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![[2014SP]Letter to Morgan from Stella Rush Side B.mp3](/omeka/application/views/scripts/images/fallback-audio.png "[2014SP]Letter to Morgan from Stella Rush Side B.mp3")
Morgan G, Side B, November 2, 1988
This is a continuation of a previous audio recording. The recording is taken in a car ride and it is a letter for Morgan. She discusses her daily routine. -
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National Black Lesbian Conference
Scan of "National Black Lesbian Conference" written by Becky Bertha originally published in PLGTF Bulletin, Volume 2, Number 8, 1980. Includes Bibliography on Black Women. -
Neighborhood Voices: Audre Lorde Interview (Tape 1)
Old Neighborhood Voices interviews Audre Lorde about living as a young Black lesbian in the Lower East Side (now referred to as the East Village). She discusses the interconnectedness of the lesbian communities in the neighborhood, the imperfect support systems they offered each other when there were no other options, and the pressures of living on the edge of society. Lorde also discusses the racism that was rampant in the gay community in the Village, and how the few black lesbians within these communities were met with apathy when discussing political matters. She also discusses the effects of McCarthyism in the 1950s on her lesbian communities, as well as how she gained political consciousness growing up with the Brown v. Board of Education case, as well as by living near the Women’s House of Detention in the Lower East Side and seeing Black incarcerated women for the first time. -
Neighborhood Voices: Audre Lorde Interview (Tape 2)
In the second part of the Old Neighborhood Voices interview with Audre Lorde, she talks about living around the Village in the 1950s - from the migrators who came into the gay bars just for the weekend, to the imagined mythos of the Village as a place for anyone outside of white, middle-class America, and to the conflicts between the older residents and the newcomers to the area. Lorde touches on what her apartments were like and the rent situation of the area, as well as scrouging together food to share with her communities as a poor person. Then, Lorde discusses the multiple lives lesbians of the time had to live and the incredible gift that integrating every aspect of herself was as she got older. She touches on the Stonewall Riot, as well as the way she had to stop arbitrarily dividing aspects of herself to make others more comfortable. -
Neighborhood Voices: Audre Lorde Interview (Tape 3)
In the third part of the interview, Audre Lorde discusses the lure of the Village for gay people, black people, and others who wished for an egalitarian environment, and how sometimes they would ignore the homophobia and racism they faced in the neighborhood to hold onto this dream. Also, she discussed in more depth what she thought about the Stonewall riot, and how it felt tied to the black revolutionary movement of the time. Furthermore, she discusses at length the different gay bars she would frequent, their ties to the mafia, and the different women that would frequent them. -
Neighborhood Voices: Audre Lorde Interview (Tape 4)
In the final part of the Old Neighborhood Voices interview with Audre Lorde, she wraps up the talk with a discussion on the drama of lesbian life in her youth. She talks about the difficulties and joys of living in community with lesbians in the 1950s and how being on the edge of society gives you a different worldview. She stresses how everyone should view themselves as an outsider so they don't lose perspective on the true sense of power structures at play in the world. -
Neighborhood Voices: Irving Cooperberg [Partial interview]
Irving Cooperberg discusses the importance of having a physical, experimental space and what it means for the legitimacy and stability of the community. He discusses different LGBT groups and community spaces throughout NYC, and the ways in which they promote life and hope amidst the HIV/AIDs epidemic. He talks about how these spaces give legitimacy to the community and allow for the melding of all different cultures and people. He also discusses the gay Synagogue and its role in the larger gay and lesbian community. -
Neighborhood Voices: Sonny Wainwright Interview (Tape 1)
Sonny Wainwright discusses coming out in 1948, navigating the Village bar scene as a young college student with her lover Kelly, and the social life of lesbians in the 1950s. Wainwright found support in the bars as well as her close circle of closeted friends prior to the formation of the Gay Women’s Alternative. -
Neighborhood Voices: Sonny Wainwright Interview (Tape 2)
Wainwright remembers her youth and feeling on the “fringes” of society. Growing up and attending an all girls highschool, she was aware of her feelings about women and only later realized what it meant after graduating high school and meeting her first lover. Despite understanding her identity and sexuality, she made the choice to “live straight” in the 1960s due to the lack of acceptance by society and the threat of losing her job as principal of a junior high school while raising her daughter alone. -
Neighborhood Voices: Sonny Wainwright Interview (Tape 3)
The New York gay bar scene in the 1950s gave Sonny Wainwright and her peers a place to be together without the interference of straight society. She left New York in 1953 to become a college teacher at University of New Hampshire. Wainwright oscillates between ideas of identity and stories of different instances of being outed in her personal and professional life, including a story about developing a relationship with a student at the University of New Hampshire, who outed her sexualty leading to her dismissal. -
Neighborhood Voices: Sonny Wainwright Interview (Tape 4)
Sonny Wainwright discusses being closeted, her group of closeted friends, and keeping her private life private. She also discusses labels as being necessary because the word “woman” does not define every part of her, and when she is free to be who she is she will no longer feel the need to be labeled a “radical lesbian feminist” because woman will be sufficient. Also mentioned is Wainwrights’ battle with breast cancer, and how it brought her first book Stage V: A Journal Through Illness.
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Neighborhood Voices: Sonny Wainwright Interview (Tape 5)
Sonny Wainwright provides discourse about the privilege of marriage as it pertains to illness and becoming a parent. She explains her choice to "live straight" for several years so that she could have a child. It was not until she met Audre Lorde that she realized she had "choices", whom she called her teacher. Wainwright also discusses the need for lesbian illness support groups due to unjust experiences brought on by the illegality of same-sex marriage. -
Nicole Schapiro Interview
In this oral history conducted by the Rossmoor Lesbian Social Club, Nicole Schapiro discusses her founding on the Bay Area Career Woman group, her family, her coming out process, and her work as a professional speaker and coach. -
Nikki Nichols Interview, May 14, 1987
Nikki Nichols describes her coming out process, and experiences with older lesbian women as a teenager. Discusses changing views on butch/fem issue. Laments the lack of lesbian groups in Sacramento, as well as describing issues with and fears of gay bars. Talks about how the discovery of DOB saved her life – socially and otherwise. Describes first DOB convention in 1960. Discusses her research into Native American attitudes towards homosexuality, as well as Native American rights movement.
