy identifies as straight. His wife, Vickie, didn’t know he wore women’s clothing when they met, but for the past four decades she has stood by his side.
When they sat down for StoryCorps, Sissy and Vickie looked back on the early days of their love story.
Originally aired April 3, 2015, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Photo courtesy of Sissy Goodwin.
Deidra Robinson and William Watford III
Many families with LGBTQ members across generations are personally familiar with the “coming out” conversation.
Deidra Robinson and her father, William Watford III, were extremely close—until he found out she was gay.
They came to StoryCorps in Homewood, Alabama, to talk about that moment.
Originally aired March 29, 2015, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday.
Stu Maddux and Bill Jones
In the late 1960s, Bill Jones (right) saw a newspaper article that caught his eye. 
The state of California was having trouble placing hundreds of children, especially older boys, in homes. At the time, most kids were adopted into two-parent households. But Bill, a gay man who had always wanted to be a father, decided to apply.
In 1969, he became the first single man in California to successfully adopt a child.
Bill spoke about adopting his son, Aaron (pictured above left), with his friend, Stu Maddux (left).
Originally aired February 20, 2014, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Top photo courtesy of Bill Jones.
Shane Fairchild and Sayer Johnson
Shane Fairchild (above left), a transgender man, lived with his wife, Blue Bauer, a transgender woman (pictured at left), for almost six years.
Blue transitioned when she was 54 years old. She and Shane met at a bar and were inseparable. But then Blue got lung cancer. She died on April 12, 2013.
Shane sat down with their friend, Sayer Johnson (top right), to remember Blue.
Originally aired January 25, 2015, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday.
Photo Courtesy of Shane Fairchild.
Doug Neville and Ryan Johnson
Doug Neville (left) and Ryan Johnson (right) met in 1986, shortly before Doug was diagnosed as HIV-positive.
At StoryCorps, they talk about their three decades of friendship and how Doug’s diagnosis has shaped their perspectives on life.
Originally aired December 21, 2014 on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday.
Sandra Sowder and Marcia Sutton
Sandra Sowder (left) and Marcia Sutton (right) met in a small town outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Over time, they fell in love. When they made their relationship public, their worlds turned upside down.
The couple sat down together at StoryCorps to talk about what happened next.
Originally aired September 21, 2014, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday.
Rita Fischer and Jay Fischer
Jay Fischer came out as gay to his parents back in the 1980s. Decades later, Jay came to StoryCorps with his 90-year-old mother, Rita Fischer, to talk about that conversation.
Warning: This clip features senior citizens dropping ‘f-bombs.’
Rita Fischer has walked in New York’s AIDS Walk since 1986. She has raised more than $800,000 in that time.
Originally aired July 30, 2014, on NPR’s Tell Me More.
Sue Larson and Clela Rorex
In late June 2014, county clerks in Colorado challenged a ban on same-sex marriage by issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. The state attorney general has ordered them to stop, and the case has reached the Colorado Supreme Court.
But few know that this is history repeating itself.
Back in 1975, Clela Rorex was the newly-elected County Clerk in Boulder when she began issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples.
At StoryCorps, Clela (right) told her friend, Sue Larson (left), that it started one day when two men came to her office door.
On the day this story was broadcast, the Colorado Supreme Court ordered County Clerks in the state to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Originally aired July 18, 2014, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Photo courtesy of the Boulder Daily Camera.
Patrick Haggerty and Robin Bolland
Patrick Haggerty grew up the son of a dairy farmer in rural Washington during the 1950s.
As a teenager, Patrick (above) began to understand he was gay—something he thought he was hiding well.
But, as he told his daughter Robin (right), someone was onto him. One day, when he went to perform at a school assembly, his father, Charles Edward Haggerty, decided to have a serious talk with him.
Patrick later formed a band, Lavender Country, whose self-titled 1973 album is the first-known gay-themed album in country music history.
Click here to watch 2016 Sundance Film Festival selection “The Saint of Dry Creek”—Patrick’s story told as a StoryCorps animated short.
Originally aired June 27, 2014, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Bottom photo: Patrick Haggery in a 4-H drag show in 1959 courtesy of Paradise of Bachelors.
Samuel Taylor and Connie Casey
When he was 15 years old, Samuel Taylor came out to his mother, Connie Casey.
In an attempt to “fix” her son, Connie sent Samuel to a series of ex-gay conversion therapy ministries affiliated with Exodus International. Samuel was in therapy for three years.
Samuel, 22, came to StoryCorps with Connie to talk about his experience—and to hear about the evolution of her beliefs.
Originally aired June 28, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.