1 100 14 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/40559f4709a63962b300b14db912c38b.png d47a0a6c4577fab93152506ad57c3558 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/3a853438582b5c174a19c3163e714f56.mp4 b9128a9fe337e1208bb71903febf397a https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/ba9abfaa81fdfbbfe4f52126d4fd3634.jpg ffc788ae07728984131109496fe5b68d https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/5b91f26c9415ca3542746b335fd2ba7b.jpg e1d785b42670d85e909703999da39d0a https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/23e6bdb80992671d4c91e1fb5d94a5f9.jpg fd106e0677765581e24f76c35a14dd02 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 Video Library, 1973-1993 Description An account of the resource This collection holds videos that do not fall under specific collections in the digital archive, and are more apart of a LHA video library than part of a larger collection. These include performance, documentaries, and interviews. 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 Speaking to the Future: 1978 Lesbian Regional Conference (Tape 1) Subject The topic of the resource Coming Out, Lesbian Community, Homophobia, Lesbians of Color Description An account of the resource Part 1 of interviews addressed to "lesbians of the future" conducted by the Lesbian Herstory Archives at the 1978 Lesbian Regional Conference. Among the subjects discussed in the interviews include coming out, lesbian fashion, older lesbians, chosen names, homophobia, and racism against lesbians of color. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lesbian Herstory Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/02/1978 (date created) 11/2023 (date digitized) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Lesbian Herstory Archives <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Speaking_to_the_Future_Tape_1 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. Baked Tape PBCore PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/ 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. 1/2 inch videotape Duration Provides a timestamp for the overall length or duration of the audio. Represents the playback time. Format: HH:MM:SS 00:33:07 Coming Out Fashion Homophobia Lesbian Herstory Archives Lesbians of Color Older Lesbians Oral History https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/13/461.jpg 672b9c9711a0cee28423fca4b3f7be58 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 2036 Width 3054 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/13/SPW461_Mary_T_B.wav.mp3 9d405815e6afe34fece0250fb58dd406 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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. Sound A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio. Original Format If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data tape cassette Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 46:44 MP3 Files Links to Oral History mp3 files <h4><a href="/mp3_files/SPW461_MARY_A.wav.mp3" target="_blank">Download Side A</a></h4> <h4><a href="/mp3_files/summer2012/SPW461_Mary_T_B.wav.mp3" target="_blank">Download Side B</a></h4> 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 Mary T., July 7, 1978 (Tape 2) Subject The topic of the resource Lesbian Bars Lesbian and gay experience Lesbian Community--New York (State) Lesbians--Clothing Description An account of the resource Mary describes the bar scene, parties, fashion, music, bar layouts, and fights at Bingo's and Carousel bars. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mary T. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archives Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1978-07-07 Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. 2011-11 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, 665 Projects in Digital Archives Students Relation A related resource This recordings is 2 of 2 tapes recorded with Mary T on 1978-07-07. Is Format Of A related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format. tape cassette "SPW461 Mary T" Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge Extent The size or duration of the resource. 46:44 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 Oral History Interview Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW# 461 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Buffalo, N.Y. Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1957-1961 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 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> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> Bars Clubs Fashion Identity Lesbian and gay experience Lesbian Bars Lesbian Community--New York (State) Lesbians--Clothing Music https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/7/452.jpg 1b97a6320c3b91d7f6dfcd0cdd51f321 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 1200 Width 1800 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/7/SPW452_MARYANN_A.wav.mp3 20c06dfacbfd6e62ffb9fef31aee82a5 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/7/SPW452_MARYANN_B.wav.mp3 0c5152aeab811d58ac3c545ac8b09348 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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. Sound A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio. Original Format If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data tape cassette Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) Side A: 46:32 Side B: 46:32 MP3 Files Links to Oral History mp3 files <h4><a href="/mp3_files/SPW452_MARYANN_A.wav.mp3" target="_blank">Download Side A</a></h4> <h4><a href="/mp3_files/SPW452_MARYANN_B.wav.mp3" target="_blank">Download Side B</a></h4> 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 Mary Ann, October 15, 1988 (Tape 1) Subject The topic of the resource Prostitution Lesbian parents Lesbians--Identity Lesbian Community--New York (State) Lesbian and