On tape 2, she talks about The Ladder and its role in lesbian history, and gives her thoughts about which leaders loomed large in the DOB. She brings up the Act or Teach “controversy” of the early 60s. She mentions problems with drug culture in San Francisco during the 60s. She also talks about her enthusiasm for active protest/picketing, and the difficulties of getting gay activists and rallies in California outside of San Francisco. -
NYPAP Oral History Interview: Maxine Wolfe and Anne Maguire
Oral History conducted by New York Preservation Archive Project in which Maxine Wolfe and Anne Maguire are interviewed. They discuss their early lives, background on their family histories, and the work as activists.
The talk about the environments they grew up in, Maxine in Brooklyn and Anne in Dublin, and their early interest in, and awareness of, politics. Anne talks about the political climate of Ireland that made her want to leave, eventually winning a green card in a lottery, and moving to New York City. Anne describes meeting Maxine at a Thanksgiving Dinner through a friend, Marie, who would eventually become her partner.
Maxine discusses her involvement in various LGBTQ and Radical organizations in NYC that lead her to ACT UP. Anne discusses being part of the founding group of ILGO, the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization, which started in 1990, and which she was part of for 10 years. She talks about ILGO's rejection from the St. Patrick's Day Parade and the publicity the group got from that.
They talk about the erasure of lesbian organizers and leadership within LGBTQ history which tends to focus on gay men, and how Lesbians had to advocate for themselves and form their own movements to be heard and to focus on Lesbian issues. They talk about Lesbian and women erasure during the AIDS crisis and how that lead them to for the Lesbian Avengers along with Ana Maria Simo, Anne-Christine D'askey, Marie Honan, and Sarah Schulman. They decided they wanted to focus on serious politics rather than cultural issues, and to not be a top-down organization. Anne and Maxine discuss the first meetings and actions of the Lesbian Avengers and talk about offering organizing help and support to other Lesbian groups around the country.
Maxine and Anne talk about the real depth of activism, and the dangerous legal and personal implications of direct actions. They discuss the importance of being part of a group and having a support structure when taking part in a direct action. Maxine talks about the learning and training and teaching that happens behind the scenes before any direct actions. They go into more detail about work they did as the Lesbian Avengers around the country, and the effect that their bottom-up structure had on small community movements.
They talk about the Alice Austen House and the fact that the Board was homophobic and hiding the queer part of that story, and work they did around protesting how the history was being handled. They discuss the importance of recovering queer histories from the 19th Century, and making gay history available to the public. Maxine talks about the role of the Lesbian Herstory Archives in preserving the history and lives of all lesbians for this reason. They talks about how visibility and survival are related for Lesbians, and the need for people to see themselves represented.
Maxine and Anne talk about seeing the fruits of their activist labor come to fruition after 25 years, and their thoughts about current acceptance of LGBTQ people as being partially related to capitalism and revenue. They discuss more recent LGBTQ history and archive projects and the celebrating of gay institutions that have survived over the past 50 years. However, through some of these projects, they are still experiencing Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender erasure and erasure of the history of every day people.
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Olivia Records Interview (Part 1)
Jennifer Woodul and Ginny Berson, founders of Olivia Records, are interviewed by Ruth Scovill. Jennifer Woodul and Ginny Berson talk about their band and production studio, Olivia. The recording starts mid-sentence. They discuss recording music and starting a music studio. They talk about how they met at The Furies Newspaper, and the need they seen for women-owned businesses, and issues with capitalism. Part 1 of 2. -
Olivia Records Interview (Part 2)
Jennifer Woodul and Ginny Berson, founders of Olivia Records, are interviewed by Ruth Scovill. Jennifer and Ginny continue to talk about women’s autonomy in the lyricism of women’s music. They talk about their views on music production and concerts as places of political organization. They attempt to self-define what “women’s music” means to them, while acknowledging the classism in the music industry. Part 2 of 2. -
Olivia Records interview with Marcia Danab
In this interview, Marcia Danab, the host, talks to two members of Olivia Records: Ginny Berson, and Meg Christian. Berson and Christian talk about how they created their record label, as well as the challenges that they faced as a company made by women for women. They both talk about the struggles that they have faced in the music industry as women in regard to gaining ownership, being paid, being taken seriously as artists, and making music that is specific to the female experience and understanding. Olivia Records was founded in 1973 and played an important role within the gay rights and counterculture movements of the time. Notable artists they represented were Tret Fure, Kay Gardner, Leslie Ann Jones, BeBe K'Roche, Pat Parker, and Cris Williamson. Due to declining sales, Olivia Records became Olivia Cruises and Resorts, a lesbian vacation company, in 1990. -
Our Cities, Our Lives - Wife Battery
Episode of Our Lives, Our City. Side A is an interview with members of the Center for the Elimination of Violence in the Family (Yolonda Baker and Diane Jackson) and a former resident of the center (Laura), mostly about the center and the work they are doing. The Center for the Elimination of Violence in the Family opened on March 4, 1977 (according to Yolonda, it is the first domestic violence shelter in NYC). The Center offers shelter/residence, counseling, referrals to education programs, job-training, work opportunities at the shelter, and accompaniment to welfare, family court, and police appointments. Side B is for taking calls. -
Outlooks, March 26, 1989 [New York City's response to AIDS]
GLIB (Gay and Lesbian Independent Broadcasters): Radio program "Outlooks" hosts a roundtable discussion with ACT UP members to discuss NYC's Response to AIDS, from policies to public opinion. -
P.D. Griffin Interview, May 13, 1987
P.D. Griffin discusses her role in the Daughters of Bilitis and her relationship to the lesbian community. She also discusses her interests, which include softball and ukulele. -
Pamela Oline Interview, [date unknown]
Pamela Oline is interviewed. She is heterosexual and talks about her path to and experience of being a member of DOB and campaigning for gay and lesbian rights. She describes her childhood growing up in England, moving to America when she was 14 and changing career from a mathematician and to a psychotherapist. Recognizing the psychological issues of the time, she decided to understand the lesbian community from the inside. She talks about DOB meetings, lesbian and feminism issues, radical and conventional activism, marriage, and GAU (Gay Academic Union) meetings, panel discussions, etc.
