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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Feminist Radio Network, c. 1974-1978
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Sally+Gearheart">Sally Gearhart</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=kayla+taylor">Kayla Taylor</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Susan+Moore">Susan Moore</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Alice+Walker">Alice Walker</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Grace+Paley">Grace Paley</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Rita+Mae+Brown">Rita Mae Brown</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Karen+Kollias">Karen Kollias</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Dolores+Bargowski">Dolores Bargowski</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Beverly+Fisher">Beverly Fisher</a>
Description
An account of the resource
The Feminist Radio Network (FRN) arose out of the WGTB collective Radio Free Women (RFW) in 1974 amidst alienating conditions at the Georgetown University radio station. As an independent radio network, FRN sought a wider audience and distributed feminist audiotapes nationally.
This collection contains a compilation of episodes from the Feminist Radio Network digitized by students at Pratt Institute’s Library and Information Science Program. The original materials are held in off-site storage by the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Source: Alexa Freeman et. al. (1976). Quest: A Feminist Quarterly. Quest: A Feminist Quarterly, 3(2). https://jstor.org/stable/community.28042846
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lisa Cowan
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1974-1978
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The information available on this site, including any text, data, artwork, video, audio, images or graphics may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Entities other than the Lesbian Herstory Archive may own copyright of the material. Material from the website may be used for non-profit or educational purposes. However, if copies are printed or displayed, copyright notice must be included. Except as provided above, you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this website in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner.
For information regarding any further use of the materials contained on this site, please contact the Lesbian Herstory Archives:
LHEF, Inc. 484 14th Street Brooklyn, New York 11215
Telephone: 718-768-DYKE
Email: lesbianherstoryarchives@gmail.com
Relation
A related resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/105">Lisa Cowan Audio Collection</a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
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Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
WomensMusicNetwork.wav
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T14
Title
A name given to the resource
Women's Music Network Interview
Description
An account of the resource
Interview with Kay Gardner, executive director and co-founder of the Women's Music Network, and Lou Crimmins, performer. 1974 production of the Feminist Radio Network. Discussion of the nonprofit Women Music Network's ideals and operations supporting women in the music industry. including Lavender Jane.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
10/20/74
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
PT27M11S
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mpeg
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
1/4" audio tape
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement">See the LHA Copyright Statement</a>
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Kay Gardner, Lou Crimmins
Interviews
Kay Gardner
Lavender Jane
Lou Crimmins
Music
Radio
women's music
Women's Music Network
Work
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Radio Free Women, 1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Bailey">Mary Bailey</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Helen+Blum">Mary Helen Bloom</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Garrison">Mary Garrison</a>
Description
An account of the resource
Radio Free Women (RFW) was a feminist radio collective in the early 1970s
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The information available on this site, including any text, data, artwork, video, audio, images or graphics may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Entities other than the Lesbian Herstory Archive may own copyright of the material. Material from the website may be used for non-profit or educational purposes. However, if copies are printed or displayed, copyright notice must be included. Except as provided above, you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this website in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner.
For information regarding any further use of the materials contained on this site, please contact the Lesbian Herstory Archives:
Email: dyv.lha@gmail.com
Language
A language of the resource
English
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
WomensPoliticalEducationCoalition.wav
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Radio Free Women
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T36
Title
A name given to the resource
Women's Political Education Coalition with Carol Rogers
Description
An account of the resource
Carol Rogers is interviewed on the broad goals and current policy interests of the Women's Political Education Coalition. Discussed topics include the 1974 Washington D.C. mayoral election, childcare, employment, the minimum wage, Crime, Women's Health, and Title 34.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
8/4/74
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
PT28M25S
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mpeg
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
1/4" audio tape
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement">See the LHA Copyright Statement</a>
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Carol Rogers
Alcoholism
Children
Discrimination
Employment
Health Care
Housing
Interviews
Politics
Prison
Rape
Women's Health
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Radio Free Women, 1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Bailey">Mary Bailey</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Helen+Blum">Mary Helen Bloom</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Garrison">Mary Garrison</a>
Description
An account of the resource
Radio Free Women (RFW) was a feminist radio collective in the early 1970s
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The information available on this site, including any text, data, artwork, video, audio, images or graphics may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Entities other than the Lesbian Herstory Archive may own copyright of the material. Material from the website may be used for non-profit or educational purposes. However, if copies are printed or displayed, copyright notice must be included. Except as provided above, you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this website in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner.
For information regarding any further use of the materials contained on this site, please contact the Lesbian Herstory Archives:
Email: dyv.lha@gmail.com
Language
A language of the resource
English
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Alternative Title
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RadioFreeWomen_InterviewWithSingerCrisWilliamson.m4a
Is Part Of
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Radio Free Women
Identifier
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T48
Title
A name given to the resource
Cris Williamson, Singer
Description
An account of the resource
Cris Williamson talks about her music and plays some songs on guitar.
Note: The tape suffers from water damage which has made parts difficult to hear and which causes some drop-outs.
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
PT28M01S
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/aac
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
1/4" audio tape
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See the LHA Copyright Statement</a>
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Cris Williamson
Interviews
Music
Radio
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Radio Free Women, 1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Bailey">Mary Bailey</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Helen+Blum">Mary Helen Bloom</a>
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/browse?tags=Mary+Garrison">Mary Garrison</a>
Description
An account of the resource
Radio Free Women (RFW) was a feminist radio collective in the early 1970s
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The information available on this site, including any text, data, artwork, video, audio, images or graphics may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Entities other than the Lesbian Herstory Archive may own copyright of the material. Material from the website may be used for non-profit or educational purposes. However, if copies are printed or displayed, copyright notice must be included. Except as provided above, you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this website in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner.
For information regarding any further use of the materials contained on this site, please contact the Lesbian Herstory Archives:
Email: dyv.lha@gmail.com
Language
A language of the resource
English
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
RadioFreeWomenAuditionTape.wav
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Radio Free Women
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T12
Title
A name given to the resource
Audition Tape
Description
An account of the resource
Collected Auditions for Radio Free Women: Interview with Robin Morgan, Interview and poetry readings with [???] and Rita May Brown, discussion of D.C. rape hearings with selected poets from Washington D.C. Rape Crisis center, Excerpt from 1972 Radio Free Women Collage show "Waitresses". Excerpt from 1973 Collage show "Advertising"
Audio fades out and in at several points.
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
PT45M43S
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mpeg
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
1/4" audio tape
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement">See the LHA Copyright Statement</a>
Feminism
History
Interviews
law
Lesbian feminism
Poetry
radical feminism
Rape
Rita Mae Brown
Robin Morgan
Women's Liberation Movement
Work
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
History of New York Lesbian Style Oral History Project, 2007
Description
An account of the resource
The History of New York Lesbian Style oral history collection is an oral history project created by Alaina Zulli in 2007. Zulli was in graduate school for fashion history at NYU at the time and was working with the oral history collection as a student employee at Tamiment Library, which motivated her to document the changes in the lesbian experience in New York as expressed in fashion through the personal accounts of women who identify as a lesbian and who live in New York City.
This collection includes four audio recordings of interviews conducted by Alaina Zulli in 2007, which have been digitized from CD-R by students at Pratt Institute’s Library and Information Science Program. The original materials are held in off-site storage by the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Transcriptions of the interviews are available, thanks to Amelia Leventhal, Marissa Moxley, and Sophia Santaniello .
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The information available on this site, including any text, data, artwork, video, audio, images or graphics may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Entities other than the Lesbian Herstory Archive may own copyright of the material. Material from the website may be used for non-profit or educational purposes. However, if copies are printed or displayed, copyright notice must be included. Except as provided above, you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this website in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner.
For information regarding any further use of the materials contained on this site, please contact the Lesbian Herstory Archives:
LHEF, Inc. 484 14th Street Brooklyn, New York 11215
Telephone: 718-768-DYKE
Email: lesbianherstoryarchives@gmail.com
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
HNYLS_Ichikawa_2.wav
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
History of New York Lesbian Style
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Style Project: Fumio Ichikawa (Disc 2)
Description
An account of the resource
Alaina Zulli interviews Fumio Ichikawa, part two. She reflects on her experiences of xenophobia and colonialism, particularly in the context of the six month university exchange program that she spent in London. Then, she reflects on how she came to understand her lesbian identity, the tensions between Japanese cultural norms and gendered expectations and her identity as a lesbian, and how her identity is reflected in her style.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Please see the Lesbian Herstory Archive's Rights Statement and the donor agreement form.</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
6/4/07
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
PT18M29S
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mpeg
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
CD-R
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Alaina Zulli
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Fumio Ichikawa
Childhood
Coming Out
Fumio Ichikawa
Gender Roles
History
Interviews
Japan
-
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PDF Text
Text
Alaina Zulli
Okay, this is Alaina Zulli interviewing Fumio Ichikawa on June 4 2007, in the
Barney building of NYU. Okay, Fumio, start by going over your background. Tell
me about where you were born when, etcetera.
Fumio Ichikawa
Okay, I was born in 1968, in a small town in Kanagawa, which is a prefecture
next to Tokyo. My parents were both from that region. And they lived in Tokyo
at the time. But traditionally women go home to their parents to give birth so I
was staying with my grandparents when I was born. It's an interesting story
that my great grandfather passed away two weeks before I was born. It was a
natural death, he went to sleep, he had a habit of taking a nap in the
afternoon, by the sunny spot on by the window. And in one day, he didn't
come back after the sunset. So my father was [unintelligible] my mother, and
it's in my maternal grandparents home. And my father went away, got my
great grandfather, and he never woke up.
So he, my father was actually the first one who discovered my great
grandfather passing and it was almost like exactly two weeks before I was
born. And you know, depending on what you believe in, but in some of the
Buddhist mythologies and the ideas about, the idea of like, passing from this
life to the next life, and in between, that's just about the time where you're
supposed to be crossing over this lever that separates this world to the next
one, wherever that may be. And they may be, you know, he may never have
left, he may have stayed with me. And so they decided to take residence in
my mother's room. And the reason why I mentioned that is my great
grandfather actually wanted to come here to the United States. He was a fifth
son of a very large family, and because of the primogeniture, the oldest son
takes over the family business in the land. So he wanted to get a strike a
fortune outside, so he actually got on the ship, heading over to the United
States. I think he made it over to Hawaii, then that's when he found out that his
�older brother passed away, and he had to go back. So he never made it to
mainland. But his plan was to come to the United States, make a lot of money,
go home successful. It's quite didn't happen. But he did make it to the uh, to
Hawaii.
So my family came here when I was 17 because of my father's job. Everybody
left but me after my father's assignment, and they went back, I stayed behind.
And I have a feeling. I never thought of it that way earlier. But now that I think
about it, I think it's my great grandfather making me stay. So that's one of the
family or the personal, that I have about me being here. So I grew up in a
suburb of Tokyo. It's within Tokyo prefecture, but it's one of the new
developments in the 70s. There was a lot of urban growth, but not affordable
housing in central Tokyo. So there was planned housing projects, all over
suburbs, in the countryside there was nobody. So I grew up among people
from all over Japan. People, their parents came on in the job assignment, they
came for higher education and stayed, or they're transient, you know, moving
from different city to city. But it was an interesting environment. Nobody was
from there. Anybody sort of came there, anybody lived there. But so many
different dialects, so many different cultures. During the summer vacation, the
town emptied out, because everybody went back home where their
grandparents were from or their parents are from.
So it was a very interesting time that everybody knew each other and their
parents and nothing beyond. You came there with like no baggage, no family
history, just you. So there was no sense of like, insiders, outsiders and also the
kind of what we call village mentalities that a lot of people associate with the
Japanese, where you're closed in, which is basically everybody knows
everybody's parents, cousins, you know, who knew who we didn't have that
growing up. We didn't have natives versus outsiders. We, our class sized up
from like 15, starting on the beginning of the year, by the time we move to the
�next grade, we had 30. So that was the norm, which is very unusual in most of
Japan.
AZ
The growth you mean?
FI
Well, just in terms of the, the growth as well as sort of the mobility of people is
quite unusual. So when I compare my experience to my cousins who grew up
closer to my grandparents is very, very different thing, where they grew up
with all kinds of history, like, even before they go to school, everybody knows
you. Because both my grandparents were teachers. So all the teachers from
your school, the next school over, the parents, they knew who you are before
coming in. Whereas where I, me and my sister grew up, it's just you. And, you
know, you get to know other people's parents through the kids of, the
connection were the children, not necessarily the kind of kinship or the
location or sort of family history that you brought. So that was unique, I think.
