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Peterson Toscano collection
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Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Peterson Toscano was born on February 17, 1965 in Stamford, Connecticut. In 1982 he became a born-again Christian and began attending conversion therapy at Gospel Tabernacle Church. He graduated from Narrowsburg High School in New York in 1983 and began at Nyack College. He took time off from college in spring 1984 due to "struggling with homosexuality," but then returned in the fall. He worked as a medical missionary for HCJB, a Christian missionary radio station, in Quito, Ecuador during the spring and fall of 1985. Following this, Toscano moved to NYC and started attending Life Ministries, a support group for "men struggling with homosexuality." Toscano married Paula Kreuthmeier in 1990. The two moved to Zambia together in 1995 to do missionary work for the radio Christian Voice. They returned to the US in 1996 and Toscano began residential ex-gay therapy at Love in Action in Memphis, Tennessee. Toscano and Kreuthmeier divorced in 1997, and after two years at Love in Action. Toscano officially came out as gay in 1998.
Toscano began his work as a writer and performer in 1999/2000 in Memphis with the play Footprints, an Inspirational Comedy. He also wrote and performed a poem for Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, when she came to Memphis for an event honoring her in 2000. He moved to Hartford, Connecticut, to work at the Watkinson School in August 2001 and began attending the Hartford Friends Meeting following the September 11 attacks. He debuted his first major play, Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House, about his experiences in residential ex-gay therapy in 2003, which he went on to perform across the US and internationally. During his years touring the play he met another ex-gay survivor, Christine Bakke, and the two launched the website beyondexgay.com, an online community for ex-gay survivors.
In 2007 Toscano debuted Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible and in 2008 he also began performing The Re-Education of George W. Bush--No President Left Behind. Around the same time Toscano met his partner Glen Retief at the Friends General Conference in Johnstown, PA. Toscano and Retief moved to Sunbury, PA together in 2010 and were married in July 2012 at the Pennsdale Friends Meeting. Fom 2009-2012, Toscano traveled around the US performing Transfigurations.
Toscano began researching climate change in 2013, and created a new play on the subject in 2014, titled Does this Apocalypse Make Me Look Fat? A Comedy about Broken Bodies Large and Small. He continued his climate work through his podcast Climate Stew and as a part of Citizens Climate Lobby from 2015-2020. He also created the show Everything is Connected--An Evening of Stories, Most Weird Many True which combined excerpts from Doin' Time and Transfigurations with new material. In 2017 Toscano published two works: a performance recording of Transfigurations made into a movie by director Samuel Neff and a short graphic story illustrated by Joey Hartman Dow titled The Amazing Adventures of the Afterbirth of Jesus. He and his partner Retief moved to South Africa for a year in 2021, where he debuted his TikTok about the differences between the United States and South Africa, particularly around language. As of 2023, he hosts Quakers Today, the podcast companion to the Friends Journal.
Sourced from "Peterson Toscano Timeline" in the Peterson Toscano collection.
This collection contains various materials from playwright, performer, and Bible scholar Peterson Toscano. Documents include notes and scripts and publicity materials for his plays, personal materials like journals and photographs, and various magazines and newspapers featuring Toscano discussing his creative work, his experience with surviving ex-gay therapy and how his relationship with Christianity as evolved because of it. This collection contains sexually explicit content.
This collection contains potentially harmful homophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ material, particularly in the series entitled "Ex-Gay Experience" and "Clippings." This material has been retained in the context of the creator's lived experiences.
This collection is comprised of eight series of materials as follows:
- Personal Materials
- Writing
- Journals
- Ex-Gay Experience
- Conferences
- Performances and Appearances
- Clippings
- Published Works
Gift of Peterson Toscano, December 2022
Processed by Campbell Adams, completed December 2023
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- Campbell Adams
- Finding Aid Date
- December, 2023
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
-
Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17)
Collection Inventory
Photographs of Toscano from childhood and at various events; most have descriptions
Wedding album with divorce paperwork inserted.
Correspondence to and about Toscano, including a letter from Love in Action and a letter in response to an objection about Toscano's appearance at a church.