Accompanied by an edited collection of clips, featuring Oline talking about being a Lesbian, the DOB and its eventual fractioning, and the debate of whether the lesbian's movement should be separate from the women's movement. -
Pat and DJ, November 11, 1986 (Tape 1)
Side A: Liz and Madeline ask Pat and DJ for feedback on a draft of "Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold." Pat claims the book paints too rosy a picture of lesbian life, underplaying the prejudice most lesbians encountered in the 1940s and '50s. Both talk about the Buffalo bar scene in the 1940s and '50s: mentioned are Carousel, Bingo's, the Chesterfield, Ralph Martin's, the Mardi Gras, and the Midtown. The discussion shifts to relationships, faithfulness, and prostitutes.
Recording has loud feedback sounds and squeaks at the beginning.
Side B: Pat and DJ discuss bar denizens vs. lesbians who did not frequent bars and the "class" distinction there, and also the way non-butch lesbians looked down on butches. DJ describes how her long-term relationships were analogous to marriage, where she was the breadwinner and her partners were housewives who perhaps worked but did not "provide." Both discuss the fact that in the 1940s and '50s butches had the freedom to have affairs whereas femmes were expected to be faithful. This created an atmosphere of mistrust in which monogamous long-term relationships became very difficult.
Recording has loud squeaks at the beginning, hisses throughout, and cuts off abruptly at the end. -
Pat and DJ, November 11, 1986 (Tape 2)
Side A: Pat and DJ continue the discussion of relationships during the 1950s from tape cassette SPW457. The two women discuss aspects of how to make relationships long-lasting and the importance or lack thereof of sexual intimacy in relationships. Both Pat and DJ discuss personal opinions related to intimacy in relationships, particularly in long-term relationships. The discussion then turns to types of attraction and intimacy.
Side B: Pat and DJ continue to discuss relationships during the 1950s and talk about reasons for breaking up. The discussion revolves around the importance of taking care of a woman and being able to satisfy her needs. The two women discuss the negative stigma of cheating. The discussion turns to take pride in a partner and the importance of her appearance and physical presence. Pat and DJ also talk about the presence of violence during relationships in the 1950s, listing insecurity between partners as the main reason. The two women speak specifically of violence in bars as a result of talking to another woman’s lady or challenging femmes in relationships to talk to other women. They discuss how much of this behavior was learned from lesbian role models of the 1940s. -
Pat and DJ, November 11, 1986 (Tape 3)
Side A: Pat and DJ discuss the characteristics of femme identity. The interviewers say they are looking to interview more femmes, which leads to a discussion of the names and locations of lesbians who were a part of the community in the 1940s. The interviewers also mention the difficulties of interviewing lesbians who have not come out. The group discusses why butches are more willing to talk. Pat talks about her time at the Good Shepherd home. There is a brief discussion about the role of lesbians in World War II.
Cut off at 0:14:55
Side B: The group continues their discussion of the interview process, including who is willing to talk and who is not, as well as who will use their names and who will not. There is more discussion about beatings. Pat tells of coming out to her mother. Her mother only worries about the violence Pat is subjected to, on account of being butch. There is a long discussion about the nature of breakups and their aftermath. The group discusses the role of third parties in most breakups and the way a butch or femme reacts to a breakup. The issue of "passing" comes up, and Pat talks about working as a cab driver and passing as a man. Often, the children of femmes did not know that their mothers' partners were actually women. The interview concludes with a description of the rules for asking other butches' girlfriends to dance, and the fights that sometimes ensued. This point in the discussion highlights the difference between the generation of the interviewees and the generation of the interviewers. -
Pat G., May 21, [year unknown] (Tape 1)
Side A: Pat discusses her experiences as an African American lesbian. She developed friendships and relationships with both white and black gay women in the 1950s. She denies there were any racial tension in the Buffalo lesbian community; Pat says her experience was very inclusive. She also discusses experiencing police harassment, but says that she longer experiences discrimination from law enforcement. Pat discusses her wardrobe in the 1950s, which was composed of mens' clothing, and where she used to shop.
Side B: Pat discusses her friendship and romantic relationship with Jerry Jones, a male impersonator, who was well known in the 1950s Buffalo lesbian community. Pat discusses her move to Albany, N.Y., in the late 1950s and the birth of her daughter in 1957. She also mentions her experiences at after-hour bars which were only open to African Americans. While she used to frequent them in her early years, she no longer goes. Pat identifies as a butch lesbian and discusses the differences between butches and femmes. When she was younger she did not allow her partner to touch her during sex, but is much more open to the idea now. According to Pat, many butch lesbians did not receive sexual contact from their partners. -
Pat G., May 21, [year unknown] (Tape 2)
Pat shows family photos. She says several of her family members were gay, including her mother and brother. She talks about bars, the 557 and 217, with racially mixed clientele. She describes violence when straight men tried to dance with gay women. She mentions other favorite bars from the 1950s: the Chesterfield, the KittyCat, Club Coco, the 469. Pat describes her relationships, many of which involved "messing around on and off" for many years. She describes coming out to her mother at age 13, and talks about the "white girls from Canada" (lesbians) who were her mother's friends. -
Pat Helin and Barbara Deming Interview, May 10, 1987
Pat Helin and Barbara Deming discuss their childhood in Iowa, relationships with their familes, their involvement with the Daughters of Bilitis in San Francisco and their friendship with Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.