So that gave me a different perspective from a lot of people who grew up, so
tied to the land and the community and family history. So that was really
interesting and fun place to grow up. And then my father was transferred
here, when I was when I was 16. We didn't come here until the year later,
because my sister really, really, really wanted to graduate from junior high
school before coming here. I was happy to leave Japan, my mother and my
sister weren't. They were so afraid of going to places where they don't speak
the language, they don't have any friends, all kinds of anxieties. I was ready to
leave, I was not happy where I was. Because of many different things, but um,
and also, I had a very different image of the United States being a more
individualistic, freedom, creativity, democracy that a lot compared to sort of
Japan in the 80s, where things were very structured, what seemed very
structured.
�AZ
Even in your area?
FI
Yeah, well, it was because of the national sort of, um, it was a time of
economic growth. And there was an expectation that the parents wanted
their children to do better. And there was a very specific and clear path to do
better. Higher education was the key, and there are school [unintelligible] and
it was very clear that which colleges or university you went to connected you
to the types of opportunities you had after graduation, it's a lot more
systematic than here. Really, here, it's more sort of implicit, in sort of class and
networking aspect of it. In Japan, once you get to a particular school, the
network is there for you. It doesn't matter where you come from, you get
plugged in, so everybody understood that. And everybody sort of aspired to
that.
And also, there was a shift from highly urbanized economy and society
around that time, like market economy. And global economy impacting a lot
in terms of how Japan was shaping up to be very much urban centered
society. Transition from like the more, more small towns, villages, and diversity
of that, too, everybody aspires to be the city dweller with the latest and
greatest. So I think it was a time of convergence of many different influences,
defining very clear a singular idea of what's successful. And [unintelligible,
laughter].
Yeah, part of the reason is, you go through entrance examination after you
graduate from junior high. I mean, some wealthier kids go through that earlier
but for most, you know, kids, that's sort of the first rite of passage on age 15.
After you graduate from junior high, you choose a high school to go to, you
decide if you can go to public schools, private schools, you stay close to
�home, or you travel. There aren't really that many boarding schools. So it's
really I think, you take the train to commute, an hour and a half versus staying
that's the school that's close to the home, maybe, [unintelligible]. So not but,
that's sort of the first time you get filtered into different groups based on,
supposed to be based on academic performance, but there's a lot more to it
than that.
And when I got to high school, it was a very different world because we mixed
with, well, that was my first encounter with people outside of my community,
which were very, very – It was weird. I go to a new community, it's a lot more
homogeneous than the diversity that I was so used to in terms of people's
expectations. The, the weird thing about where I grew up is economically very
homogeneous, because of the housing project, housing prices, rental system.
I guess there'll be equivalent to coops here, determined in the your parents
income level, right? Like where you live and the community we lived in was
based on the fact that everybody could afford to live in the same housing
project.
AZ
And it was middle class?
FI
It was really like the middle class back then, in Japan, versus what we think of
middle class here, versus what we think of middle class in Japan, now are
completely different thing. It was sort of for the the economic bubble of the
nine, early 90s. So it's, it's a working community, mostly, like white collar, mix of
white collar office workers, some professionals, teachers, you know, a lot of
school teachers, office workers, but not like senior management. It's sort of,
you know, middle to lower. And also, generationally they were still young, so
and they were on the path to becoming middle managers, and senior
managers but not quite there yet.
�So, culturally, we were very diverse but economically we were very
homogeneous. And then, when I went to high school, we get thrown into the
places where economically, it's very, very diverse. That was the first time I
actually met somebody whose parents own like sushi restaurant, you know
like the small business owners, the shop owners. We weren't, I wasn't used to
that, I'm used to dealing with, you know, teachers, office workers, people who
commute to work. Versus you having business at home, and you sort of grew
up in an environment that was very different. But at the same time, it was
very, I mean, I think it's the same, high school everywhere, it was very cliquey.
And um, I didn't quite fit into, both the cliques, and also sort of the culture at
the time. That was really, um. It's gonna be like the long history of the 60s, the
80s. But it was a time of very conservative period, a lot of the people who were
student radicals in the 60s, late 60s, early 70s, sold out and became an office
worker, and they're sort of, you know, telling the children that you have to
study really hard, you know, go to the good school, get a good job, work for
major corporations and your life will be successful and stable. And I knew
those are the same people who burned down the campus and didn't have a
graduation because they were against what was going on in Vietnam, what
was going on with the uh, the treaty between the United States and in Japan
the Security Treaty. They were against the nuclear war and whatnot in the 60s,
and it's the same people telling us, "no, this is the way to happiness."
So I was really frustrated with the fact that I'd have to sort of stay within that
scheme of things. And I wasn't creative enough, I wasn't talented enough to
just say, Forget you, I'm going to do my own thing. So I was reasonably smart
enough to do well enough in academic performances. That was like what I
was good at, but I didn't really like that, that was the only thing... and what you
get at the end. And also the fact that there was a vague understanding and
expectation that even if I do as well as the boys, you know, I can score as high
�on exams, but there will be other "attributes," and in quotation marks,
attributes that teachers would add to the application process, that would not
necessarily disadvantage me in terms of going to college itself. But at the end
of the process, that, that that sort of is not going to matter less than the fact
that I'm a girl. Which, unbeknownst to me drastically changes in the four to
seven years that I'm going to be away. But that was the understanding then,
before I left.
AZ
So, you're saying that it was harder for girls to get into college?
FI
No, cause, not, cause examination process was fairly straightforward. You
take the exam, you pass you get in. There weren't any slot based on gender.
But to get the high school, especially public high schools. There was a little bit
of a backlash on heavy reliance on testing, academic testing. So a few years
before I – well maybe, when I was in junior high school, the government
decided, well the Tokyo government decided to add a few extra, um, weight to
like art, music, Home Economics, and, what's the last one... physical education.
We had nine subjects, four, those four sort of more based on, you know,
academic talent, and we have like five different subjects, Japanese, English,
math, science and social science, before you take the exam in five subjects, if
you score high you get in. After the reform, you have to carry the score, the uh,
your grades from your school. But your four subject is going to be weighed a
lot heavier than your academic subject. So before you go take the exam, you
also need to have schools that you can apply to predetermined by how well
you do in your school, including those four non academic subject, which is
very subjective in terms of either getting these categories versus taking the
exam and scoring 100 on the academic side of it.
�So and it's it was fairly common that if you had the same score, and if you're
sort of borderline between the A line schools versus the B line schools that the
teachers get a little bit of an edge to the boys. And also, the expectation is
that a lot of the women would go to junior college as opposed to the four year
college, work a few years and, and get married. So the aspiration, it's not
necessarily that it was structural barriers to get into four year college. But the
aspirational pattern was very different for boys and girls. It wasn't that case
with my family, the expectation with my parents always like to go to the four
year school. And I think, looking back, my father never said that I couldn't do
something because I was a girl. And I think I owe that to my paternal
grandmother. But it was a shock to me when I was talking to my classmates
in high school that your parents actually told you that you know, these are
girly, girly, like things or things that women are not supposed to think about or
wish for. I mean, it's a very stereotypical view of the Japanese society. But it
was true to some extent, especially with the small business owners more than
professional families. But even then, most of the mothers are stay at home or
work part time, but there aren't many professions that women can stay after
they get to a certain age or they get married and have families. So it was
mostly teachers, nurses, very few office workers, or professional.
So that was sort of the environment I was in and I was also not happy with the
way everything is weighed the same. You could be really good at one subject,
and equally suck on another subject. And that will bring your whole average
down instead of you know, you sort of developing what you're good at. And
sort of keeping up with what you're not so good at but passing, and still be
able to go to a place where what you're good at, and what reflects your
curiosity and desire to fulfill. Like, everything has to be sort of average
downwards, to where you're not good at. And I had this whole image of the
United States being different, that you can actually develop your own
personal sort of strength. So, and also, like sort of gave me a way out of being
ordinary, you know, going to New York. And then everyone is like, woah you're
�going to New York. So it just, you know, automatically, you did, I didn't have to
do anything, just by the virtue of my father being transferred, I'm somebody
special, which was a nice feeling as an average kid.
So that brings us to 1986. Spring of 1986. So we waited until my sister
graduated from junior high school, got here in April. Not a good idea because
academic is about to end and then nobody wanted to put us into uh, into
school. Because they were about to, it was about the time now in New York
State, and I don't know how familiar you are with the New York state education
system, but they have a regions exam. And it, all the teachers are concerned
about getting anybody passing the exam And because we didn't speak
English all that well. And because some of the bilingual students are their star
students, they didn't want their students, their star students sort of being
distracted by babysitting basically. So I started school in Long Island in the ESL
classes, most of the subjects except math, because math, you know, you don't
need language. And the math teacher in that class I really hated,
[unintelligible] because she thought I was going to drag her star student
down. After we take the exam, for me, it was like high school entrance exam, I
thought it was a joke. I didn't think it was 11th graders. So once they saw the
score, just, you know, complete turnaround. You know, teachers, teachers look
at me, and math was my worst subject.
AZ
You're worst subject? Okay.
FI
So it was, it was an interesting experience. But for a few years after that,
because of my limitation in understanding spoken English, everybody treated
me like I was five years old. That was the vocabulary and the range of
expression that I had. So it's not easy being a teenager in Long Island around
that time. But on top of that, there was the struggle of having a 17 year old
�brain stuck behind the vocabulary of five year old. Yeah, so my high school
days are pretty much confined to hanging out with other kids from ESL. But the
other kids in ESL classes from all over the world, which was great, in one way.
But at the same time, there's definitely a divide between what we would call
the regular class students and the ESL students. And gradually you move on
to, you move over as your English gets a little better. And also, you start to
take classes. And for us, most of the Japanese kids, we are really well trained
to read and write. And, you know, we take homework seriously, we try to keep
up. So in terms of trying to get up to speed in being able to participate in
regular classes, wasn't that big a deal, like, we just need a little bit of time to
get used to it. And spend extra time between classes or at home to try to do
as much preparation as possible so that we'll be prepared to go into class.
And even if we don't understand what the teacher is telling us, we've read the
textbook. So we know what to, you know, we have a little bit of comfort level in
trying to figure out what the teacher is saying, as opposed to the teacher
teaching us history. It's more like we try, us trying to figure out what we read in
the history book, and where the teacher is in explaining that to us. So in the,
the book knowledge, and you look up the dictionaries and you tried to get that
in your head before going to class.
AZ
It's a lot of work.
FI
Yeah, but you know, that's the only way, that's, that's what schooling is. So it
was more you know, trying to bring your English up to the level where you
understood spoken English and listening at the level of your understanding of
the written English. So, by the time I graduated, I was taking most classes in
regular class with ninth graders, 10th graders, not necessarily twelth graders.
But but at the same time, I still spent a lot of time in this one sort of class that
was dedicated to ESL students and their volunteers helping them with
�homework. So I think I picked up more Spanish language than you know,
English in this time, and now it's fun. And it was also an interesting experience
seeing people from very different backgrounds and very different
expectations about what a 17 year old is supposed to be and how much
responsibility you have, either because you're in immigrant, and you're the
one who has to take care of a lot of things for them, you know, for your
parents. Then some of the roles that sort of, that happens because you are
the one who understands English the most. Even if my English is limited, it's
much better than my mother's. So you know, anything that goes wrong, I have
to call and trying to figure out what the right people to call, is this an
emergency or is this a normal thing? Or you know, if you have parents teacher
conference, I have to interpret what the teacher is saying to my parents and
then interpret backwards with my limited English. So a lot of the relationship
between parents being the guide and protective influence versus children
being sort of shielded from dealing with all the everyday things, it reverses at
that point. And you sort of become the grown up, you sort of become the
public face of the family. So that was, that was interesting, too.
So that was sort of a transitional period where my language skill was very,
very limited. But at the same time, I had to make the most of it. And I couldn't
really shy away from it, because that was my responsibility for the entire
family. Because I mean, my father was using English somewhat at work. But
he wasn't there, most of the time he was at work. So I have to get the driver's
license quickly so we can go grocery shopping, instead of waiting for
weekend. Or just to you know, drive people around. So a lot of things,
housekeeping, things that I had to learn to try to do it quicker. And it was
different from what I was used to. It's not that I didn't do that at all in Tokyo
when I was growing up, but it was a lot easier for kids to do. I could get around
on bicycles anywhere. Whereas here, especially so at first, you have to have a
car to get around.
�AZ
Yeah. So where in Long Island did you move to?
FI
Fort Washington.
AZ
Okay, I lived out on the North Fork, But it was not quite suburban.
FI
Yeah, well, the reason why my parents, my father picked Fort Washington was
because it's at the end of that Long Island Railroad he used to commute. So
he learned that when he was younger that because of the community, Tokyo
is notorious for being packed and very uncomfortable, he always wanted to
find a place at the end of the line, and he would stand, and get a seat, like,
you know, like half an hour earlier, let a couple of trains pass and you can get
a seat and take that in, all the way through, and you thought it was going to
be a thing here. So pick the thing. And also the fact that they had a very good
ESL program. So looking back, it was a beautiful place, but not having a way to
get around was very very difficult. So I spent a lot of time taking the train to
come into the city, you know, go into The Village. And you know, how life was
in The Village was so different from how it was in like the malls in Long Island.
