Pat and DJ, November 11, 1986 (Tape 1)
Item
Title
Pat and DJ, November 11, 1986 (Tape 1)
Subject
Lesbian and Gay Experience
Lesbian Community--New York (State)--New York
Lesbians--Discrimination
Lesbian bars
Lesbians--Identity
Prostitution
Description
Side A: Liz and Madeline ask Pat and DJ for feedback on a draft of "Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold." Pat claims the book paints too rosy a picture of lesbian life, underplaying the prejudice most lesbians encountered in the 1940s and '50s. Both talk about the Buffalo bar scene in the 1940s and '50s: mentioned are Carousel, Bingo's, the Chesterfield, Ralph Martin's, the Mardi Gras, and the Midtown. The discussion shifts to relationships, faithfulness, and prostitutes.
Recording has loud feedback sounds and squeaks at the beginning.
Side B: Pat and DJ discuss bar denizens vs. lesbians who did not frequent bars and the "class" distinction there, and also the way non-butch lesbians looked down on butches. DJ describes how her long-term relationships were analogous to marriage, where she was the breadwinner and her partners were housewives who perhaps worked but did not "provide." Both discuss the fact that in the 1940s and '50s butches had the freedom to have affairs whereas femmes were expected to be faithful. This created an atmosphere of mistrust in which monogamous long-term relationships became very difficult.
Recording has loud squeaks at the beginning, hisses throughout, and cuts off abruptly at the end.
Recording has loud feedback sounds and squeaks at the beginning.
Side B: Pat and DJ discuss bar denizens vs. lesbians who did not frequent bars and the "class" distinction there, and also the way non-butch lesbians looked down on butches. DJ describes how her long-term relationships were analogous to marriage, where she was the breadwinner and her partners were housewives who perhaps worked but did not "provide." Both discuss the fact that in the 1940s and '50s butches had the freedom to have affairs whereas femmes were expected to be faithful. This created an atmosphere of mistrust in which monogamous long-term relationships became very difficult.
Recording has loud squeaks at the beginning, hisses throughout, and cuts off abruptly at the end.
Creator
Liz Lapovsky
Madeline Davis
Pat
DJ
Date Created
1986-11-11
Contributor
Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, 665 Projects in Digital Archives Students
Is Format Of
tape cassette "SPW457 Pat and DJ"
Extent
Side A: 31:53
Side B: 31:56
Side B: 31:56
Medium
mpeg
wav
Language
eng
Type
Sound
Oral History Interview
Identifier
SPW# 457
Rights Holder
Lesbian Herstory Archives, Contact Designation: Maxine Wolfe, Contact Address: 484 14th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215, Phone Number: 718-768-3953
Citation
Liz Lapovsky et al., “Pat and DJ, November 11, 1986 (Tape 1),” Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections, accessed April 18, 2024, http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/show/8.