Dominque (DMINQ) Robbins

Dominque (DMINQ) Robbins

Author: Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project September 27, 2024 Duration: 1:53:07

DMINQ is a Colorado based musical artist, entrepreneur, and activist. His arts and entertainment production company and recording studio named ART MATTERS PRODUCTIONS is the only queer owned business in Rocky Ford. In this interview with CC students Chloe Agenor and Meridian Mensch, he discusses his experience growing up in the church, dating in Colorado Springs, mental wellness, and his work uplifting queer BIPOC artists.

Season 6 is directed by Dr. Rushaan Kumar, faculty in the Feminist and Gender Studies Department at Colorado College, in collaboration with students in his class, "LGBTQ Social Movements in the US", Spring 2024.


Tucked into the foothills of the Rockies, Colorado Springs holds a complex and powerful story, one often told through a narrow lens. The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project shifts that perspective entirely, turning the microphone over to the people who lived it. This isn't a polished historical overview, but a living archive of intimate conversations. You'll hear directly from longtime LGBTQ+ residents, their voices carrying the weight and warmth of personal memory. They share stories of creating community in unexpected places, of resilience in the face of being labeled a national battleground during the culture wars, and of the quiet, daily triumphs that often go unrecorded. This podcast prioritizes narratives from underrepresented queer and trans communities, ensuring the full tapestry of the city's identity is preserved. Each episode feels like sitting down with a neighbor who has seen the city transform, offering a crucial, firsthand account of the struggle to simply make a home. Listening feels like an act of preservation, honoring a past that actively shapes the present. Through these personal histories, the project builds a more complete and human understanding of a place and its people.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project
Podcast Episodes
Darolyn Stewart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:05
Darolyn Stewart, who identifies as "Black first, and then queer", has been a tireless advocate for youth in Colorado Springs. Her work spans across several groups, non-profits, and educational institutions from Safe @ Sc…
Dara Hoffman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:03
As author, gender affirming therapist, blogger, podcast host, LGBTQ+ community health equity liaison and much more, Dara Hoffman has been transforming trans and nonbinary mental health in the Springs for several years. I…
June Berry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:04
June Berry worked at the Pikes Peak Library District until recently, and is a phenomenal labor organizer and activist. Berry shares stories of surviving the medical system and DIYing her own trans healthcare. In a full c…
Ari Carlin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:56
Interview with Ari Carlin for the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, conducted by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, led by Dr. Tre Wentling.
Daemon LaVey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:46
Interview with Daemon LaVey for the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, conducted by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, led by Dr. Tre Wentling.
Taylor Salazar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:29
Interview with Taylor Salazar for the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, conducted by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, led by Dr. Tre Wentling.
Avalon Manly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:51
Interview with Avalon Manly for the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, conducted by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, led by Dr. Tre Wentling.
Colleen McElvogue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:01
Interview with Colleen McElvogue for the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, conducted by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, led by Dr. Tre Wentling.
Jesse Perez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:01
Interview with Jesse Perez for the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, conducted by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, led by Dr. Tre Wentling.
Victoria Lipscomb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:38
Interview with Victoria Lipscomb for the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, conducted by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) students, led by Dr. Tre Wentling.