AZ
Yeah.
FI
That's, you know, that's what I did. And then I went to school in the city. So I
moved out of the house, I lived in a dorm.
AZ
�College?
FI
Yeah. I went to Barnard for four years. So that was the first time living away
from home, and also living 24 hours in English, which was very very stressful.
By the time I graduated high school, I was fairly competent at school,
because of the fact that you can actually prepare for school, right? You know
what to expect. And you can interact with the teachers within the classroom.
Social life was different. But you know, you could get by feeling that you
understand what's going on with living in a dorm, most of the interaction,
most of the critical interaction is outside of the classroom. And really just
learning how to explain things like real day to day, in a way, whereas if you're
tired, the different kinds of tiredness or just, it's a lot more about explaining
how you feel than a subject matter that you know what you don't. And that
was a very different experience. At the first it was very, very stressful, that I
didn't have a break from that. The fortunate thing is that Columbia had an
amazing Japanese English Library. So I spend a lot of time in the library
reading the books that I like, but at the same time, that's sort of like a little bit
of space I have, because of the fact that I have spent, it takes a lot longer for
me to digest textbooks than my classmates, so it was really nice to be living in
a dorm so that you can spend, really spend a lot of hours studying, preparing
for it, spend time in the library. But at the same time, just not having that sort
of break in coming home and being comfortable in my own language was
difficult for six months.
AZ
Yeah.
FI
But then also you make new friendships, you gain different friends. The first
year, all my friends were children of immigrants. They're the first generation
Americans or they immigrated when they were very, very small. So it was
�fortunate that they understand the fact that your limitation on language
doesn't necessarily mean that you're stupid, which is a big, big, big help, in
terms of communicating because they never talk down to you. They may
repeat themselves, but they'll never like talk down to you and slow it down, like
you're talking to a child because they understand that's not the case. I mean,
some people did do that, thinking that's helpful and it is in a way. But it's also
at the same time very, very insulting. But I couldn't say that at the time,
because I could tell that the person on the other side meant well. And it's
much later in my life that I learned the expression, the road to hell is paved
with good intentions. And when I heard that I'm like, I know exactly what that
means. So, so I spent four years at Barnard and spent also six months in
London, in my journey. I really liked school, I really liked college. But at the
same time, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay in the United States after I
graduated. That was around the time when Japan was doing very, very, very
well, economically. And there were a lot of opportunities for students returning
from overseas being bilingual. I had a very hard time understanding
Americans.
AZ
Americans?
FI
And I realized now that it's not the Americans in general, but it's northerners,
people in the North urban, people who seems very nice, very friendly, but they
don't really mean it.
AZ
So you mean you have trouble understanding them?
FI
In terms of the social distance, not necessarily the language itself. And I
always would sort of attribute it to like, well, maybe I didn't understand what
what the person was saying. I misunderstood what the person was saying. But
I didn't relate [inaudible]. And no, it's that's just the way they are. They say
things they don't mean. And I had a lot of that in college in social situations,
especially the barrier part. So even though my language skill was getting
�better, and I began to understand a lot more about my surroundings, I wasn't
quite comfortable. And I wasn't sure if I wanted to live in the United States. At
the same time, I didn't know I wanted to go back to Japan yet. I knew it was
much better than I expected at the time, in terms of the opportunities that you
have, and also the professional chances for women in general. At that time, it
seems to be so much with economic boom that they actually the first time in
the history they had equal employment opportunity legislation encouraging
employers to hire or give equal opportunities men and women. There was no
enforcement, there was no quote, there was no measurement of
achievement or compliance with that. The law is symbolic, but because of the
economic reality of companies looking for well educated workers, it was
actually happening. So I knew that that was a possibility that I could actually
find a professional opportunities in get real job and that I could stay and
expect, you know, being expected to stay not just, you know, work for a couple
of years and, you know, get married and move on. But at the same time, I felt
like, well, I spent a few years here. I sort of know, New York in the United States.
But when I go back, I'll probably lose a lot of what I learn, probably lose my
language skills. And I didn't feel like I gained something solid enough to take
back and not lose all the things that I worked so hard for. So I wasn't I really
wasn't sure what I wanted to do after I graduate. So in my third year of school,
I decided, well, maybe there's another way. Maybe it doesn't have to be Japan
or the US. So did some research and found that there is some kind of, it's not
an official program, but at least the reciprocal agreement that the bond that
will recognize the credit from the University of London.
AZ
okay, yes.
FI
So I decided to go to the School of Oriental and African Studies at University of
London for six months. The reason why did that for the springtime is that
British system is similar to what, Japan copied the British system, so they have
the trimester. If you go in Spain, you get to do second trimester and the third.
So I figured you get more out of spending a semester away by taking two
instead of going in the fall was just the first time. Also at the time I really was
into British music and culture. Well, not food, but you know, fashion everything.
�AZ
Yeah.
FI
Okay, I'm gonna go to London. So I spent six months in London, thinking that
the school life is similar there. So first, I live on campus housing, there was no
such thing. There was no campus, I saw there was only one building. There
was more like the NYU back in the day. Well, even here now, like you have
different schools. University in London have like different schools, but over all
around downtown, some of the more mainstream colleges, like King's College,
I think had a dorm nearby. But SOAS didn't have anything. They had a whole
bunch of flats in North London, about 45 minutes on the tube. That's when, at I
first I looked for a room share and you know, posted in a student's office and
went on on a few places. And honestly, this is not working, way too many
creepy people. And it wasn't nearly a room, share. It was just like the corner,
you know, one side of the flat you have it [inaudible] on the floor. And then like,
that's your room and let's say 500 quid a month [inaudible]. So I wanted to
keep it to the same level as like what my father was paying for the dorm here,
which was expensive, too, but didn't want to cost him any more than he was
spending already. So, so North London is where I spent six months among a
whole bunch of students from Middle East. That was my first time I actually
got to talk to somebody from Lebanon, Kuwait. And a lot of Arabs living in,
coming from Africa, actually. Some of them actually lived in Africa. Yeah, I
think there are some Syrians, mostly Lebanese and Kuwaitis that I met and an
American who wanted to go to Africa, but they were the place he was going
to go to just adapted into a civil Civil War, so he couldn't go so he decided to
come to London because he already took time off from school. He couldn't go
back. An Antiguan American, I don't know why he was–he wasn't in the same
school, but he was friends with the American kid. A South African born Indian
living in, coming from a suburb of London. A whole bunch happened so I met
a lot of Asians there, Asians in London at the time were South Asia and I'm East
Asian but we were more Orientals than Asians.
AZ
What year is it?
�FI
The 90s. Early 90s. And that's what I learned when I went to SOAS. I realized like
the why SOAS was next to the School of Tropical Disease. It's a school for
Colonial bureaucrats and administrators. So you go study the language at
SOAS, so you learn in African, East Asian, all the the colonial footprints that the
British Empire had. At SOAS you go to School of Tropical Disease to get
immunized and then you're off. Yeah, we were like nifty school of Tropical
Disease.
AZ
Interesting.
FI
It was fun. It was interesting. But so you definitely saw the legacy of
colonialism there that a lot of the students there were from former colonies,
and also Middle East where [inaudible] gets educated outside of their own
countries. Yeah, Dutch guys, and then also the European Union, they didn't
charge tuition, if you're with the European Union, that they have list, you didn't
have to pay tuition for universities. So I mean, they love foreign students,
because that's where they got, they get to charge tuition. So there are a lot of
language students from Asia, particularly from Japan, just come to the
London School. A lot of Americans on study abroad program. Well, not a lot at
SOAS but a few, and people from all over. So it was interesting living with
South Asians, and especially Middle Eastern friends, because that's the time of
the first Gulf War. I was there when it started, it was very, very interesting,
watching it on TV, on British television, among the Arabs talking about a very,
very different perspective, and take on what's happening, or what it means.
And that was my first experience for war as well. That was the first, Imean, I
grew up in postwar Japan. And we're like, no army, no weapon, we don't
engage. And we are not allowed to engage in that. And we don't want to live
with the mistake of the World War II. So even though in Britain, you know, they
had the Falklands, so they this sort of have modern conflict. For me, it was a
first experience of knowing that somebody that I know may actually go to war.
And, but I knew so little that I actually call back to my friend's home and say,
are you going to be drafted do you have to go to war? Because that was the
�image that I had. And once you know, country engages in the war, you get
drafted and you go to war, but no, it's a volunteer army, that doesn't happen
until they get really desperate. So, you know, like college age kids, I thought,
like, there'll be the prime candidate to get shipped off. But that didn't happen.
So it was really good to see that, especially, you know, looking at what's
happening now and how it gets broadcasted here. The whole controversy
with the friendly fire now is the first Gulf War most of the British casualties
were killed by the Americans. And also it was very, very tense going to school,
because we had a very large concentration of Middle Eastern students. So we
used to joke about it, we should just start, we were joking and we would say,
like we should go to a really expensive restaurant, you know, eat whatever we
want. Leave a big, you know, duffel bag on the seat and just run away. Say no,
we're all extremely students and trying to save money. Yes, really good
[inaudible]. So, you know, we had enough sense to talk about it, but at the
same time was a very tense time on campus with all the newscasts that
descended and tried to ask opinions of the Arabs on what's going on. And so I
really actually did like living in London.
AZ
You did?
FI
Even though I didn't like living in North London and having to take the two,
three songs into the city. But culturally speaking, I had a much better, easier
time understanding the social distance of the English than the Americans.
Even though I didn't understand a lot of the words that they were saying a lot
of the accent that they had, I understood what they meant, versus what is the
distance between, it's very, very similar to what I grew up with.
AZ
Can you describe that difference?
FI
For Japanese, what we say and what we mean are two separate things and
there's an understanding of that, depending on the context, depending on the
relationship, depending on the situation, we say certain things, but you need
�to read between the lines. There's a conventional expression and
understanding of the personal distance, that you may extend something to
somebody, but depending on your relationship with that person, the other
person would understand that if it's a real invitation, or if that person is being
polite to you.
AZ
So it's very nuanced?
FI
Yea, yeah, and it's a lot more. The conversation had a lot to do, a lot more to
do with the relationship with each other. It's never, and also sort of social
hierarchy. So the politeness of, I think the politeness of it, the degree of
politeness that the British or the I should say English displayed to each other,
in the context that I understood was a lot more similar. So, the relationship
between teachers and students, it was a lot, the distance between the two, I
feel a lot more comfortable in the, in the UK university system than in the
United States, where there are still professors pretend to be your peers. I was
uncomfortable with that. I mean, there's definitely power relationships, but
they try not to acknowledge that a lot of the times in the United States.
Especially with older people, younger people, older people try to, they try too
hard to be cool. In the US, they try so really hard to be young or understanding
of the youth. Whereas in Britain, there's no pretense like, if you are of certain
age, you're supposed to behave a certain way. And that's okay, that's, you
know, that's not a reflection of you not being cool. So I think that yeah, I think
the value of the definition and the value that you place on a certain
characteristic isn't in definition, based on social standings, age, all these other
attributes, I had an easier time understanding. It's not that I liked it or not, I
mean, it's very structured. And sometimes it prepared me it makes it difficult
for real friendship to develop, if your understanding is so different. But also at
the same time, if it does happen, it makes it more meaningful. Which has
been my experience with some of my friends back home who are of my
father's generation. But it was just was easier distance. And there was less
disappointment in terms of what the other person extend to you versus what
you understood the closeness be or the friendliness. So I really liked living
there, and I wanted to stay there longer, but I wasn't sure of the job aspect. But
�graduate school definitely, like I was thinking that's a possibility. And because
of the fact that, SOAS especially, emphasize a lot more of getting a language
to the native level before you move on to graduate study. To me, it was it was
a must, you have to be able to leave things in primary language, and do
research in primary source to do your undergraduate thesis.
AZ
Undergraduate?
FI
Yes. So I was sitting in the class, undergraduate class, reading modern
Japanese from 1890s, which is a very difficult Japanese for us natives, we had
one too, but I was sitting there discussing what, or reading untranslated work,
so it was easier for me.
AZ
Right.
FI
[inaudible] but in that was the expectation. So in the US, I could take
Japanese language classes, but everybody discussing the work that I'm
familiar with, reading it in English and discussing in English. So I mean,
discussing in English was fine, but just the fact of having to read it in English
and looking at weird translations was different. So, so I came back with the
sort of sense of okay, maybe that was the place culturally speaking, except for
the fact that it was very hard for, I mean, it was really hard for anybody to get
a job in the UK at the time. But that's a really no, I mean, I can go on for that
was my first like, 20 years of my life and I can go for the next 17 years, but you
might want to skip ahead or?
AZ
Let's move on to your sexuality.
FI
Okay.
�AZ
You identify as–
FI
Lesbian.