Gifted to Toscano in 2006 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale when he was a keynote speaker during their GLBT history month.
Includes wedding announcement and invitation and advertisement for Retief's book, The Jack Bank.
Edits from Phyllis Tickle on the 1st chapter of Toscano's draft of the book version of his play Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House.
Includes various poems written by Toscano
These notes by Toscano are on a photocopy of a selection from Genesis, and focus particularly on Eli
This subseries contains notes and journals by Toscano on a variety of topics, including personal life, faith, sexuality, professional activities, and notes for performances. Many journals contain explicit sexual content.
Includes copies of letters to Paula Kreuthmeier.
includes notes on his poem "For Judy Shepard"
Mostly notes for performances.
This series contains potentially harmful homophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ material. This material has been retained in the context of the creator's lived experiences.
Love in Action was a residential ex-gay therapy program that Toscano attended between 1996 and 1998. This folder contains material distributed by the group and contains potentially harmful homophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ material. This material has been retained in the context of the creator's lived experiences.
"Moral Inventories" were completed by Toscano as part of the Love in Action program.
"Goal Accountability Forms" were completed by Toscano as part of the Love in Action program.
Material from and related to beyondexgay.com, an online community run by Toscano and Christine Bakke for ex-gay survivors.
This folder contains material distributed by LGBTQIA+ groups on a variety of topics.
This is a signed copy, with the author, Jallen Rix, writing to Toscano, "Peterson, I could not have painted a true picture of the movement without you[r] generous input. May this be encouragement for your book! Much love and respect always, Jallen Rix". Toscano is also thanked by name in the book's acknowledgements.
This series contains material from conferences attended by Toscano.
Witness our Welcome, 2003 ("Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfaway House: 'How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement,'" entertainment showcase); True Colors XI, 2004 ("Queer 101," opening performance); Together in Faith: Journey into Inclusiveness, 2004 (("Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfaway House: How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement," performance); The XII Annual American University Conference on Lavender Languages and Linguistics, 2005; The Point Foundation Scholar Retreat, 2005 (featured speaker); Regnbagsfestival, 2006; The Eighth Annual Sarah Lawrence College Women's History Conference: Dangerous Desires, Queer Politics in the New Millenium, 2006 ("Talkin' Trash in the 'Ex-gay' Movement," plenary panel); New England Yearly Meeting, 2006 (featured speaker); Seventh-Day Adventist Kinship Kampmeeting: No One Like You, Celebrating Uniqueness, 2006 ("Life inside the 'ex-gay' movement," presentation, and "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfaway House: How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement," performance); 31st National Conference for Men and Masculinity, 2006 ("Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfaway House: How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement," performance), Courage Discipleship Group Retreat, 2006 ("Queer 101," performance)
Greenbelt, 2006 ("Talkin' Trash in the Homo No Mo Halfway House: How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement," performance); Greenbelt, 2007 ("The Re-Education of George W. Bush" and "Talkin' Trash in the Homo No Mo Halfway House: How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement," performances); The Liberty Education Forum, 2007 (featured speaker); Gender Odyssey, 2008 ("Transfigurations--Transgender Bible Stories?," workshop); The Lambeth Conference, 2008 (exhibitor); Friends General Conference, 2008 (featured speaker); Transforming Faith: Divining Gender, 2008 ("Unearthing Transgressive Taboos and Transformative Texts in Scripture," presentation); Our Family Matters, 2008 (Ex-Gay Survivor's Night, featured speaker); Anglicans and Human Rights: Seeing Christ in Human Rights, 2008
Lesbian Gay Christians and Our Friends, 2009 ("Transgressing Gender in the Bible," presentation); TransMentors International and West Valley UU: Transform Arizona, Uniting the T and the LBG, 2009 ("Gender, Orientation, and the Ex-Gay Movement," workshop); Kvinnerettigheter og Homotoleranse: Norges nye Eksportvare?, 2010 ("Transgressions" and "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House," performances); Soulforce Symposium, 2010 ("Doin' Time with Peter Toscano: Just When You Thought it was Safe to Laugh," performance); TransFaith in Color, 2011; Wildgoose Festival, 2011 ("Just When You Thought it was Safe to Laugh," performance); Greenbelt, 2012 ("Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible," performance); The National Conference on LGBT Equality, 2012
Includes Toscano's notes on his talk on violent crime against LGBT people and two articles/studies on LGBT intimate partner violence, hate crimes, and sexual assault in prisons
American Academy of Religion, 2012 ("Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible," performance and panel); Haverford College, 2013 (Friend in Residence); Delaware retreat, 2014 (performances); Greenbelt, 2015
This series contains material related to performances and appearances by Toscano, including but not limited to fliers, programs, scripts, cue lists, props, audience feedback, and recordings.