On tape 2, they elaborate on their early days in San Francisco, Pat’s previous marriage, political affiliations, jobs, dancing in gay bars, and why they ultimately left the DOB. -
Pat Turner Interview, December 31, 1987
Pat Turner describes early experiences as a lesbian growing up in the south, conflicts with her enthusiasm for religion as a young person, and her family’s reaction to her sexual orientation. She talks about the relative lack of gay social life in Tennessee, despite the existence of certain bars in Nashville. Discusses how her first letter to The Ladder became an article, and the response from readers. Describes working on The Ladder, and later experiences after the Stonewall. -
Pat Walker Interview, October 18, 1988
Pat Walker talks about her mother's reaction to her sexuality, her first girlfriend, living with blindness, and her experiences with the DOB and its members. -
Pat, June 6, 1978 (Tape 1)
Side A: Pat discusses her definition of lesbianism and her attitude towards “radical lesbians.” She also discusses her background, including her relationship with her family and her experience at an all-girls Catholic school. She talks about how and when she realized she was a lesbian and describes her early relationships with women. She discusses leaving home and experiencing gay bars for the first time in the 1950s. Finally, she discusses butch and femme roles and how they have changed.
Side B: Pat discusses why she does not have many gay friends and why she does not identify with the lesbian community. She talks about her relationships and her feelings about sex. -
Pat, June 6, 1978 (Tape 2)
Side A: Pat talks about her childhood in North Port, N.Y., her relationship with her parents and siblings. She goes into detail about her estranged relationship with her older sister. She describes when she first knew that she was a lesbian and tells the history of her relationships with women. She starts with her first affair at age 13, with a nun from her Catholic school - Sister Eugenie - to a relationship she had with Maryann (Marty). She describes her time at nursing school in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and the gay bars she frequented until she moved to Florida with her then girlfriend. She says she moved to Buffalo, N.Y., in the late 1950s, and describes the Buffalo bar scene, mentioning Dingles, Mardi Gras, the Chesterfield, the Carousel and the Carol Hotel. Pat mentions that the Carousel was very elite, something she did not like. This leads her into a discussion on “role play†and how important it was to distinguish oneself as either a butch or a femme. She classified herself as butch, but stated that she was very uncomfortable with the label and now prefers to be less overt.
Side B: In this interview Pat talks about how she does not like or feel comfortable in the gay community. She has never identified with it, or been made to feel welcome. This is one of the reasons that she does not maintain friendships with other lesbians, unless she is having a sexual relationship with them. She mentions being victimized and physically assaulted because she was a butch lesbian. Interviewer Madeline enters the discussion, speaking about her own sexual experiences with women. Madeline classifies Pat as “untouchable,†something that Pat denies, stating that she is simply very private. She feels that sex is a necessary but not important part of a relationship; it is something that is never sought or welcomed. She is suspicious of those who claim to experience sexual pleasure, including Madeline. -
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Paula, January 18, 1990 (Tape 1)
Side A: Paula describes various locations where gay men and women would meet each other, like Kleinman's Corner and bars such as Ralph Martin's. Often these locations also served as hubs for sex workers. She speaks about the rigidly defined roles of "butch" and "femme" provided for lesbians during the 1940s. Paula talks about her life as femme and being married to a man who introduced her to gay/lesbian life. She discusses her sexual life and the type of sex that women had with each other in the 1940s, specifically within the strict binary of butch and femme. Paula recalls the social life at bars, such as Ralph Martin's, which included dancing, drag shows, prostitution, and drugs.
Side B: Paula speaks about her family life in relation to her sexual identity. She talks about her husband's fast lifestyle and her changing preferences eventually causing the dissolution of their marriage. Paula mentions the types of employment she has had, including working in department stores, as a waitress, as a desk clerk at the Genesee Hotel, and on the assembly line at Bell Aircraft. She speaks more about various bars that she went to: Pat's, Dugan's, the Carousel, and the Carlton Hotel. She talks about a long-term relationship that she had, after her divorce, that lasted ten years, as well as traveling out of the Buffalo area to places like Florida, California, and Utica, N.Y.
The recording cuts off abruptly after 23 minutes. -
Paula, January 18, 1990 (Tape 2)
Paula describes the absence of love and romance in her relationships with women, but later in the interviews describes a relationship after her divorce. She mentions one-night stands and sexual experiences she had with friends, and the importance of these friendships to her. Paula mentions that she was married and had children, and would go out to bars at night with her friends or alone. -
Performance Theatre Troupe (Tape 1)
A video of a one-woman play by the Performance Theatre Troupe from Iowa City. The place centers around Effy, a 17-year-old lesbian and musician who must make a decision about her life.
The three-act play takes place over a single day. Act 1 follows Effy in the afternoon, in her bedroom, before going to a piano recital she is involved in. Act 2 takes after the piano recital. Act 3 takes place later that night after Effy has been thinking about her life.
Tape 1 includes Acts 1 & 2. -
Performance Theatre Troupe / Gathering (Tape 2)
The tape is divided into two sections.
The first section of the tape contains Act 3 of "The Performance" (6 min), a one-woman play by the Performance Theatre Troupe from Iowa City. The play centers around Effy, a 17-year-old lesbian and musician who must make a decision about her life.
Following "The Performance," the tape cuts to a gathering of lesbians sitting outside, playing guitar, singing, and reading. -
Phil, January 18, 1980
Phil talks about being in a relationship with another woman and how she provided for her. She also goes on to talk about how other butch femmes provided for their partners and what would happen when they would break up. Phil further goes on to talk about gay literature and her problems with it. She also discusses gay bars and the lack of support for them. -
Phil, January 9, 1980
Side 3: Phil begins the interview by discussing the dynamics of living with her lover and husband under the same roof, as well her lack of shame or guilt in being gay. She then talks about guilt among other lesbians she knew. Related to this, she discusses reasons people were not public about their lesbian identity, including work and family commitments. She spends the majority of this side of the tape talking about her long-term, intimate relationship with her best friend. She discusses the difference between butch and femme friends, as well as the distinct features of a close friend versus a lover. -
Pleasure by Barbara Barracks
Author Barbara Barracks is interviewed on the show Prose, produced by Sharon Martin. Barbara reads Chapter 10 of her novel Pleasure. -
Poetry Series: Rosemary Cappello + Barbara Ruth Read Their Poetry
In this episode of Women's Consciousness Raising Hour, the first poet Rosemary Cappello reads a mixture of original poems and poems from friends and other notable poets, surrounding the theme of correspondence. Rosemary views correspondence as the most faithful way to show affection and grow closer with other poets. She also reads a poem that she wrote, in place of an angry letter, to respond to an anti-feminist book review.