AZ
Lesbian. Tell me about when you came out. Actually, go back to when you
knew.
FI
I always knew actually, I always knew when I was growing up. But in Japan,
teenage homosexuality for girls was sort of almost expected, you know, you
sort of practice, you wanted a real thing. So everybody joked about it
everybody knew girls used to give me you know, flowers or not flowers, but
even make me lunch, make me things. On Valentine's Day in Japan, it's a big
commercial conspiracy. But the candy companies came up with this idea
and came up with some legend somewhere in Europe that that's the day the
girls can actually get to convince the boys what they feel, how they feel about
it, unlike, you know the girls are supposed to wait and not really be
forthcoming. That's one day of the year, you can be in, you know, in charge of
expressing your opinions. And it was universally understood that I'm going to
be on the receiving, I'm going to be on the receiving end on that day instead
of giving. But I always knew, but I always knew I was much after the girls, but it
was, but it was different from sexuality, because the idea of sexuality was very
much a grown up thing. So the part about the sort of orientation part of your
emotional attachment, like your attraction was fairly clear. But that didn't get
connected to the actual sexuality part of it at a much, much, much later.
AZ
By you or by your culture?
FI
By me, I think. I mean, like some of the girls, I think it's a lot different now.
Things change so much, and a lot more young people know about sex and
sexuality much younger. But when I was growing up, I don't think we really
�talked about it in junior high school. I mean like, we talked about dating, like,
you know, having crushes on boys and things like that. But it was more like,
well I want to, you know, like spend time with them, get close to them, hold
hands with them, to that extent. I think kissing came into play maybe in high
school, but it was still like whoa, big deal, then. Because even though we didn't
call it school, the boys worlds and girls world was segregated. It was sort of
implicit. And also, like crossing over got so much backlash from your group
and got a reputation that's like, oh you really like boys kind of thing. So even in
the co-ed school, that was the context. So a lot of the girls who had the
practice one with the girls that they did, like, a close relationship and in girls
was a lot more explicit on Valentine's, and then that was completely
acceptable.
AZ
Was it talked about?
FI
Yeah, everybody knew, I mean, like parent's kids. You know, my straight friends
who went to Catholic High School, she had long hair very feminine, but she
got letters, candies from underclass girls all the time. Yeah most likely the
younger students may be having a crush on upper class, not men, but
upperclassmen in girls, schools, talked about, written about, practiced. And I
think for grownups point of view, it was sort of a safe thing, because precisely
because it didn't involve sexuality, or they assumed that it did. It was sort of
like emotional relationship without the threat of sexuality. And I don't know, I
didn't go to girl school so I don't know to what extent there was actually
sexuality involved. But a lot of the grownups think that it's sort of like healthy
development in terms of having curiosity about forming a relationship, but it's
safe. So it was funny, like when I was in junior high school, trying to find, you
know, think about which high school to go to all my friends, like, don't go to girl
school, don't go girls school, so then you get the taste of it, you will never get
out of it! It was a worse than understanding that if I were putting in a situation,
that would be that I'll feel very comfortable in that situation. I'll never come
back to sort of graduate in that phase and in, you know, behave like a girl. So,
in that sense, I always knew and I think people knew and even sort of my
parents and my relatives always talked about, I have a younger sister, two
�and a half years ago. I was the oldest grandchildren, grandchild on either
side, but everybody's expectation was my sister's gonna get married first. And
I'm going to be a working woman. And also the fact that that the way I
dressed and the fact that I always wanted to do things that people
associated with boys or I can I could compete with them. I was very
competitive. I'm because I could compete with them. And also, in terms of
leadership in class, the class president, or the student government, like the
roles that I play was always sort of like a leadership role. And maybe they sort
of didn't give me a hard time about, which I think is kind of unusual. And I think
it has to do with the fact that we were in a new community. And we also got
very young, eager teachers because of the fact that it was very new
development, and it was very [inaudible]. It wasn't connected by public
transportation yet. It was a planned community so they worked on the town
first, and then they put the label after we got enough density to sustain the,
the legal plan. So a lot of the times, young teachers stayed out of school who
wanted to come to Tokyo and stay in Tokyo take the exam for the prefecture.
Their first assignment tend to be in remote places, like in islands or us. We got
a lot of great teachers coming in, who are not necessarily super experienced,
but they had a lot of great ideas and they weren't really caught up in
conventions and traditions. So I never thought, it's usually like when you look
at any kind of literature, which is comic books. In co-ed situations, it's usually
the class leader is the boy and the vice chair, whatever the title is, will be the
girl. Wasn't the case, when I was allowed, everybody sort of understood that
I'm the leader and whoever is going to be the second you know, you elect like
one male, one female to the position, and then it's almost expected that the
boys will be number one, they got the segment that didn't have. Yeah, so I was
used to that. And I think that was part of the reason why girls are looking at
me as sort of pseudo-boy kind of role. Then it's the same thing from girl's
perspective, it's a safe alternative to actually being, you know, engaged in
trying to build relationships with boys. Because you don't get to use that, as
you know, not as love but like as a boy crazy or you don't get the kind of
scrutiny you'll get from your parents if you're hanging out with boys. So
anyway, I think so in terms of I knew I knew early and people knew me and but
I think the expectation was I'll grow up at some point. And it talks of since this
is about style and fashion. So in terms of how I dress when I was younger, I did
like wearing pants and jeans and t-shirt. I mean, I dressed up I did like
�wearing like pants and jeans and T shirt. I mean, I dressed up in the formal
occasions, my father was in the apparel industry. So you know, we would
always get the best suit for the graduation. But in terms of everyday wear, I
think I was fairly aware, early on that the girls had to show [inaudible], like, you
know, there was a very strict expectation about what girls aren’t allowed to
do. And I wasn't happy with that. So I thought the way to be taken seriously,
the way to be equal was to behave like boys. I don't think necessarily, I wanted
to be boys, I was just pissed off that I couldn't, you know, be on the same level
as them in the eyes of the grown ups. Or like anybody, you know, my peers or
my upperclassmen. So I think I was fairly consciously trying to destroy the
expectation every chance I got. And I also learned that that's possible. I think,
once you prove to them that you can do it. You know, I mean, they'll call you
names, but they'll call you names and, but you can earn certain respect that
way, and, you know, wearing girls clothes and was sort of not conducive to the
activities that that I like doing. And you know, running around beating up all
the boys showing that you know who’s the boss.
But when you get to junior high school, at least in my district, you have to wear
school uniform. And I agonised over like, asking my parents for boys uniform.
But I didn't even get picked on like, right away by the upperclassmen. So I'm
like, Okay, I don't want to sign up. Sorry. When's the last time the girls uniform
and, you know, people made fun of me for wearing skirt and like, not
interested in skirt. But, you know, you get used to the uniform that sort of
made me a little bit self conscious. It's not that I didn't like dressing in skirts. I
mean, I mean, any formal occasion when my father brings home the brand
new three piece suit with like nice pleated skirt, I loved it. So it's not that I didn’t
like dressing, but I think I was sort of aware of the fact that ,if you dress like a
girl, people make fun of you. Because they're not used to seeing you once
they sort of have an image of you as a particular type of person, then. And a
lot of the boys tease me like, you know, you behave like a boy. So it sort of
does sort of stuck with me. So whether I liked it or not, it's one of the things that
people tease you about, if you were deviate from what you would expect of
you. So, Junior High High School, even though wore uniform to school, on
�weekends, it's pretty much back to you know jeans and T shirt. Then when I
came here, and I also always had like, hair, kind of short, never grew my hair
long. So when I first came here, one of the things that was really liberating was
nobody has any expectation of me other than the fact that I'm Japanese. And
I didn't speak English, all that well. Later on, I realised that you know, the whole
Japanese female thing and what you have to deal with, but at that time, the
language thing was a lot bigger.
AZ
What do you mean Japanese female thing?
FI
You don't understand how many people stop me on the street, like I lived in
Japan it’s great. It's mostly former servicemen.
AZ
Ohlike men hitting on you?
FI
Not necessarily hitting on you they are friendly. But you know, you have
certain expectations of Japanese women being submissive, docile, provide,
you know, really takes care of their man kind of thing.
AZ
Okay.
FI
Which is. And also, there's a whole image of Asian women in American
popular culture, dating back way back, there was a great documentary on
PBS on the spirit image of in Asian women being juggling lady versus the
what’s that Madame Butterfly, because those are two iconic images. And
sometimes men have a fantasy of having both be the same person. So you
�know, you may look very innocent and pure and quiet in a circus. But once
you get to that point, you're a freak, and you have all kinds of amazing sexual
abilities. And I learned that lesbians have the same stereotype. Yeah that we
have some kind of special techniques. But yeah, that's much later. So at that
time, I was sort of completely free to reinvent myself in a way. I mean, it was
hard, not being able to articulate what you were thinking about what you
observed and what you meant to express. But at the same time, that sort of
took the edge off of how people saw me like, you know, I was always very
vocal. I was always the there’s this thing in Japanese schools that when you
graduate, or when you move on to a different way, you actually come up with
like a little booklet, to sort of commemorate your classmates or your
experience. And, you know, we were brought in, like in the [inaudible], you
know, the most successful all the things that you do. Yep, it's a similar
AZ
Superlatives.
FI
Yeah, so that was the fastest Monday class. We didn't need it the most
popular like, we had like all kinds of things like, I’d always be the toughest.
Boys and girls one on top is number one, and also the one who speaks so fast.
I'll be the fastest speaker. So you know the way sort of my mind worked and
the way I articulated myself, tend to give people a very strong impression of
maybe not I'm feminine, but at the same time, it's a very sort of outspoken
personality that people don't necessarily associate with virtual femininity. It
wasn't ideal for characteristic for women. So the fact that I couldn't speak all
that well, and I didn't speak much, and the fact that I'm in a completely
foreign environment where people people dress different you know people
their hair different. High school kids wore makeup, which could be a cause for
dismissal back in the days in Japan not anymore, but you know, when I was
growing up, just curling your hair or perming your hair, there was a cause for
�suspension.Actually, nobody said anything if I wore a dress. Now, they said,
Oh, that's a nice dress, or, you know, where did you get it? But they didn't make
fun of me for that. So I was like, wait a minute, it's like, you know, I can try
different things and not necessarily have to deal with people's image of me.
And also the fact that when I came here, I couldn't find a hairdresser that I
could trust or I couldn't explain to them what I needed done.
AZ
Yeah.
FI
My mother's best friend at the hairdresser's I've never had anybody else cut
my hair. So come here, white folks in [Long Island?] don't know what to do with
my asian hair, I wanted it short, but it always comes up awful. So I decided
like, Okay, I'm gonna, I'm not gonna go through the trauma was sitting in a you
know in a beauty parlour, like, praying that they don’t mess it up. So, I started
growing my hair out in high school, and I kept it long. So I looked you know,
very, very different, and nobody really made fun of me for growing my hair, or
getting perm more. So that was interesting. In terms of my own idea of gender
image. I always thought like, I was a boyish girl. And I was comfortable with it,
but then I started to question it's like, was I doing it because like, to behave like
a girl was disadvantageous to what I wanted to do. Is it something that
people taught me to do versus like what I really felt comfortable doing? So I
sort of went and lived in that body for a while, which was kind of nice and
which was kind of fun. And I realised like I’m much more feminine than I
thought I was, and I'm much more comfortable being feminine. I'm less
embarrassed about dressing like a girl and it's actually kind of fun. I never
really went so far as to put on the makeup my mother traumatise me when
the first time I put on lipstick my mother was like you look like a drag queen.
Thank you mother I mean you know I picked up the lipstick my mother my
grandmother had yeah that was my mistake. But so she kept me in check
�about like, you know, what's suitable for me versus like so you know, I never
really after and I'm like okay, I'm not putting on any makeup. Most of my
college years I looked quite girly, I'm not girly girl but you know, wore more
skinny jeans and skirt, but I didn't make much of wearing a dress or really girls
clothing [inaudible]. And then at the time, I thought I could be bisexual as well
no, I think I wasn't even thinking about sexuality in terms of my attraction to
girls I mean you know i i definitely pay more attention to women and how
pretty they are or I will look in there or like the who appealed to me. But at the
same time it's almost like it was like the other way around. That it's a practice
for me that I thought like I could actually date boys. So and I did have a
chance a few times.
�
http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/d4214a3b4d105a48431f87334ec1bc76.mp3
88cedfbf9f315c815aa54e21348e1e8b
Dublin Core
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Title
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History of New York Lesbian Style Oral History Project, 2007
Description
An account of the resource
The History of New York Lesbian Style oral history collection is an oral history project created by Alaina Zulli in 2007. Zulli was in graduate school for fashion history at NYU at the time and was working with the oral history collection as a student employee at Tamiment Library, which motivated her to document the changes in the lesbian experience in New York as expressed in fashion through the personal accounts of women who identify as a lesbian and who live in New York City.
