Dublin Core
Title
Daniel Wenger Oral History
Date Created
2016
Subject
Colorado, HIV, Gay History
Description
Daniel Wenger’s oral history traces his life from rural Indiana to Denver, including childhood isolation, bullying, funeral work, military service, marriage, fatherhood, alcoholism, mental health struggles, and gradual self-acceptance as a gay man. He reflects on early same-sex desire, secrecy, relationships with men, depression, sobriety through AA, the death of his daughter, and the difficulty of coming out to family. Wenger also discusses Denver gay spaces, Cheesman Park, AIDS-era loss, aging, Parkinson’s, loneliness, and elderhood. His story emphasizes survival, grief, recovery, self-honesty, and the importance of coming out first to oneself.