G. Samantha Rosenthal (she/her/hers) is an independent journalist and professional historian. Over fifteen years, she has written widely about the United States, with an abiding commitment to Appalachia and the U.S. South. Samantha is the author of two books, most recently Living Queer History: Remembrance and Belonging in a Southern City. Her writing has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Salon, The Advocate, The Conversation, Southern Cultures, Lilith, and Them. Samantha is co-founder of the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project, an award-winning queer community history organization; Second Friday, a lesbian social monthly pop-up; and the Southwest Virginia Trans Wellness Fund, a mutual aid initiative that empowers transgender people through financial assistance. Her work has been recognized with awards and honorable mentions from the National Council on Public History, the Oral History Association, the LGBTQ+ History Association, the American Society for Environmental History, and the Working Class Studies Association.