This collection includes four audio recordings of interviews conducted by Alaina Zulli in 2007, which have been digitized from CD-R by students at Pratt Institute’s Library and Information Science Program. The original materials are held in off-site storage by the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Transcriptions of the interviews are available, thanks to Amelia Leventhal, Marissa Moxley, and Sophia Santaniello .
Date
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2007
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The information available on this site, including any text, data, artwork, video, audio, images or graphics may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Entities other than the Lesbian Herstory Archive may own copyright of the material. Material from the website may be used for non-profit or educational purposes. However, if copies are printed or displayed, copyright notice must be included. Except as provided above, you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this website in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner.
For information regarding any further use of the materials contained on this site, please contact the Lesbian Herstory Archives:
LHEF, Inc. 484 14th Street Brooklyn, New York 11215
Telephone: 718-768-DYKE
Email: lesbianherstoryarchives@gmail.com
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HNYLS_Ichikawa_1.wav
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History of New York Lesbian Style
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Style Project: Fumio Ichikawa (Disc 1)
Description
An account of the resource
Alaina Zulli interviews Fumio Ichikawa, part one. First she reflects on her experiences across her childhood and adolescence; she grew up in a small town in Kanagawa outside of Tokyo, and recounts her experience of class and gender in Japan. She also describes her difficulties adjusting to the culture and language in America as a young adult after her family moved to New York when she was 17 years old.
Rights
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<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Please see the Lesbian Herstory Archive's Rights Statement and the donor agreement form.</a>
Date
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6/4/07
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PT1H6M37S
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audio/mpeg
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CD-R
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Interviewer
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Alaina Zulli
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Fumio Ichikawa
Childhood
Coming Out
Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Fumio Ichikawa
Gender Roles
History
Interviews
Japanese Lesbians
-
http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/e2e4f319dccd78d7dc2909d7db03f89e.pdf
8ffe24e99ede33a2a247cca743dfa75d
PDF Text
Text
Alaina Zulli
This is Alaina Zulli interviewing [redacted] goes by [redacted] on May 31 2007,
in Bobst library. Okay, so [redacted], let's start with your background. Tell me
where you were born. Then about your family.
Anonymous
Excuse me, I was born in New York City, Beth Israel hospital. I am the last born
out of four children, two boys, two girls. My mom is a single, single mother.
Unfortunately my dad was at the time I was born children. My dad,
unfortunately my my father was killed in some kind of confrontation with
somebody. So I never really knew my dad. I have a stepfather who raised us
who I kind of recognise as my dad because he's the only father figure I've
known. And we grew up in Brooklyn, Park Slope, excellent neighbourhood.
Should have stayed there. Guess that kind of answers a lot. And I, I mainly
grew up with just my sister, just me and my sister. My two brothers were
actually raised with my grandmother. I believe my mom probably had them
when she was really young. So they grew up with my grandmother. It was cool
like, we, we lived in a household where it was just the four of us. Unfortunately,
my mom has a my mom has a mental condition. She's diagnosed as being
schizophrenic. So that was a little weird sometimes, you know, my mom was
kind of always in and out of hospital. I actually when I was born, I was born
with what's called CAH, it stands for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. It actually
means I'm missing an enzyme in my body, my Adrenaline gland doesn't
produce a certain enzyme. And I was actually also born with ambiguous
genitalia. Which, as most people know, my sometimes I think about it when I
was born, you know, most babies when they're born, they like you have a you
have a girl you have a boy, I picture when I was born, it's like you have a Okay.
Wait a minute, give us a second, we'll get back to you. So, unfortunately, I I was
always in and out of the hospital myself, you know, young kind of went
through a series of reconstructive surgeries, which I think also kind of answers
a lot in terms of my sexual orientation. You know, being being a lesbian, being
�Butch, you know, based on just my overall appearance, you know, I have
unfortunate have higher testosterone levels, which gives me a more
androgynous Look, when people could kind of think that, you know, I'm a
female, but I'm not quite sure.
Alaina Zulli
Well, you have facial hair, which to many people is a clear indication.
Anonymous
Yeah, I mean, but nowadays with so many you know, transgender people, like
some people not too sure whether it's facial hair due to you know, hormones,
right. And, you know, the whole transition over
AZ
So were you raised as a girl or a boy?
Anonymous
I was raised as a girl as a girl, my mom put [compensated?] little dresses on
me and, and stuff, but I think what was unique about my mom was that she, I
think, because I was born with this condition she didn’t really enforce a lot of
like, she didn't, when we went out, I if it was a family event, she put a dress on
me. But really, I played with I played with cars, Star Wars figures, action figures,
I never really had dolls, like my sister was more though, the doll and makeup
type, you know, I played with cars, trucks, I was very active. You know, I would, I
was always jumping around, you know, just like a little boy, I was jumping
around. All my friends were boys. I really never had any little girls as friends. So
I think my mom kind of, you know, growing up, which was, I guess, good. She
never enforced it on me. You know, except for family events. You know? So
that was I think that was really good. In terms of, you know, my upbringing, I
wasn’t a kind of, you know, forced to be this little girl. I just grew up as a
regular child, you know, just enjoying the everyday life of just being a child
�AZ
Let you find yourself and just be yourself.
Anonymous
Yeah, I it's funny because I look back and I know you know, people I always ask
about, you know, when when's the first time you realise you a lesbian. And I
think back and I had to be like seven years old, in the second grade, like, I
used to have a crush on my second grade teacher. And I used to follow her
everywhere, like, you know, when the kids would go to lunch, and I never had
to go to lunch with the kids like I would, she would, I would have lunch with her.
She would take me rollerskating on the weekends. And I slept over her house
one time, but you know, I'm seven years old, and I'm thinking like, yes, sleeping
with this older woman. You know, and then, of course, you know, not every now
and then her boyfriend would tag along, and I will kind of get mad at him, you
know, go rollerskating. And I would kind of knock him down because I didn't
want him to be around. And then she got married, she announced to the class
that she was getting married. And she invited the whole class to her wedding.
And I refused to go. I was so upset. I was devastated. I was like, Oh, my God, I
just lost this woman in my life. And, you know, my mom kind of was trying to
force me to go and I was like, oh, no, no. So I kind of, I always think back and I
was like, wow, like, that was my first like, experience with, you know, like, loving,
not well, not loving, but you know, like, being attracted to another woman.
AZ
Sure. Yeah.
Anonymous
And I guess from Park Slope, we move to the Lower East Side, which was pretty
bad. It wasn't that bad. You know, we still should’ve stayed in Park Slope.
�AZ
Give me a timeframe for when you moved.
Anonymous
We moved when I was about 11 years old. Okay. So, at 11 we moved because
the building that we lived in was being sold. And so my mom just decided, you
know, we should move. So we wound up moving to the lower Eastside in
Manhattan, and it was good there. It was, I think it was also another confusing
time, because there I kind of developed more female friends. You know, like, I
even though I still kind of did boyish things. I had, I started having my female
friends like my best friend. From that moment on she, you know, we were
close. You know, I kind of really didn't look at her in a way that was like, you
know, why I'm attracted to girls. But all her other friends I did. And her sister.
AZ
All the other male friends you mean. Wait, you mean all your male friends
looked over that way?
Anonymous
No, I looked at her other female friends. Like, you know, like, hey, what’s up.
And it was just weird because she would always get me because we were
best friends. I she would always kind of duped me into like, you know, going
out with a guy. Which was, you know, also as confusing because I used to
think, well, well, this is what girls are supposed to do. Like dating. Yeah, like
dating. Like, she wouldn't be interested in some guy. And of course, his friend
would be there. So it's kind of like, you know why I want to be with him. So you
got to be with him. And I kind of felt you know, I think I made a lot of sacrifices
for my friend kind of like going in and just, you know, dating these these guys.
And I guess it wasn't really until I was probably 13. There use there used to be a
military Cadet that was ran by the center precinct. And my brothers actually,
when they were younger, they used to go there. And I wanted to go so they
�finally at one point, they kind of banned girls from being there, I guess
because of some altercation, but they started letting them back in. And I went,
and it was awesome. Because there I met this young woman. I don't know if
I've mentioned her name.
AZ
Well, you can you can choose not to have her name ever. Really?
Anonymous
Well, her name was Selena. And she, you know, she then became my kind of,
like, secret gay friend. You know, we both came out to each other, which was
cool. You know, like, I was like, you know, I you know, when you're young you
kind of feel like you know about you've heard terms, you know, lesbian and
gay. But you never really impact impacts you until you actually meet you
know, somebody that's just like you just like everybody kind of feel like you're
alone until you meet somebody. And we came out to each other then we
started discovering that there was other, you know, lesbians and actually
bisexuals at the time. And in our cadet, you know, which was cool because I
felt like you know, not only was I interested in this kind of military cadet, but
you know, it was also surrounded by, you know, my people, my kind of
discovering a whole new community. And I remember when we, we got on our
bikes one weekend and we kind of went kind of girl hunting. You know, we
were like 13, 14 years old. And we we got on our bikes and we went to it was
about this time, and we ran into all these gay people, like right around here
actually around Washington Square Park, it was we kind of got lost, we didn't
know we were going. We just We just heard that, you know, there are, you
know, gay people in the village. So we, you know, ventured out into the village
to go look for, you know, gay people. And girls. And we had just missed the
Pride Parade. Hmm. You know, so when you would, you know, we're riding our
bikes, and we see like, you know, drones of like women, you know, and girls
and other like, we at first we didn't know what what it was until we actually
�saw what gave it away is we saw some butch women so like, oh, yeah, we
found, we found our Mecca. And we had, we said, Hold this, this has got to be,
you know, there are a bunch girls. So that means there's got to be, you know,
you know, girls that we like femme girls around here. So we proceeded to dry
it, you know, to ride around on our bikes. And we found these, we found these
two girls who were 19 years old, of course, we lied about our age, we said we're
like 17 years old. And we, you know, proceeded to like kind of walk with them,
you know, hitting on them, and, you know, just kind of asking questions. And
after that just became our new, a new hangout spot. And from there, you
know, as I started going to cadets so I was going to I started going from my
timetable was a little screwed up
AZ
That’s ok. When you, if you can clarify. What your age, there abouts
Anonymous
Um, I would say like about between 15 and 16 is when like I started discovering
the village. And you know, we me and my friends then found out about
because I didn't realise that she was part of a youth group, which was called
Project Reach. And in the youth group, they dealt with social issues that was
like kind of my first interaction with a socialisation group where they spoke
about not only lesbian and gay issues, but issues around sexism and
homophobia, and, you know, classes and as well. So I learned a lot going
there just also, once again, just being around, you know, even tighter
community where people that are more of my age rather than me trying to
perpetrate and, you know, oh, they're lesbian trying to pick up all the women.
And from there we we started interacting with our Hetrick Martin Hetrick Martin
Institute, which is actually located here on Astor Place. It's probably one of the
largest gay and lesbian youth groups. It's also located the Harvey Milk schools
there also
�AZ
Oh I think I've seen that. Yeah, can you? Well, later, you’ll have to write that for
me. But Hetrick Martin
Anonymous
At first, they were located by the West Side Highway, but where what people
call the pier. Yes. So they were located there. So project reach was actually
interacting with other youth groups. So once again, my community and I
started seeing that this community is a lot larger. And then we started doing
work with the yes group for Richmond services, which is part of the gay and
lesbian center. So we started doing going over there and networking. And
once I got to the center, I was just, like, amazed, like a whole building just
dedicated for us. And we, that became our new hangout spot. You know, so
about, like, 17 going into 16 going into 17 that became a new, a new hangout
spot, which was actually the corner of 13th Street and Seventh Avenue
AZ
Place. I know
Anonymous
Yeah, yeah. So we used to all kind of that would be the meeting spot. So one
person would like 2 people would get there and then you would wait for the
rest of us, you know, the rest of the people so probably like about six seven
o'clock there was about close to 20 young people there lesbian young people
AZ
And you just stand around on the corner
Anonymous
Yeah, we would all meet up at the corner and then decide what we're gonna
do, which always resulted in ending up at the pier. So we would track down,
�walk down Seventh Avenue, till we got to the beginning of Christopher Street.
And of course, it would take us like two hours just to walk down the block.
Because we would stop and see people we know. And stop at stores, you
know, and, of course, it was all about fashion, even when I was younger, you
know, we used to stop and look at the stores and the clothing. You know,
because back then there used to be a lot of, I think it happens now. But
unfortunately, I'm kind of out of the loop, there used to be a lot of one was
called balls, balls. Yeah, they were basically many fashion shows that there
was small communities or houses that were ran by, you know, kind of, they
had mothers, which were predominantly like gay men, and by House fathers,
which was sometimes, you know, the butcher, lesbians, or sometimes they
would just be a gay. Another gay gentleman that was, I guess, a little bit more
butcher than the mother. And they would hold these balls, these kind of, kind
of mini fashion shows, and people would walk, like literally walk down this
catwalk for different categories. So some would run down, some would walk
for categories that we would call face, which will cover like you had a girl face.