The second poet, Barbara Ruth, opens with a poems about her awe for life: her experience knowing and being close to other women, seeing a solar eclipse. Her poems discuss women's issues, specifically, the tension between being a woman and having intense or maddening emotions, and the tensions women have with men. Her poems frequently invoke the power of women and call for a revolution. Furthermore, Barbara grapples with issues of valuing some lives over others, witnessing suffering, narcissism, and simple wanting. She also reads poems about her mother. -
Portia, September 24, 1978 (Tape 1)
The gay movement has taken the lesbian community out of the bars or the "gay underworld," as compared to when she came out in the late 1960s, about 10 years prior to the interview. Portia, age 26, is not out at her job, but is known as a feminist and civil rights activist; her sister is openly homosexual. She talks about her early sexual experiences with girls and how she never felt guilty or different, but felt guilty with boys because of her Catholic upbringing. Her father beat Portia after she went out with her lover, and then she moved out of home at 18. She attended university and discusses her relationships and friendships in college, as well as her relationship with her first lover, who is still her partner, and their infidelities. -
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Power, Oppression and the Politics of Culture: A Lesbian/Feminist Perspective; Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, August 25, 1978, (Tape 1 of 3)
Audio recording of a panel presentation at the Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women. Includes Audre Lorde. -
Power, Oppression and the Politics of Culture: A Lesbian/Feminist Perspective; Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, August 25, 1978, (Tape 2 of 3)
Audio recording of a panel presentation at the Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women. "Power, Oppression and the Politics of Culture: A Lesbian/Feminist Perspective" included Audre Lorde -
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Reading from 13th Moon Series, 1982
Side A : A poetry reading from Audre Lorde
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Reeves Interview (Tape 3)
Interview with Mount Holyoke student Reeves on her experiences taking Barbara Smith's class. -
Reeves Interview (Tape 4)
Interview with Mount Holyoke student Reeves on her experiences taking Barbara Smith's class. -
Reggie, September 21, 1980
Discusses growing up in Buffalo, when she realized she was first gay at a young age, and going to clubs -
Renee Archer Interview
In this oral history conducted by the Rossmoor Lesbian Social Club, Renee Archer discusses her early feelings for other women, moving to California from Detroit, her marriage to a man and eventual coming out process, her involvement in activism, her work as a teacher, the importance of community, and her feelings about gender identity. -
Renee Shapiro Interview, April 1, 1989
Renee Shapiro is interviewed April 1, 1989. She discusses joining the Daughters of Bilitis and the various group activities they did. Renee talks about her hands on experience with putting together plays and different group events. -
Report from World AIDS Day 1995
A Dyke TV report on World AIDS Day from New York City Hall. The event is a commemoration and demonstration memorializing New Yorkers who have died of AIDS, and a protest against budget cuts that will impact AIDS education, prevention, and services. It includes footage of people reading the names of the deceased, with City Hall chosen as a location to send a message to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for his lack of response to the AIDS crisis. The report includes footage from a Housing Works Theater Project, "In Limbo", and interviews with participants including health care workers, an AIDS educator, and a harm reduction advocate and recipient of assistance at risk of being cut. Excerpts from the Dyke TV series "Risk, Lesbians, and AIDS" is also shown, including interviews with lesbian women living with AIDS and health care workers, and an excerpt from "Voices From the Front" about the People With AIDS Health Group and Act Up protests against the United States Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. -
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Robin Morgan
Robin Morgan talks about the creation of the New York Radical Women group in 1967 (20-25 women), the male Left, working on the Atlantic city pageant demonstration 1968, and publishing the "Sisterhood Is Powerful: An Anthology of Writings from the Women's Liberation Movement" in 1970. She then reads a poem and uses poetry as a political tool, as well as asserts that the Women's Movement is fostering relations between different strata of US society. Morgan advocates for women to take control legally, health-wise, and become an international force. She states that rape and pornography affect all women and she depicts women as the largest and longest subjugated people. The Women's Movement will continue to prosper. -
Romaine Brooks with Anne Imelda Radice
Anne Imelda Radice, an art museum director and arts administrator, discusses the life and art of Romaine Brooks. Romaine Brooks was a lesbian portrait artist born in Rome, Italy in the late 19th century. She was known as the "thief of souls" for her ability to capture emotion in her art. The host and Radice have a conversation on how lesbianism was perceived during Brooks' time period, as well as her relationship with her lifelong partner, Natalie Barney. -
Rose Jordan Interview, May 23, 1993
Rose Jordan discusses her involvement with women’s political organizations, including the New York chapter of of the Daughters of Bilitis, and feminist groups along with the schism that existed between 2 generations of lesbian women.
Accompanied by an abridged version highlighting Rose Jordan's discussion of political organizations and feminist groups. -
Rossmoor Lesbian Social Club Introduction Video
In this video, members and past presidents of the Rossmoor Lesbian Social Club give an introduction to their group and their oral history project. They discuss the history and growth of the group and their place in the larger Rossmoor community, and detail the events their group puts on. -
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Ruth Berman & Connie Kurtz interview with Rose Jordan, 1984
This episode of "The Lesbian Radio Show" on WBAI is an interview of Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz by Rose Jordan. The women discuss the importance of Coming Out, the adverse reactions people might have to that news, and the reaction that one might have to their own Coming Out. They talk about working on themselves and about how doing the inner work of acceptance makes it easier for them to live in a society that might not fully accept them. Ruthie and Connie share about their practice of Co-Counseling, in which people can provide emotional support for each other by deep listing. They discuss self esteem, pride, shame, and the connection between emotion and the health of our physical bodies. They encourage people to seek help should they need it.
Ruth and Connie discuss issues with unprocessed trauma and how being triggered can cause a trauma response, unconditional love and the importance of not weaponizing love, and take calls from listeners. They talk about upcoming workshops and counseling that they offer.
