Debra, February 20, 1980 (Tape 2)
Lesbians
Lesbians Conduct of life
Lesbians--Employment
Lesbians--Family relationships
Lesbians--Social life and customs
Lesbians--United States--Interviews
Lesbians--United States--Identity
Lesbians--United States--Social conditions
Lesbians--New York (State)--Buffalo--History--20th century
Lesbians and sports
Lesbians--New York (State)--Buffalo--Social conditions
Lesbianism--United States
Lesbianism--Social aspects
Lesbianism--United States--History
Lesbian and gay experience
Lesbians--Romantic Relationships
Gay bars
Lesbians of Color
Discusses her child, a son. He was the product of her one-day marriage. She kept him for about 8 months and then her brother and his wife took him and raised him. He would spend the summers with her until he was 12 and then he lived with her and spent the summers with her brother and his wife.
Believes lesbians make better mothers because they know more. She didn’t want her son to go into gay life because she felt it would be difficult for him, she doesn’t believe that gay men relationships last. She believes you can teach someone not to be gay.
They talk about gay men and lesbian relationships and social interactions. She would call upon her gay male friends to be her date to events that she needed a date, also sometimes family events. They talk about marriages between a gay man and gay woman. Debra says that she knew quite a few couples who had done that to put up a front, but that those relationships always worked out well. Debra also talks about marriage between two women. She never wanted to get married but knew women who did.
They also discuss alcoholism and drugs among the gay community.
On the second tape, Debra further discusses fights in the lesbian community. Madeline asks if she knew any lesbians who played sports in the 1940s and 1950s. Debra believes lesbians played sports but cannot definitely say so.
Debra (Interviewee)
Madeline Davis (Interviewer)
SPW498_Debra_A
SPW498_Debra_B
Lesbian Herstory Archives
1980-02-20
Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, LIS 665 Projects in Digital Archives students.
<a href="/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> See the LHA Copyright Statement </a>
Tape two of a two tape series recorded in 1980. Preceded by SPW497.
Original = Cassette Tape
MP3
WAV
English
Sound
Physical Object
Oral History Interview
SPW498
Learning to Fly, Sports
Women and Sports
Thoughts on athletics as they exist in America, and the pressure to develop oneself physically. In this radio show there is a reclamation of the “physical you.” There is also a discussion of how sports have become controlled by big business interests, they are now a plaything of the rich. This dehumanizes athletes, causing them to strive for only what can make them rich. Women's sports don't get much spectatorship and consequently don't get promotion or funding. The guests discuss how sports have also become a masculinity rite, and how winning is associated with proving one’s virility. On the other end, women athletes are pressured to prove their femininity in a masculine field. The emphasis on winning destroys athletes' bodies and spirits. Coaching forces athletes to be disciplined and to accept commands unquestioningly. The upward social mobility of sports is an illusion, and can only benefit a small portion of women and POC. The athletic system in this country is elitist, and little encouragement is given to amateurs and women. Black and women athletes have been challenging institutional sports in America.
Radio Free Women
August 1, 1974
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English
SAGE's Second National Conference on Aging: The Many Faces of Activism for Middle Aged + Old Lesbians
<p>Audio from SAGE's Second National Conference on Aging, which took place from <span style="font-weight: 400;">May 5-6, 2000 in New York, NY.</span></p>
<p>The audio starts with a conversation with a woman discussing activism, being an out lesbian parent, and atheticism and answering questions from the auidence. She talks about "The Gay Games" and the healing effect of sports for women and girls. Questions from the audience include comments on finding community at the intersection of elder lesbians and sports.</p>
<p>At 9:41 the audio cuts to a panel discussion with Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz. They play <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1TeFlRPQLc">a clip of Ruthie + Connie's 1988 apperance on the Phil Donahue Show. </a>Ruth and Connie talk about their personal hsitroy and early activism, their lawsuit against the New York City Board of Education for domestic partner benefits, the importance of being political and of coming out. They also talk about oening a counceling cener in their home and issues with the Butch/Femme Bianary. </p>
<p><span>At 28:41 the audio switches to Joan Nestle speaking about the Lesbian Herstory Archives and the importance of including reords about diverse Lesbian History. <br /><br />AT 33:11 a woman from the aidence speaks from the perspective of radical lesbians who have never had children or been married and about expanding the lesbian agenda in the future. She reads from a <span style="font-weight: 400;">a piece she wrote called “a week in the life of a 60 Year Old Lesbian” about her activism within the lesbian community.</span><br /></span></p>
SAGE
SAGE
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement">See Lesbian Herstory Archives Rights Statement.</a>
English
SPW 1872
P.D. Griffin, May 13, 1987
adoption, social life, women, books, sports
P.D. Griffin discusses her role in the Daughters of Bilitis and her relationship to the lesbian community. She also discusses her interests, which include softball and ukulele.
Lesbian Herstory Archive
Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, LIS 668 Moving Image and Sound Archiving students. Edited by Lauren Allshouse, Kim Loconto, Rachel Smiley, and Sara White.
<a href="/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> See the LHA Copyright Statement <br /></a> Photo by Morgan Gwenwald
English
Video Recording, Oral History
Griffin_P.D_1987May13
Lesbian Nation, September 24-25, 1973 [Softball Game; N. O. W. Sports; J. Rawcliffe]
Women In Athletics (Tape 1)
Women are interviewed about their experiences in sports, feminism in spots, and the struggles that women face when playing sports seriously at any level. This includes brief interview with Olympic swimmer Melissa Belote following 1972 Olympic wins, and ends with Althea Gibson introduction.
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement">See the LHA Copyright Statement</a>
audio/mpeg
T26
Women In Athletics (Tape 2)
Audio opens with live coverage of women's tennis, moves on to women's athletics discussion with Billie Jean King. Discrimination against women in tennis and athletics overall is a main focus, centering specifically on pay disparities and lack of social support for participation in sports at all ages.
8/25/73
<a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/rights-statement">See the LHA Copyright Statement</a>
audio/mpeg
T27