Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections

Dorothy, October 26, 1981 (Tape 1)

Item

474.jpg

Title

Dorothy, October 26, 1981 (Tape 1)

Subject

Lesbianism Lesbian couples -- United States Lesbian bars Lesbian -- relationships Lesbian -- sexual behavior Lesbian --United States --Identity Lesbian -- United States -- World War II Lesbian community -- New York (State) New York Lesbian --Family relationships Lesbian -- Social life and customs Roles --Butch and femme Lesbian -- courtship

Description

Side A

Dorothy discusses lesbians in the military during World War II with regard to her friend Betty, a lesbian marine who feared her phone was tapped. She refers to it as a 'witch hunt'. Dorothy discusses lesbian bars in Buffalo in the 1940s -1950s, and talks about friendships and butch and femme roles.

Side B

Dorothy discusses her break up with her girlfriend of 13 years, Charlotte. She talks about their courtship, sexuality, home life, and their families, who were never formally told they were a couple. While talking about the break up she mentions the deed to a cottage they shared and losing personal property in the breakup. Dorothy mentions seeking help from a lawyer and a lesbian psychologist in the 1950s. Dorothy discusses that she once considered suicide after a breakup.

Creator

Interviewee: Dorothy, Interviewer: Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy

Date Created

1981-10-26

Contributor

Pratt Institute, School of information and Library Science, students in LIS-665 Projects in Digital Archives

Is Format Of

tape cassette "SPW474 Dorothy"

Format

tape cassette "SPW474 Dorothy"

Extent

Side A
Side B

Medium

mpeg
wav

Language

eng

Type

Sound
Physical Object
Oral History Interview

Identifier

SPW474

Coverage

Coverage=Spatial: Buffalo, NY
Coverage=Temporal 1942-1960
Coverage=Temporal: 20th Century

Rights Holder

Lesbian Herstory Archives, Contact Designation: Maxine Wolfe, Contact Address: 484 14th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215, Phone Number: 718-768-3953

Citation

Interviewee: Dorothy, Interviewer: Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy, “Dorothy, October 26, 1981 (Tape 1),” Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections, accessed March 29, 2024, http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/show/38.