Songs played during the show include "I Am What I Am" by Gloria Gaynor and "She" by Holly Near
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Ruth Berman & Connie Kurtz Talk with Pride NY, 2002
Audio recorded at an event put on by Pride NY, the employee network group for LGBT individuals at JP Morgan Chase with Out and Equal Metro New York and the NY Bankers Group.
Side1
Blythe Masters from JP Morgan Chase introduces Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz . Connie recalls feeling different from an early age, issues with shame about being different, and the necessity to challenge the system that makes people feel that way. She talks about her relationship with her family and with Ruthies Family. Ruthie talks about being a mother, coming out as a lesbian as a parent, and her illness that resulted from her internal struggle and shame related to being a Lesbian. Ruthie talks about applying for partner benefits for Connie that lead to the lawsuit against the New York State Board of Eduction and her experience working with Lambda Legal. Ruthie discusses the collective power that queer people and their allies have.
Side 2
Ruthie + Connie talk about their film and take questions from the audience. They discuss making politicians accountable during their time in office and demanding full legal acknowledgement and recognition of rights and personhood. They talk about their involvement with their synagogue, and the power of corperate and professional LGBT groups.
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Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz on the Michelangelo Signorile Show, 2003
Episode of the Michelangelo Signorile Show on Sirius OutQ which aired July 20, 2003 in which have Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz to talk about their life and new film “Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House.” At the beginning of the episode, they also talk about other people they are having on the show.
Ruth and Connie's interview starts at 10:55 and ends at 30:30. They discuss their Cotello Towers neighbohood where they met when they were both married and young mothers. There they started the "Mother's Action Committe" within their community. They talk about their own internalized homophobia at the beginning of their relaionship and their fear that they would have been found out, and the transition to feeling comfortable with themselves and their sexuality. They discuss their lawsit with the New York City Board of Education for Domestic Partnership Benifits and their apperance on the Donahue Show in 1988.
They take questions from callers which relate to being lesbian and Jewish, the community they have found there, and the importance for others around the country to find similar communities, or to create them.
After Ruth + Connie's interview the hosts discuss a NYC teen, Natalie Young, who is sueing her teacher for harasmeent over comments made about the teenagers shirt that said "Barbie is a Lesbian"and other LGBT current events. -
Ruth Berman and Rosemary Dempsey for the National Organization for Women NYC, 1991
Audio starts with Ruth Berman talking to an audience about the importance of voting as a Lesbian and as an ally, an about the importance of being political and coming out as a gay person. She touches on the role of money and legality in domestic partnerships and the need to prove them. Ruth encourages the audience to join the National Organization for Women (NOW) to amplify their voices.
10:00 mins into the tape, Rosemary Dempsey from NOW discusses the importance of legal tools to protect gay people and their families, ad how coming out is an important part of that process.
Audio ends at 13:11, the rest of the tape is blank.
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Ruth Berman, Connie Kurtz , and Deborah Dickson Interview with Bay Area Reporter, 2001
In this interview with an unknown reporter, Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz discuss their lives in context with the recent documentary about their life directed by Deborah Dickson, who is also interviewed.
Ruth and Connie discuss how they met, their early activism within their communities, being married to men and having families, and their eventual falling in love with one another and coming out as Lesbians. They discuss their relationships with their families then and now, and the importance of coming out of the closet.
Deborah talks about her process when working in this film, and how she tried to make the film for both gay and striaght audiences -
Ruth Berman, Connie Kurtz, and Karen Thompson at the National Organization for Women Conference in San Diego, CA
"Out: One Road to Empowerment" panel moderated by Dixie Johnson from National NOW Power Through Action Conference. Panel includes Karen Thompson, Ruth Berman, and Connie Kurtz.
Side 1 Ruth starts off by singing "I Am What I Am" by Gloria Gaynor and then talks about her life and knowing she was a lesbian from a young age and her journey to get rid of the same she originally felt about her sexuality. She talks about being married and having children, being in the closet, and her early relationship with Connie. She expresses the shame she first felt when being with Connie and regretting how much time she lost being in the closet. Ruth talks about going on the Phil Donahue show and the lawsuit after being denied partner benefits for Connie by the NYC Board of Education because they weren't married. She encourages the audience to undo the damage of being brought up as heterosexual women and to come out.
At 21:40 Connie speaks and talks about being a mother and grandmother, and her relationship to her family. She talks about how abuse has been perpetuated throughout her life about working through her problems and celebrating changes. Connie shares her experience of being diagnosed with cancer and her experience trying to heal herself and going into remission.
At 38:30 Karen Thompson discusses trying to be what other people wanted throughout her early life and meeting a partner who taught her how to live and be herself. She recalls not being able to admit her sexuality to herself or her partner, the car accident that her partner was involved in, and realizing she had to come out to get through this challenging time.
Side 2 The second part of this tape is a duplicate of the audio described in "National Organization for Women (NOW) NYC - Ruth Berman and Rosemary Dempsey" -
Ruth Simpson and Ellen Povill Interview, October 8, 1989
Ruth Simpson and Ellen Povill are interviewed in Woodstock, New York. Ruth talks about her past experience dating men and falling in love. She discusses coming out and realizing her sexual orientation when she was doing theater in college. On tape 2, she and Ellen Povill talk about various movements, including civil rights, feminism and gay and lesbian rights. They describe the day a group of feminists were arrested at a demonstration and the police brutality they experienced and later on, examples of FBI interception. Ruth discusses DOB and her leadership of the New York chapter and Ellen talks about her activities on the action committee. -
SAGE's Second National Conference on Aging: the Many Faces of Activism for Middle Aged and Old Lesbians, 2000
Audio from SAGE's Second National Conference on Aging, which took place from May 5-6, 2000 in New York, NY.
The audio starts with a conversation with a woman discussing activism, being an out lesbian parent, and atheticism and answering questions from the auidence. She talks about "The Gay Games" and the healing effect of sports for women and girls. Questions from the audience include comments on finding community at the intersection of elder lesbians and sports.