So some of the most feminine gay boys would walk for that category, or they
had what was called boy realness. And some of the butch women would
actually walk in the whole thing was about passing. It was like, we had our
own little kind of fashion Yeah, show, which I don't know if you've ever seen the
movie. And you may want to pick it up, it's called Paris is burning.
Paris is burning actually talks about the beginnings of the whole ball thing
happened like in the early like, 80s. And, I don't know, if you've also ever seen
that show America's Top Model, Tyra Banks, yeah, she actually has a
gentleman in there, his name is Willi
Ninja. And his house was actually called the House of Ninja. And he was the
head mother, and they, he actually teaches these these models how to walk,
how to walk down the runway. So, we would go to these different balls
whenever we found out and we would go in and we would cheer for different
people that will walk different different categories. And, you know, we will go
�shopping with some people because, you know, you needed to have the
latest and greatest clothes. And I think the probably I used to have the most
fun when I used to go with the, with the boys, the Gay Boys, because they went
by, you know, they would buy these extravagant, you know, dresses, and they
would so funny, they would, they would buy them and keep the tabs on them,
you know, because it was so expensive. Yeah. And then they would use it in a
ball and then have it dry cleaned, and then return the return the dress
AZ
So would they buy, like down in Soho, they would get designer clothes
Anonymous
They would get either in Soho, depending on how much money they had, you
know, like you know, depending on where were they unfortunately, some of
them were street workers. So they would get money that way some of them
sold drugs, you know. So, a lot of lots of times I would also go to we would go
and go to different thrift shops and kind of put together these ensembles of
different clothes. Which weren’t bad, you know, you could find like really hot
clothes in a thrift store and still look still a good like I love thrift stores. And so
we would go and go to these different ball scenes and stuff. And it was it was
awesome
AZ
That's this is fascinating. Okay, so tell me more about the houses. Was it like
those shelters?
Anonymous
No, no, no, they were just like groups
AZ
They were just like social groups
�Anonymous
Yeah, they were just social groups. So you were associated like, you know
each house was known for different you know, they will have these you will go
to these balls. And they will be like, you know, like the top winners. You know,
they would kind of make their own houses. So they were like the best and in
their in you know, whatever category they were. And it was like, you know, I
want to call them almost like gay gangs. Yeah, you know, where you will
belong to a specific house right they have the house of ninja they have the
house of Pandora's, they have the house extravaganza. And, you know, there
was all these people that were part of it. Matter of fact, if you ever seen
Madonna's blonde Blonde Ambition tour, where she did the the whole voguing
thing there. And there's three gentlemen that she actually has in there that
were part of those houses and Madonna herself would actually sometimes
appear at these mini balls, you know, which sometimes would be held at, I
been to 2 of them one time that were held at the sound factory. Back then the
rumor was that Madonna actually owned the part of the sound factory Junior
Vasquez which was a famous DJ and still is used to DJ there. And she would
come and that's actually where she found some of her dancers from this from
this ball scene, and they would go now back then there was this whole
voguing kind of scene. You know which people were done in in the houses
AZ
Can you explain voguing?
Anonymous
Voguing is a dance style that originated I think originated out of the ball
scene. And it could be anything from like, like hand gestures to the way they
move, you know, the way they move their hands and they the way they would
pose. Voguing actually came out of there and then people would do these
moves these dance moves that were just kind of like voguing is a is a is I think
�a cross between dancing and posing. And it's kind of a little hard to explain it
where it's easier to see. Unfortunately, I'm butch so I don’t know how to vogue
voguing was more voguing was more you know, kind of like the gay guys
then. So I didn't unfortunately, I didn’t kind of I'm really bad at it. I tried the one
time terrible. But it was it was nice. Like, you know, I really think that that's
where my thing of fashion came from. You know, being around the gay young
people and everything, everything was about fashion. Everything was about
fashion like back then we used to call it used to be called labels. And there
was even a category for that you even walked for you walk down this runway
for you know, your category that you were walking for was called labels. And it
was about who had the best clothes on the most the most expensive clothes
or even you know the most of the time it kind of fell in the category of the
most expensive clothes or even the somebody would get a Louis Vuitton you
know shirt or something or Versace pants you know, I don't I'm not too sure
how big bootlegging was back then and they actually really weren't Yeah,
these designer these designer clothes but the most of the time they were you
know, but it was it was good. You know that actually from there I wanted to
actually apply for fashion industries High School. I was the only person in my
junior high school actually got accepted to fashion industries. I actually went
in for merchandising someone to design in I wanted to design like a Windows
like displays. And that that became also because a movie mannequin where
he you know, created these extravagant window displays. And I could always
remember a few of my friends going and just seeing you know, the Macy's
windows, Bloomingdale's, Windows, or even the way that display the way the
clothes are put together. Unfortunately, they work too well with me. I got into a
lot of fights
AZ
At the school itself?
Anonymous
�In fashion industries. Yeah. I think you know, because, because I'm
androgynous I used to always get, you know, are you a girl or are you a boy
and guys, of course, you know, didn’t like, the fact that I think that they didn't
know, or, you know, if they figured out I was a (barrow?) it was like, Oh, well,
you know, she's a lesbian, she Butch, you know, so that became a problem. So
my mom transferred me out of the school and kind of put me in my zone
school, which happened to be two blocks away, which was through a part of
high school
AZ
And this was in the Lower East Side
Anonymous
Yes, the Lower East Side. It was literally three blocks away from my house,
which sucks because I could never cut class without getting caught. And that
school was good. I remember being there. And I remember there used to be
this one young woman that stood out she kind of stood to herself. And to this
day, like I kinda see her but really, I know her because of who she is. You know,
in terms of knowing somebody from school, but not really kind of creating a
relationship with them. Her name was Lee, and she was like, she made me
look femme so much. Like she was like Butch all the way. And I can remember
like seeing her, like, get a lot of, you know, like a lot of shit in school. Because,
you know, sexuality and just the way she looked like she had her head shaved,
which, back then I guess really wasn't acceptable for young women, you
know. And she's got a lot of us and I used to feel so bad. And, you know, I used
to always want to kind of rate reach out, but I always felt, the whole safety
thing where I kind of didn't want to put myself in that position because I just
felt like I got a lot of shit for just looking where I was. And I didn't even have a
shaved head. And I didn't really be as butch she was, you know, they kind of
just associated with me being Butch because the way I dressed I didn't dress
feminine. I dressed in jeans, sneakers, you know t-shirt.
�AZ
What was your hair like?
Anonymous
My hair was short, kind of the way it is now. And then I like as fashion started
changing, I let my hair grow. I kind of had this Steven Seagal type haircut
going on with a, I had a ponytail that kind of grew back. And I think a lot of that
happened because my friend started growing her hair that way. And since we
were so tight, we kind of brought it the same the same way. And we we just
continued going in the village and I remember there was a prom. They had a
prom. Unfortunately, when I graduated high school, I couldn't attend my prom.
I mean, I could have but there was the whole thing on you know, being stared
at what was I going to wear? You know, like, can I go there wearing a tuxedo
and have to get shit about it? Or do I have to wear a dress?
AZ
Were there any official rules about it?
Anonymous
There wasn’t. I mean, I think that never really is because I don't think they can
enforce it
AZ
They do it in some states. But I don't know of any…
Anonymous
In terms of the girls having to dress?
AZ
Like a girl can’t go with a girl basically
�Anonymous
I don't think I was worried about bringing anybody. If I would have went I
probably would have went with my with my friend Josephine, which was my
best friend that used to make me date boys, who was kind of devastated
after she found out that I started you know, being with girls, and she used to
always taunt me with Madonna used to have the song, La Isla Bonita. And in
the song she talks about when a girl loves a boy and a boy loves a girl. So my
friend used to, you know, every time that part came, like emphasize it. She will
look at me and go when a girl loves a boy and a boy loves a girl.
AZ
After you came out to her?
Anonymous
After I came out. But um, she I think she was just doing that because she was
just teasing me. You know, like she was really cool I didn’t unlike, unlike most
people's experiences, and I'd say mine coming out was a little not kind of
lucky. But it wasn't that hard. My mom kind of found out because she read my
diary, which I actually left my diary in a car. And one of her friends found it
and gave it to her. So I was a little awkward
AZ
How old were you?
Anonymous
17 when she found out but I think you know mom's always know. Yeah, you
know, so. I don't put dresses. I don't put dresses on there nothing feminine
about me. You know, I don't bring guys home. You know, I never talk about
boyfriends. So, you know, she just kind of did her own little you know, when she
when I came in the house, she kind of just not threw it at me she kind of just
�like tossed it. And and I can remember when she tossed it because she she
made this comment like she said she said cheers to your night in heaven or
something, because unfortunately it was talked about my first sexual
experience in in the, in my diary. I was just kind of like frozen when she when
she said it and that was kind of the only thing she said after that, like we never
she never you know, we didn't sit down and talk about it. You know, it was just
kind of like that was a one little comment and life just kind of went on. Which I
don't know if it was a good thing, but it seemed to work itself now. Yeah. That's
the I think I got a little scattered there, timeline.
AZ
Tell me more about what when you were talking about the balls. You
mentioned what the boys wore. The girls I mean, were the girls involved with it
Anonymous
Yes, yes, the girls were and the girls it, I think what was funny is when the kind
of femme girls would go against the femme guys for the same category, you
know, because they had a girl realness and even femmes would walk for this
category, you know, competing against, like these very feminine gay boys.
And I think the funniest thing was when the boys used to win. Right? And the
same thing with like, see the, I think the whole bunch femme thing is is an
attitude, or I think I want to say attitude, you know, or kind of I think it's attitude
because I think I kind of, you know, put out this kind of very rough attitudes
sometimes, you know, not so much frail or even then ethical being
stereotypically feminine, women are frail as well.
AZ
No but feminine does usually imply frailty culturally. So there were say butch
women walking in these balls?
Anonymous
�Yeah we would walk like I would walk for boy realness. And I would sometimes
go against like you know the kind of like butch gay boys. You know and it was
almost the same thing like you know like here is a butch woman you know
winning this category you know that was kind of like actual like you are a boy
and you can’t win it like what’s up with that. And then after that it kind of faded
like you know the the butch boys after that didn’t really walk for realness they
kind of they kind of excuse me. A new category started coming out so then
they had like b boy realness. Or and b boy realness was all about you know a
straight boy passing as a I mean a gay boy walking this category trying to act
straight. Like he would act thug. You know so he would have the baggy
clothes on and you know the Tommy Hilfiger hoody you know the hat and he
would walk and try to pass as a straight boy. And it’s funny because he’s
walking for this category that he wins and then you see the gay boy kind of
come out and they it was just fun. Like the different then it started after a while
it started getting boring because like new categories and things started
coming out and then you know there started to be a lot of animosity amongst
you know people you know and then it started becoming a thing where
people then started fighting like you know you would go to a ball and I can
remember like towards the end when I stopped going like I went half the time
to kind of watch my friend’s back. Because it, a fight always broke out
AZ
Over who won?
Anonymous
Over who won or a disagreement about who won or you know it started
coming about you know like things that kinds you know fight about. Like oh
well you aint wearing real labels like your labels aint real. You know like your
wearing bootleg clothing. Or you know, because it was such a tight
community sometimes people would sleep at somebody else’s house and so
somebody would be accused of stealing articles of clothing from each other.
�You know so after that when people starting fighting over things it just didn’t
become fun anymore. You know it was just kinda like I don’t want to go see
what fight is gonna break out I want to go to have fun
AZ
So you know how gay men, they have their own style, the pants are tight, they
wear tight little shirts, was there ever a lesbian style that you could say was
analogous?
Anonymous
I would say it was probably the b boy style. Because it was all about us like
passing. In terms of butch like I could only talk about like femme girls wore
you know femme clothing they wore you know tight jeans tight shirts you
know occasionally they wore baggy clothes but they were still they still wore it
in a feminine way. You know they would still have makeup on they would wear
even the colours the colours were you know feminine colours pink colours you
know pastel powder blues and stuff. Where the butches wore you know we
wore the big sweatshirts with baseball caps on. We wore jeans you know
sneakers then you know timberlands started becoming a new thing so we
graduated to timberlands and for us it was just all about passing
AZ
So your intention was to look like a straight male?
Anonymous
Yeah were kinda like our intention was to to pass as much as possible but
still…
AZ
Can you define pass?
�Anonymous
Like right now if I wanted to I could get up and walk to the mens room If I
wanted to
AZ
Ok so passing
Anonymous
Passing is basically going through the day or going like being able to pass as
a male. You know so we would walk into a store and they would be like excuse
me sir. So we would be able to pass or being able to you know we would go
because women’s bathrooms always got lines like we would walk into the
mens bathroom and not hear anything about it. Like that’s passing like going
through life or going through everyday with you know just being thought
people just looking at you and assuming that you’re you know that you’re a
male
AZ
Right. And is that something that you want? Have you always wanted that?