Gay Experience Lesbian bars Clothing Discrimination Description An account of the resource Side A: Mary Ann discusses her experiences going out in public with her girlfriends, and the treatment they receive at restaurants, bars, and on the street. She mentions that their public treatment is very often instigated by the masculine way her partners are dressed; she herself has always been very femme. Mary Ann talks about her incarceration for robbery, and her time in a psychiatric hospital for depression and attempted suicide. Side B: Mary Ann continues to discuss her time in jail. She took on a butch look, and began to receive small gifts under her cell door from femme girls in other divisions. She developed relationships with different girls that she worked with while in jail, and talks about lookouts, or "chickies," standing watch for girls who were with their partners in the showers or elsewhere. She then talks about her sex life with a long-term partner of 22 years, with whom she raised foster children. Later, she touches on her job as a dancer at Buffalo clubs, and a two-year period when she worked as a prostitute. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mary Ann Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archives Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988-10-15 Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. 2011-10 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, 665 Projects in Digital Archives Students Relation A related resource This recording is 1 of 2 tapes recorded with Mary Ann on 1988-10-15. Is Format Of A related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format. tape cassette "SPW452 Mary Ann" Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge Extent The size or duration of the resource. Side A: 46:32 Side B: 46:32 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 Oral History Interview Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW# 452 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Buffalo, N.Y. 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 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> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> Bars Clothing Discrimination Fashion Identity Lesbian and gay experience Lesbian Bars Lesbian Community--New York (State) Lesbian Mothers Lesbian parents Lesbians--Identity Prostitution Sex Work Suicide https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/29/95/40656_ca_object_representations_media_117_original.jpg efd83af5ef04ddf274cb5f4a044e9fa8 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 3000 Width 4000 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/29/95/spw63_A.mp3 d1610b73d73dfb382fcfb12cd2dccc12 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/29/95/spw63_B.mp3 40908ed63ef2658575ea66d82cff8b28 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 Mabel Hampton Oral History Collection, 1976-1989 Description An account of the resource Mabel Hampton (1902-1989) was an African-American lesbian, an activist, a domestic worker, and a dancer. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she lost her mother when she was only two years old. For the next five years, Mabel was raised by her maternal grandmother, but she too passed away. In 1909, she moved to Greenwich Village in New York City at age seven. Less than a year after moving in with her aunt, Mabel was raped by her uncle, a minister. She ran away to New Jersey, buying a bus ticket purchased with a nickel given to her by a woman on the street. Luckily, Mabel was taken in by a family that cared for her for the next several years. As a young woman, Mabel gravitated toward the lively scene in Harlem. In 1920, when she was seventeen, Mabel was wrongfully arrested during a prostitution sting and sentenced to time in Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. Upon her release, she danced at clubs like "The Garden of Joy", sang as a member of the Lafayette Theater Chorus, and performed with Harlem Renaissance stars such as Gladys Bentley. Mabel engaged in several relationships with women and lived openly as a lesbian. In 1932, Mabel met Lillian Foster, who would be her partner until Lillian's death in 1978. With the Harlem Renaissance waning, Mabel sought out employment in other areas, primarily working as a domestic worker and hospital attendant. As a domestic, she worked for the family of Joan Nestle. Mabel and Joan developed a friendship that lasted for decades. When Joan started the Lesbian Herstory Archives in 1974, Mabel joined her as a founding member. Mabel donated her huge collection of lesbian pulp fiction novels and worked tirelessly with Joan and other volunteers to amass lesbian-related materials--literature, biographical information, academic publications, and ephemera--as a resource for the lesbian and gay community. Mabel was also a vital, enduring element in the gay rights movement-she participated in every gay pride march that occurred during her lifespan, including the first, historic march and demonstration for gay rights in Washington, D.C., which took place in 1979. In 1985, Mabel was named the grand marshal of the New York City Gay Pride March. That same year, Mabel was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays. After the Lesbian Herstory Archives were founded, Mabel carried the LHA banner in many marches. She also worked tirelessly for SAGE, an organization devoted to promoting advocacy and developing services for elderly members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. Interviews with Mabel are featured in "Before Stonewall" and "Silent Pioneers"; both movies document the struggle for gay rights and the efforts made to obtain equality. Joan Nestle started recording Mabel's oral histories in the late seventies, realizing the importance of documenting Mabel's life story as an example of racial and sexual freedom. In these histories--many