At 9:41 the audio cuts to a panel discussion with Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz. They play a clip of Ruthie + Connie's 1988 apperance on the Phil Donahue Show. Ruth and Connie talk about their personal hsitroy and early activism, their lawsuit against the New York City Board of Education for domestic partner benefits, the importance of being political and of coming out. They also talk about oening a counceling cener in their home and issues with the Butch/Femme Bianary.
At 28:41 the audio switches to Joan Nestle speaking about the Lesbian Herstory Archives and the importance of including reords about diverse Lesbian History.
AT 33:11 a woman from the aidence speaks from the perspective of radical lesbians who have never had children or been married and about expanding the lesbian agenda in the future. She reads from a a piece she wrote called “a week in the life of a 60 Year Old Lesbian” about her activism within the lesbian community. -
Sally Piano Interview (Part 1)
Sally Piano is interviewed by Ruth Scovill. Sally discusses her early life, including her ethnicity, and racial identity. She mentions how learning the piano and music led her to the women’s movement, and feminist music. Part 1 of 3. -
Sally Piano Interview (Part 2)
Sally Piano is interviewed by Ruth Scovill. Sally talks about her relationship with her audience as a performer. She addresses difficulties with men in the women’s music scene, as well as appropriation and criticism. Part 2 of 3. -
Sally Piano Interview (Part 3)
Sally Piano is interviewed by Ruth Scovill. Sally talks about her distrust of the government, including phone-tapping, spying, and the CIA. She addresses mainstream musicians of ripping off minority culture, including lesbians by men in power. She shares views on women’s music as alienating male audiences, intended to create space for women-only, as well as differences between straight and gay audiences. She discusses issues of maintaining an ethnic name as a performer, and how she came about using a stage name. Sally touches on themes of separatism in the women’s and lesbian movements. Part 3 of 3. -
San Francisco Dyke March and Gay Pride Footage, 1995
This footage shows events and gatherings from the third annual San Francisco Dyke March on June 18, 1995, themed "A World Without Borders." It includes several women giving brief speeches before the march begins on topics such as domestic violence and gay communities in South Africa. California State Senator Carole Migden and Assistant Secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development Roberta Achtenberg appear in the march. At the end of the march, Achtenberg gives a speech and the singer Rozalla performs. -
San Francisco Lesbian History Project discusses Buffalo lesbian bars in the 1950's, 1981 February 24
Side A:
Discussion on the social issues in the Lesbian communinity bar and nightlife scene in Buffalo, NY during the 1950s.
Side B:
Continuation of side A. Only 2 minutes of side B used in original recording.Tags Butch and Femme -
Sanders, Side A, October 24, 1976
This tape contains an interview with Helen Sanders in her home. -
Sanders, Side B, November 24, 1976
An interview with Helen Sanders in her home. It includes audio from side A. -
Sara Brown, 1978
Sara Brown discusses her experiences with her previous female partners. She talks about her childhood and the influence that her family and Catholic School had on her life as she was growing up. She also discusses the difficulty she has had in coming out to her parents in later life. -
Seneca Falls Radiodrama
The Seneca Falls radiodrama is a brief overview of what led to the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, 1848. The convention, now called the Seneca Falls Convention, was held in order to converse about the liberties that women do and do not have, be they civil, social, political, or religious. The recording introduces listeners to Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, two prominent members of the women’s rights movement at the time. A reading of the Declaration of Sentiments, which outlines the civil, social, political, and religious rights of women, as well as various quotes, are included in this recording. -
Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice - Tape 3
[00:00-15:26] Video begins with a protest/ceremony outside the Seneca Army Depot, a military-industrial complex in Seneca, New York.
[15:39-22:52] Following the demonstration, the video cuts to an interview in which two participants explain the importance and objective of their ceremony and the purpose of their "wailing," which was meant to imagine and express the agony of victims and those threatened by nuclear war. -
Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice - Tape 4
Three interviews with women who participated in the “Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice“ protest. The interviews touch on the women's experiences of being detained, their mistreatment under the hands of the Seneca Army Postmen, and their reasons for participating in civil disobedience. -
Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice - Tape 5
An interview with two women discussing the history of women's peace camps, ecofeminism, and issues of ethnocentricity among non-indigenous activists, particularly among white activists who believe they "know how to do things." Interviewees also discuss restorative land justice and “The Mountain,” a survival camp hosted by Native Americans that teaches indigenous traditions. The video is interrupted by static for the first 16 seconds, as well as from 2:30-6:11 due to the physical condition of the tape. -
Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice - Tape 6
Footage of a demonstration that took place outside of the main gates of the Seneca Army Depot, in which a group of women wearing white fabric and fake blood wail and rattle the chainlink gate as guards look on. A group of women beat on small paddle drums and hum behind them.
Interviews in Tape 3 of this collection describe the experience and meaning behind the demonstration. -
Sexual Harassment on the Job
Side A is a radio program on WBAI in New York, hosted by Viv Sutherland, and addresses the serious issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. The show consists of two central interviews: Mary Garvin, a carpenter and member of a union, and Rachel, a legal secretary, who both tell their own stories of being harassed at the workplace. Mary Garvin, a member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 1204, describes her own encounters with casual and malicious forms of harassment at work on building sites, such as discriminatory treatment as a minority worker. Rachel describes a hellish experience of attempted sexual attack by her employer, a private attorney, detailing being physically restrained and assaulted in his office. The program also features phone-ins from listeners discussing different issues surrounding sexual harassment, law, and potential responses to such an event––some advocating for violent responses. The discussion touches upon the issue of complexities of building harassment cases, shortcomings in current legal protection, and the need for systemic changes to assist the victims better and prevent workplace harassment. Side B continues with call-ins. It expands on themes from the first half but brings in more emphasis on legal, economic, and cultural barriers to justice. The program ends with a call for systemic change, grassroots activism, and women reclaiming their power in courtrooms, workplaces, and daily interactions. -
Shane, undated (Tape 1)
Shane talks about getting into trouble during her teenage years and how her father kept sending her to all-girls schools thinking it would straighten her out. She speaks about gay bars in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. She tells a story about running away from home to pursue a relationship, ending up involved with hustlers and begging her father to help her stay out of jail. She talks about moving back to Buffalo, getting a job, and how things have changed.Tags Atheism, Bars, Education, Families, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Oral History, Parents, Relationships, Religion, Sex Work, Work -
Shane, undated (Tape 2)
Shane talks about running away from home with two girls after her father forced her to leave home. She then lived as a man in New Orleans under an assumed identity. She was arrested and held for 72 hours on suspicion of robbery. She recalls the people she met during her stay in jail. -
Shane, undated (Tape 3)
Shane talks about the different lives she led during her youth. These different roles included working a job at Goodwill, dating and living with hookers on the weekends, and studying to become a Methodist minister as a man. She then talks about her current career as a trucker. -
Sharon Noteboom Interview
In this oral history conducted by the Rossmoor Lesbian Social Club, Sharon Noteboom discusses growing up on a farm in the Midwest in a religious family, the influence of conservative religion through her life, her coming out process in the late 70s, her involvement with the civil rights movement and various communities in San Francisco, and teaching as an out Lesbian.