8 DVDs, 2 mini disks, 26 CDs; most are video recordings or photos of Toscano's performances
- "Does This Apocalypse Make Me Look Fat?," 2014, DVD, CD
- "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo' Halfway House: How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement!," DVDs and CDs
- "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible," 2008, undated, DVDs, 2 mini disks
- "Fish Can't Fly," DVD
- "LIA Doc V. 1," DVD
- "Chasing the Devil: Inside the Ex-Gay Movement," 2008, DVD
- "Eli Parker is Getting Married?," 2002, DVD
- "Transform Arizona," 2009, DVD
- Promotional Materials, CDs and DVDs
- Our True Colors Resource Guide, 2005, CD
- "This Way Out," CD
- "Queer 101," 2004, undated, DVDs, CD
- "Be Real: New Beginnings," DVD
- "Love in Action (Promo Only)," 2011, DVD
- "I Can See Sarah Palin From my Window (Intermission/Postshow)," CD
7 VHS tapes; most are video recordings of Toscano's performances
- "Love Makes Family," 2007
- "Queer 101: Balcony," 2005
- "Queer 101: Center," 2005
- "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House"
- "Doin Time in Tulsa (Which Spelled Backwards is 'A Slut'): How I Survived Performing in Front of a Bunch of Drunk, Rude, and Rowdy Bar Patrons"
- Unlabeled
Includes materials from an event with Judy Shepard (Matthew Shepard's mother), including "For Judy Shepard" a poem written by Toscano, performed at the event
Notes and guidelines regarding Toscano's appearance on TV show Faith Under Fire in February 2005.
This scarf was a prop for Toscano's play "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible"
This Bible with a hole drilled into the middle of it was used as a prop in the show "Jesus Had Two Daddies," in which the cut-outs were distributed like flower petals.
Includes fliers for appearances, performances other than those listed above, and combinations of multiple performances.
Contains posters for a variety of Toscano's performances, including "The Re-Education of Geroge W. Bush," "Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible," "A Queer Response to Climate Change--What Would Walt Whitman Do?," "Everything is Connected," and "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House," in addition to other appearances.
Includes material related to unidentified performances about climate change.
This series contains complete newspapers and magazines, as well as clippings, collected by Toscano on a variety of topics such as reviews of his productions, LGBTQIA+ rights, and homophobia. Several publications aimed toward the queer community are included, such as Metroline, Family & Friends, Between the Lines, and Ignite. This series also contains potentially harmful homophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ material, which has been retained in the context of the creator's lived experiences.
Contains two oversize magazines/newspapers where Toscano features in an article on the Ex-Gay movement.
short graphic novel written by Peterson Toscano and illustrated by Joey Hartmann-Dow
Toscano contributed two sections to this book titled "The M Word" and "Doin' Time in Estes Park". These passages are taken from Toscano's blog, Peterson Toscano's A Musing, written on February 25, 2007 and November 3, 2007 respectively.
Toscano contributed the chapter "Transgressing Gender at Passover with Jesus!" The chapter is adapted from his play "Transgressions-- Transgressing Gender in the Bible."
Toscano contributed the chapter "Confessions of an Unlikely Ally".
Toscano is thanked in the preface.
Toscano contributed the chapter "Not Our First Rodeo: Memory and Imagination Stir Up Hope."