Anonymous
I, I just always wanted to always kinda be me. Like I'm a very individual sort of
self like I don’t I don’t really like labels. Like I don’t like being categorized you
know like I like wearing what I like wearing what I like to wear you know. Right
now well my clothes are male kind of orientated you know I work for a urban
clothing company so a lot of my clothes is. I wear mens clothes because
womens clothes are tighter, I don’t like em at all
Alaina
Why?
�Anonymous
I mean on me. I think I’m built too much, I’m built too much like a guy to kind of
wear feminine clothes, I think if I put on feminine clothes I kind of look like
probably a drag queen so
AZ
So you feel uncomfortable in
Anonymous
Yes, even growing up I never liked to wear dresses. Now that I think about it
my mom made me wear a dress one time to, for picture day in elementary
school, and I cried all day. Because yeah at a young age I had I started
developing body hair so I had hairy legs you know I had hair on my arms and I
cried all day because she made me go to school in this dress with these little
socks on so my legs were exposed. And I was just like, it was never because
you know kids are cruel you know kids kids say you know people would look at
me and go oh you’re ugly look at your legs like you know I’d be called a beast
you know. And it was just I hated it it was so bad like they was really, it sucked
AZ
Yeah
Anonymous
It’s and then it’s crazy now that we’re talking like all these memories start
coming out and in in the same elementary school I was actually banned from
school unless I wore a dress every day to school. Because I was so active,
which was another thing and now that I think about it my mom could have
actually sued because I went to a public school I didn’t go to a private school
AZ
Did they have uniforms?
�Anonymous
No, we wore everyday clothes you know whatever like my mom you know I
had school clothes and I had play clothes. Obviously my play clothes were
probably a little stained and had holes in them and you know my my school
clothes were nicer and newer and they forbid me to wear regular clothes I
had to wear a dress. They told me they would not allow me back in school
unless I wore a dress because I was too active
AZ
Oh so they wanted to keep you from being active…
Anonymous
They thought that if they put me in a dress that it would keep me from running
around and jumping because they they thought that you know a little girls
they were like I was too active for a little girl. You know I didn’t act like the little
girls I was I would get into fights I was climbing I was always with the little
boys and never with the little girls. And they made me wear a dress everyday
which was another thing that I hated. Like I mean I kind of didn’t have a choice
you know my mom unfortunately I guess you know she didn’t know enough to
kind of protest it. And it was towards the end of the year so for probably like
the last two weeks of school you know I had to deal with it [inaudible] I hated
it
AZ
Its a creative answer to solution
Anonymous
Yeah
AZ
�So lets fast forward to now you work in the fashion industry. How many
lesbians are there? Are there …
Anonymous
At work because I work for urban clothing company and I’m talking about
urban talking about I work for Rocawear which is right up there with
[inaudible] and you know everybody knows Jay Z which is you know CEO of
Roc-A-Fella records. And unfortunately you, being gay in an urban society
you know what I mean is, not to say that it’s unheard of but you know you
hear even the lyrics you hear about you know people being you know you
can’t be gay. Basically in in urban society and it’s crazy because when I first
started working there I remember this woman who worked in [accounts
receivable?] department. And you could clearly tell she was a woman it was
nothing you know she didn’t look like butch or androgynous like can look at
her and say is that a woman or is that a man. But she wore pantsuits, not men
pantsuits, they have pantsuits for women she wore pantsuits. And I remember
that they used to call her a shim which I thought was once again excuse me
which I thought was fucked up
AZ
That’s like she him?
Anonymous
Yes and I used to always like I would like I would say one of the biggest
advantages of being androgynous is people always think you’re male. I could
put my ID card in front of anybody and as as much as it says female you
know you know they don’t look at that people you know sex is not a thing that
people actually pay attention to on a card on an identification.They’re kind of
always looking at either your name or your your date of birth. So when I
started working at Rocawear they just automatically assumed I was a guy.
You know and I needed a job and I actually got the job through a temp
�agency. So I kind of really didn’t, because it was a temp agency I didn’t think I
was actually gonna be there long. So I kind of didn’t correct anybody or make
a big thing about it and then even more after they I used to hear them say
this. And I asked I used to ask I said why do you call her a shim like why do you
call her that? And they used to be like look at her, look at the way she dresses
and I would be like what’s wrong with the way she dresses? Like she has a
pantsuit on it’s not a mens suit its a womans suit. And they used to be like you
know but just look at her shes you know shes shes she looks like a man. She
doesn’t look like a man, she’s a woman she’s wearing a pantsuit like what’s
the problem. And I would start getting into arguments but and then kind of
backed off to kind of not draw and I think the woman was was oblivious to it
because they would call her a shim to her face and should laugh and go
yeah I’m a shim. And I don’t think she kind of knew what they were saying
about her and then she would she would talk about that she had a boyfriend.
And of course they would all make fun of her and be like oh your full of shit
you know you got a boyfriend, which was like still once again messed up. And
so fortunately I didn’t realize it but I I then became full time.
At the time I worked when I first started at at Rocawear I worked in the internet
department. So I used to basically coordinate what you see on the website.
You know getting images together, coordinating photo shoots with the
clothes, customer service, basically everything. And they had another des
they brought in this new designer and I remember his name was David Ayala
he was a gay man and clearly gay flaming as hell. You know cool, you know
cool guy and people used to make fun of him. Like like you know they would
joke with him but of course always joke with him in like a homophobic way.
You know like they would say they would say stupid stuff like you know like
how was that dick last night or something like that. Like this is a urban like
thing so they didn’t give a shit like there was no biting their tongues there was
nothing you know like the office is clearly homophobic. Like people say they
don’t have a problem with it you know but you hear like the responses and the
�things that they say the snickering like underneath their breath. And he used
to get a lot of crap but I think he just used to joke it off he was probably
making a crapload of money for being for being a head designer
AZ
Right, yeah, sure
Anonymous
And then once again the company just grew you know and now I work I I
started about three years ago working for the internet department I was
working for the IT department. Because the internet they actually started
outsourcing to a company called E fashions, which also runs JLo site baby fat.
So I was actually going to be let go. And by the grace of God, I was saved by
my boss to come and work in the IT department because Rocawear then
started getting big started blowing up started becoming more popular. So
they needed more people. And from there we move to 1411 Broadway, which is
the fashion district that's the big building that got the if you’ve seen it’s got the
giant button.
AZ
Oh!
Anonymous
That's the building I work in. And so we expanded we actually used to be 463 7
Avenue, and it became bigger and then they moved to to 1411 Broadway and
staff started you know, more people production started getting bigger
designs got a bit bigger. And there are people that you could kind of I want to
say, you know, when you’re gay, you have gaydar, you kind of know, you know
who's or you suspect. And people just ridicule them like you could. I mean, I
always thought I always kept it to myself. And like you know I would say in my
head oh, she looks like shes gay and then they started this in so funny. I think
�nobody messed with him because he was he was a big guy, there was a
woven designer [move insurance?] or like these button up shirts. Yeah. And
his name was Lesley. And he was he was out. He was clearly out. He's gay.
Everything about him. Right. He talked, you could clearly tell as soon as he
talked to you, he was gay. And I think nobody said anything to him because I
think they were scared of him. You know.
AZ
Because he was physically.
Anonymous
He was physically big. You know, like, he was very muscular. He was a big,
muscular black guy. And he was Canadian. I didn't know that. But it kind of
quieted down a little bit, because I think people kind of curbed their tone
around him because he would look like he didn't. He was a person that you
would say something that he would just sit there and just, you know, what we
call read. Like, he would just read you. You know.
AZ
What does that mean?
Anonymous
Read is like a gay term in terms of is a gay word for like, telling you off.
AZ
Okay.
Anonymous
Like he would simply put his hand on his head. He would do the whole finger
gesture. And it's even funnier when you got this kind of big muscular guy.
�AZ
Yeah.
Anonymous
Like you know, like, scolding you, like, how you probably would see a younger,
you know, petite woman like scolding.
AZ
Yeah, yeah.
Anonymous
You know, somebody and I think he just scared the shit out of people. Yeah, I
was like, in the corner. But yes. You know, but, you know, it makes me sad
sometime that I can't be like, who I am there. You know, like, my biggest fear, I
think at work is people finding out. You know, and it's come like real close at
times. When people find it out.
AZ
Yeah
Anonymous
Because we have sample sales. Rokawear has these awesome sample sales.
I got your number I'll let you know. And I, they open it to the public from like,
the first hour. It's it's just employees, and then they open it to the public. And
there was this guy who I actually used to go out with his friend when I was
younger, when I was kind of going through my you know what am I phase
straight or or gay? And he comes to every sample sale.
AZ
Does he recognise you?
�Anonymous
I don't let him like I've came real close where I've I've gone in. And I've saw him
and I kind of timed real quick, before he didn't even see me. And it was funny
one time I went in to talk to Michelle, which is actually J sister, when she works
there, she's real cool. And I went in, I was like Michelle, and I said, Michelle, he
kind of like I, I saw him like a profile, like view of him and he went to turn. And
when I saw him, I did kind of like ran out of room. So Michelle was like
[redacted] what. And I'm like, nothing, I'll talk to you later.
AZ
That's amazing that you have to do that.
Anonymous
Like every sample, like one every time we have a sample sale I avoid, like
passing like the office is huge so I could kind of get to where I need to go
through any kind of like, I could just. Sometimes I have to literally walk around
the whole entire office to get to the stairs [inaudible]. Or I’ll leave and just take
the elevator up one floor, because we have two floors. So I'll take the elevator
to the next floor with my office is or cubicle. And just to avoid, just to avoid. It's,
it's really crazy.
AZ
That is something else, yeah. To me, it's like New York City this day.
Anonymous
But I mean, once again, I work in, I work in a urban culture where, you know, it's
really not acceptable to be to be gay or lesbian. And then all the women in
my office are kind of like, you know, there are some attractive women. So of
course, if you're don't look like the typical woman, you know, you're that oddity,
you know, so it just, you know, sometimes I think, you know, I shouldn't be here,
�and all like that that's not fair. To myself. Like, I feel like sometimes I'm not
being true to myself, because I kind of lead this double life. You know, but
unfortunately, I found a career that I really liked. And I made a lot of contacts, I
kind of put it to the side, you know, so I could make more women get that 30%
off for wholesalers.
AZ
So how are you doing? Are you getting tired?
Anonymous
No, I am good. You tired? Break or Anything?
AZ
No, I have so many questions. I don't know how much contact you had with
the rest of the fashion industry. But do you think that other places in fashion
would be as bad?
Anonymous
As long as they're not urban, I don't think they are. I think it's only the urban,
like, clothing companies that we you you kind of fall into that. You know, that
where its just not acceptable. Like, you could probably like I'm pretty sure in
every in I'm pretty sure there are gay people in Rockafella records that are
putting their gay people in Sean John, you know, even even in the in the other
clothing companies like Echo. Probably [Nietzsche?], you know, there are there
people everywhere, but I just think that it's just, I feel bad. I feel like if they could
be who they are, and be openly gay at the job like I commend them. Like and,
you know, I think it's, I think it's different for men than it is for women. I think the
men because you think about fashion, sometimes you think, you know, if a
guy's a designer, he's gay. They used to, you know, like, he's a designer, he's
gay. So it's kinda like, you know, they already fall in that category. And, you
�know, their stereotypes, I say, into that category. So, but I think when it's a
woman, it's still like, I think if it's, if she's femme, you know, she kind of just
passes, you know, but if you're Butch, then you're hit with that whole oh you
want to be a man or you haven't had a guy to give it to correct or, or
something like you’re just considered like, odder than odd. You know, I mean,
like, you're just worse than that gay designer. But we could deal with him. He's
gay. We know. He's a designer, you know, but you're there's something wrong
with you.
AZ
Yeah.
Anonymous
So but I think they're I think, you know, I think there are gay and lesbian in
every single aspect of you know, in fashion. I mean regardless in urban, I think
they’re everywhere.
AZ
You just don’t know who they are.
Anonymous
No, I wish they did. I wish I did. You know, like, if I could go to a company where
I know that there were probably other gay and lesbian people that were out
like I would in a heartbeat.
AZ
My boss is Lesbian actually. And her partner was the also the business
partner. But that's besides the point. And actually, I think you've hit everything.
Is there anything else you want to talk about?
Anonymous
�Is there anything else you wanna know?
AZ
Let me see. Not really, let’s end there. Okay. Thank you very much. This has
been an excellent interview.