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Shirley Willer Interview, July 11, 1987
Shirley Willer talks about becoming aware of her true sexuality, being a lesbian nurse, the DOB, her view on motherhood, and her experience as an activist. On tape 2, she discusses her National Presidency of DOB, the break up of DOB in 1970 and the end of the Ladder in 1972. She also touches on the 1968 convention and her relationship with Marion. -
Shirley Willer, Tape 2 of 4, Side A, July 11, 1987
This is a recording of Shirley Willer talking about her life. She talks about her experience with men, her experience as being labeled a lesbian, coming out to family and friends, how she discovered the existence of homosexual organizations through ONE Magazine, discrimination, the DOB, her initial expectations when first joining the organization, becoming chapter president, duties and achievements as president, conflicts surrounding the DOB, her decision to step down as chapter president, and the dissolution of DOB.
Marion Glass is recorded as well. She talks about her relationship with women, joining the Mattachine Society, and about DOB’s activist approach.
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Side A: Children's Literature
Side B: Gertrude SteinRecorded at the 1974 Gay Academic Union Conference at NYU, this panel, The Lesbian in Literature, features Janet Cooper and Cynthia Secor, chaired by Virginia Apuzzo. Cooper critiques the erasure of female affection, emotion, and intimacy in children’s literature, tracing it to the influence of early 20th-century librarian Anne Carroll Moore and her control over publishing standards that suppressed depictions of female relationships. Secor’s paper analyzes Gertrude Stein’s feminist and lesbian aesthetics, comparing her to James Joyce while celebrating Stein’s rejection of patriarchal literary traditions and her creation of new forms of expression rooted in female consciousness, identity, and language. Together, the talks explore censorship, literary history, and lesbian representation within both children’s and modernist literature. -
Sidney Abbott at Lesbian Herstory Archives "The Good Old/Bad Old Days: Lesbian-Feminism, Its Origins—What's Helpful to Us Now?" Part 1 of 2
Sidney Abbott reflects on earlier years of the gay and lesbian movements; audience participation turns the presentation into a discussion on turning tides in the movements. -
Sidney Abbott at Lesbian Herstory Archives "The Good Old/Bad Old Days: Lesbian-Feminism, Its Origins—What's Helpful to Us Now?" Part 2 of 2
Sidney Abbott reflects on earlier years of the gay and lesbian movements; audience participation turns the presentation into a discussion on turning tides in the movements. -
Simone de Beauvoir discusses the art of writing
Recorded in Paris with Studs Terkel, Simone de Beauvoir describes her philosophies of life and writing her memoirs, discussing: her childhood upbringing in Catholic school, dynamics with her parents, artistic influences in her life, the experience of being a woman writer, and wartime. -
Slide Titles for GWA
This is a collection of video clips, photos, and opening/closing credits for a Daughters of Bilities documentary sponsored by the Lesbian Herstory Archives. -
Sophie's Parlor
Radio Free Women/ Sophie's Parlor episode about rape in terms of legal representation and shortcomings, poor and prejudiced treatment of rape victims. Audio is poor at times. The discussion focuses on the need to implement legal changes to how rape is understood through hearings and testimonies that are very difficult experience for the rape victims. They point out the sexist, classist, and racial discriminations against victims of sexual assault (such as victims having to pay for their medical expenses after forensic collection). They talked about the availability of the Rape Crisis Center to help women in need. -
Speaking to the Future: 1978 Lesbian Regional Conference (Tape 2)
Part 2 of interviews addressed to "lesbians of the future" conducted by the Lesbian Herstory Archives at the 1978 Lesbian Regional Conference. Among the subjects discussed in the interviews include coming out, lesbian bars, racism against lesbians of color, representations of violence against women, feminism, and older lesbians. -
Speaking to the Future: 1978 Lesbian Regional Conference (Tape 1)
Part 1 of interviews addressed to "lesbians of the future" conducted by the Lesbian Herstory Archives at the 1978 Lesbian Regional Conference. Among the subjects discussed in the interviews include coming out, lesbian fashion, older lesbians, chosen names, homophobia, and racism against lesbians of color. -
St. Paul's Church Lesbian Pride Week Concert, June 26, 1976
Concert held at St Paul's Church on the occasion of Lesbian Pride Week. Also includes the announcement of the site, details and regulations for a later rally. -
Statement of Purpose; Visitor Feedback / Lesbian Herstory Archives
Oral history recording that documents the history and legacy of the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Members of LHA recite the LHA Statement of Purpose from 1974. This is followed by the reading of quotes (with multiple, unidentified readers) from appreciative visitors to LHA. -
Stella Rush & Helen Sandoz, May 15, 1987 (Tape 2 of 3)
Stella Rush and Helen Sandoz discuss writing and printing the Ladder, and another lesbian publication, the One. They also touch on a range of topics including obscenity laws, pornography, spirituality, the Homosexual Bill of Rights, and DOB conferences. They discuss the politics of the 1980s and compare it to that of the 1950s. Stella goes into detail about her upbringing and subsequent mental health issues.