�
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
History of New York Lesbian Style Oral History Project, 2007
Description
An account of the resource
The History of New York Lesbian Style oral history collection is an oral history project created by Alaina Zulli in 2007. Zulli was in graduate school for fashion history at NYU at the time and was working with the oral history collection as a student employee at Tamiment Library, which motivated her to document the changes in the lesbian experience in New York as expressed in fashion through the personal accounts of women who identify as a lesbian and who live in New York City.
This collection includes four audio recordings of interviews conducted by Alaina Zulli in 2007, which have been digitized from CD-R by students at Pratt Institute’s Library and Information Science Program. The original materials are held in off-site storage by the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Transcriptions of the interviews are available, thanks to Amelia Leventhal, Marissa Moxley, and Sophia Santaniello .
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The information available on this site, including any text, data, artwork, video, audio, images or graphics may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Entities other than the Lesbian Herstory Archive may own copyright of the material. Material from the website may be used for non-profit or educational purposes. However, if copies are printed or displayed, copyright notice must be included. Except as provided above, you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this website in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner.
For information regarding any further use of the materials contained on this site, please contact the Lesbian Herstory Archives:
LHEF, Inc. 484 14th Street Brooklyn, New York 11215
Telephone: 718-768-DYKE
Email: lesbianherstoryarchives@gmail.com
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
HNYLS_Anonymous_Censored_1.wav
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
History of New York Lesbian Style
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Style Project: Anonymous Interviewee
Description
An account of the resource
The interviewee recounts her experiences growing up lesbian and intersex in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She discusses the lesbian community, the ballroom scene, workplace and school bullying, and her experiences working at an urban clothing company.
The interviewee's name has been withheld at her request.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Please see the Lesbian Herstory Archive's Rights Statement and the donor agreement form.</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
5/31/07
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
PT54M53S
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mpeg
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
CD-R
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Alaina Zulli
Autobiography
Coming Out
Discrimination
Fashion
Femininity & Masculinity
Intersex
Interviews
Lesbian Community
Support Groups
Voguing
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, March 27, 1973
Subject
The topic of the resource
Literature, publishing
Description
An account of the resource
In this episode of Lesbian Nation Martha Shelley speaks with Isabel Miller, author of “Patience and Sarah”. They discuss Miller’s writing career, her use of a pseudonym for writing lesbian novels, and the process of getting “Patience and Sarah” published.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/27/1973
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:29:42
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T81_1_47
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Miller, Isabel
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
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Digital Format
audio/wav
Gender Roles
Interviews
Isabel Miller
Lesbian Writer
Martha Shelley
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, January 2, 1973
Subject
The topic of the resource
Poetry
Description
An account of the resource
In this episode of Lesbian Nation Martha Shelley speaks with poet Susan Caver. In between Caver reading her poetry, Shelley and her discuss the “disturbing” themes in Caver’s poetry which include incest and religion, as well as Carver’s past relationships.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1/2/1973
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:27:12
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T81_1_36
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Caver, Susan
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Christianity
Fathers
Incest
Interviews
Martha Shelley
Poetry
Religion
Sexual Assault
Susan Caver
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, October 20, 1972
Subject
The topic of the resource
Literature, Poetry, Intellectualism
Description
An account of the resource
This episode of Lesbian Nation opens with Mary Flowerpot’s comedy segement followed by Martha Shelly interviewing Bertha Harris. Harris is the author of “Catching Saradove” (1969), “Confessions of Cherubino.” (1972), and “Lover” (1976). Shelley and Harris have a conversation about the writing process and intellectualism.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
10/20/1972
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:33:09
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T81_1_48
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Harris, Bertha
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Bertha Harris
Interviews
Lesbian Writer
Martha Shelley
Mary Flowerpot
Poetry
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, October 6, 1972
Subject
The topic of the resource
Psychology, Mental Health, Health Advocacy, Women's Health, Poetry
Description
An account of the resource
This episode of Lesbian Nation opens with a Mary Flowerpot humor segment then dives into an interview between Martha Shelley and Phyllis Chesler, renowned psychologist and author. In this interview, Chesler discusses women’s health, delving into her observations on how women are treated in mental health institutions. The episode ends with a poetry reading.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
10/6/1972
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:33:09
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T81_1_50
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Phyllis Chesler
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Gay Activists Alliance (GAA)
Health
Intergenerational Relationships
Interviews
Lesbian Nation
Martha Shelley
Mary Flowerpot
Mental Health
Mothers
Music
Phyllis Chesler
Poetry
Psychology
Women's Health
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, September 22, 1972
Subject
The topic of the resource
Sexuality, Sexism, Civil Rights
Description
An account of the resource
In this installment of Lesbian Nation, Martha Shelley interviews women of the Women’s Lesbian Liberation Committee of the Gay Activists’ Alliance (GAA). Mary Flowerpot also hosts her comedy segment. In Shelley’s interview, the women discuss the emergence of the Lesbian Liberation Committee and their role within the GAA. They talk about what they have done to address issues of sexism in the GAA and how they try to maintain positive discourse with male members.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
9/22/1972
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:29:12
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T81_1_41
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Gay Activists Alliance (GAA)
Humor
Interviews
Lesbian Musician
Lesbian Nation
Martha Shelley
Mary Flowerpot
Music
Sexism
Sexuality
Women's Lesbian Liberation Committee
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, July 28, 1972
Subject
The topic of the resource
Women’s liberation, Publishing, Coming out, Sexuality
Description
An account of the resource
Martha Shelley interviews Gene Damon aka Barbara Grier, founder of the lesbian magazine The Ladder (1956-1972). They discuss the beginnings of The Ladder and how it evolved from a smaller publication within the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) into an independent publication. Grier discusses the shift in content as well once the magazine became independent of the Daughters of Bilitis. Grier felt that under DOB they were focused on presenting a clean public image of lesbians to society at large and that this was reflected in what was published in older versions of The Ladder. Once Grier became the editor, she felt it was important to address topics like sexuality, saying “we began running material that deals with sex honestly and forthrightly.”
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
7/28/1972
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:32:54
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T81_1_33
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Damon, Gene; Grier, Barbara
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Barbara Grier
Coming Out
Daughters of Bilitis
Gay Activists Alliance (GAA)
Interviews
Lesbian Musician
Lesbian Nation
Lesbian Writer
Literature
Martha Shelley
Music
Publications
Sex
Sexual Relationships
Sexuality
The Ladder
Women's Lesbian Liberation Committee
Women's Liberation Movement
Writing
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, August 25, 1972
Subject
The topic of the resource
Literature, Daughters of Bilitis, Women's Lib, Publishing
Description
An account of the resource
An interview with Julie Lee about her background, work and ongoings with New York City & New Jersey branches of Daughters of Bilitis. This recording also includes a discussion of the book “Lesbian Woman” by Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon, the topics it addresses and Julie Lee’s efforts on east coast distribution of the book.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
197?-08-25
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:28:31
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T81_1_44
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Books
California
Daughters of Bilitis
Feminism
Interviews
Julie Lee
Phyllis Lyon Del Martin
Publications
Women's Liberation Movement
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, January 1973 [Women Choose Women Exhibition]
Subject
The topic of the resource
Women Choose Women Exhibition, Interviews, Art
Description
An account of the resource
This recording consists of informal interviews and a narrated tour conducted by Martha Shelly as she walks through the museum on the opening of the Women Choose Women exhibit at the New York Cultural Center. Martha Shelley interviews important people tied to this exhibit such as Mario Amaya, director of the New York Cultural Center. Anne Kang, an activist who discusses work with her fellow activists to protest discrimination against work created by women at the Museum of Modern Art and the organization of what would become the Women Choose Women exhibition.
Artist Muriel Castanis, a self described “sculpturette” shares her enthusiasm for the exhibition and the New York Cultural Center for hosting it. After the conclusion of this section, Martha Shelley conducts a walking tour of the exhibition and discusses selected works that stood out to her. She bumps into Janet Kogan and asks about her works and how they became part of the show.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
01/12/1973
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
0:20:06
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T8_1_35
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Activism
Art
Discrimination
Interviews
Janet Kogan
Mario Amaya
Martha Shelley
Muriel Castanis
Museums
New York
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
File Size
302 MB
Date Digitized
2020-09-22
Annotation
Notes from the physical carrier of the item (as written on box, casing, etc.)
Mono
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, March 13, 1973
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LHA_Audio_013
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
00:29:52
Description
An account of the resource
Karla Jay and June Rook about the book "Out of the Closet," a gay anthology of views and articles about the gay experience including the gay experience in Cuba and a discussion of the value of the individual perspective. [Bar One by Maxine Adele Feldman]
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1973-03-13
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lesbian Community, Feminism, Lesbian Activism
Language
A language of the resource
English
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archive
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Jay, Karla; Rook, June
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
International
Interviews
June Rook
Karla Jay
Martha Shelley
Politics
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation radio program, 1972-1974
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
Lesbian Nation, wbai-fm 99.5
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Shelley, Martha
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
wbai-fm, 99.5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-1974
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Shelley, Martha
Description
An account of the resource
Lesbian Nation was a groundbreaking radio show produced and hosted by Martha Shelley (1943 - Present), that specifically focused and revolved around the LGBTQ community during the rise of gay and lesbian liberation movements in the 1970s.
Sound
A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio.
File Size
510 MB
Date Digitized
2020-09-22
Annotation
Notes from the physical carrier of the item (as written on box, casing, etc.)
Stereo/ Mono
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lesbian Nation, October 13, 1972
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LHA_Audio_012
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
00:34:00
Description
An account of the resource
Mary Flowerpot plays a recording of Joyce Grenfell's audio drama and a continuation of the story of "Sally Lime, the Third Woman." Later, Martha Shelley interviews Karla Jay and June Rook about the book "Out of the Closet," a gay anthology of views and articles about topics including the gay experience in Cuba and a discussion of the value of the individual perspective. [Music: Bar One by Maxine Adele Feldman]
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972-10-13
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lesbian Community, Feminism, Lesbian Activism
Language
A language of the resource
English
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archive
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Gift of Martha Shelley
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Lesbian Herstory Archives
PBCore
PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/
Host
If applicable, the person hosting the broadcast piece. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha; Flowerpot, Mary
Interviewer
The person(s) conducting the interview. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Shelley, Martha
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed. (For personal names use "LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix").
Chesler, Phyllis
Physical Format
The format of a particular version or rendition of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space (e.g., a tape on a shelf), rather than as a digital file residing on a server or hard drive.
Open reel audiotape (71/2)
Digital Format
audio/wav
Femininity & Masculinity
Gender Roles
Interviews
June Rook
Karla Jay
Martha Shelley
Mary Flowerpot
Phyllis Chesler
-
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Omeka Image File
The metadata element set that was included in the `files_images` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all image files.
Bit Depth
8
Channels
3
Height
750
Width
1157
http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/54/282/SPW541_Oral_History_Project_Panel_Gay_June1979_A.wav.mp3
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gol</em>d by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. Ranging from the mid-1930s through the early 1960s, this ethnography of lesbian society is narrated with the backdrop of an average American city. The project is the result of 13 years of research, including an extensive oral history project. The "Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings" collection contains supplementary audio materials related to the research and production of <em>Boots of Leather</em>. <br /><br />These recordings range from conference proceedings to panel discussions to phone messages from book publishers. In each case, these related materials form an important element of the research, enriching and contextualizing the interviews conducted as part of the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. They discuss topics such as the publishing process and initial responses to the draft manuscript, the work of lesbian archives in researching and documenting the emergence of lesbian communities and lesbian consciousness across America, and how the research conducted into a small lesbian community in Buffalo, NY fits into a wider social narrative of establishing gay and lesbian identity and the development of gay and lesbian liberation movements. <br /><br />These recordings were donated to the archives by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy, and were subsequently digitized by students from the Pratt Institute, Projects in Digital Archives class, LIS-665.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Madeline Davis and Liz Kennedy. Boots of Leather Oral History Project Panel Gay Pride, 1979
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lesbian Community--New York (State)--New York
Lesbians--United States--Interviews
Lesbianism
Description
An account of the resource
Side A:
Panel discussion on the history of the archives, including a brief introduction on how they gather information through different interview procedures within the Lesbian community in order to build the oral history project.
Side B:
Panel discussion continues with topic brought up in side A.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Speaker: Madeline Davis
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Lesbian Herstory Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979-6
Date Modified
Date on which the resource was changed.
2013-12
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, LIS 665 Projects in Digital Archives students
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> See the LHA Copyright Statement </a>
Relation
A related resource
Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge
Is Format Of
A related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format.
ape cassette “SPW541 Oral History Project Panel - Gay Pride Week, 6-79”
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
Side A: 44:24 minutes
Side B: 44:17 minutes
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
mpeg
wav
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
PhysicalObject
Oral History Interview
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SPW 541
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Buffalo NY
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
20 Century
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Lesbian Herstory Archives, Contact Designation: Maxine Wolfe, Contact Address: 484 14th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215, Phone Number: 718-768-3953
Interviews
Lesbian Community
Liz Kennedy
Madeline Davis