of which are featured on this website--Mabel discusses her relationships with women, her struggles with racism, and her identity as an African-American lesbian in the twentieth century. Mabel died of pneumonia in 1989 at the age of eighty-seven. Her life as an advocate, activist, performer, and storyteller lives on in the images and oral histories collected by the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Many of the resources below, as well as additional subject files, biographical information, images, and media about Mabel, lesbian history, and gay pride are available by visiting the LHA in person. Resources City University of New York. (2003). Queer ideas: The David R. Kessler lectures in lesbian and gay studies. New York: Feminist Press at the City University of New York. DuPlessis, R. B., & Snitow, A. B. (1998). The feminist memoir project: Voices from women's liberation. New York: Three Rivers Press. Hampton, M. (1979) "I didn't go back there anymore: Mabel Hampton talks about the south." In Feminary 10, 7-16. Hogan, S., & Hudson, L. (1998). Completely queer: The Gay and Lesbian encyclopedia. New York: Henry Holt. Lesbian Herstory Archives. Mabel Hampton special collection, including transcripts of oral history. Lesbian Herstory Archives, Brooklyn, NY. Nestle, J. (1993). Excerpts from the Oral History of Mabel Hampton. Signs, 18, 4, 925-935. Nestle, J. (1998). "I Lift My Eyes to the Hill: the Life of Mabel Hampton as told by a White Woman." In A fragile union: New & selected writings. San Francisco: Cleis Press. Nestle, J. (1991). "Surviving and More: Interview with Mabel Hampton". In Sinister Wisdom 43/44, Summer. Berkeley, CA. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPWC1 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 Mabel Hampton Interview [Coney Island / Lillian / Fashion] Subject The topic of the resource African American lesbians [sh85001859] Lesbian couples [sh85076154] Lesbians--Identity [sh94004083] Description An account of the resource Mabel Hampton discusses, with Joan Nestle, gender identity, attraction, men, and marriage. Mabel Hampton also discusses nicknames she shared with Lillian Foster, including "Little Bear" and "Big Bear." They look at photographs and reminisce about Coney Island, buying new clothes, and Nestle's preparation of slideshows for the LHA. The second half of the recording covers a few takes of stories surrounding Mabel's time living with Joan and Deb after an apartment fire, Mabel and Lillian's nicknames for each other, and the meaning of Mabel's fashion choices. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mabel Hampton (Interviewee) Joan Nestle (interviewer) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Side A (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw64_A.mp3 Side A (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw63_A.wav Side B (mp3) http://herstory.prattsils.org/mp3_files/spw64_B.mp3 Side B (wav) http://herstory.prattsils.org/wav_files/spw63_B.wav Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. Digitized 2010, November Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Original = Cassette Tape WAV MP3 Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Digital reproduction of audio cassette. Language A language of the resource English - Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Oral Histories Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW63 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Coney Island, NY 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 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Contact LHA at <a href="mailto:dyv.lha@gmail.com">dyv.lha@gmail.com</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> Fashion Gender Identity Joan Nestle Mabel Hampton New York https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/23/448.jpg 2b22727f7af56e57c8e5948e49801053 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 1200 IPTC Array a:1:{s:7:"caption";s:31:" ";} IPTC String caption: Width 1800 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/23/SPW448_Linda_A.wav.mp3 52dfa3ae7a64bd10fee9e962b9875315 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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. Sound A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio. Original Format If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data tape cassette Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:08 MP3 Files Links to Oral History mp3 files <h4><a href="/mp3_files/SPW448_Linda_A.wav.mp3" target="_blank">Download the Interview</a></h4> 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 Linda, November 19, 1978 (Tape 2) Subject The topic of the resource Lesbian and gay experience Lesbian Herstory Archives Lesbianism--History Lesbianism Lesbians--United States--History Sexual relationships Description An account of the resource Linda discusses work and how her coworkers knew that she is a lesbian, which did not bother them. She recalls beginning to wear men's clothes to work in the 1970s when women began to wear pants. Linda discusses her relationship, and how her life centers around her lover. She believes that the younger generation is less monogamous than hers. Linda also discusses butch and femme dynamics in relationships. The sound quality is poor in the beginning. The tape cuts off abruptly at the end. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Linda Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archives Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1978-11-19 Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. 2011-11 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, 665 Projects in Digital Archives Students Relation A related resource This recording is 2 of 2 tapes recorded with Linda on 1978-11-19. Is Format Of A related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format. tape cassette "SPW448 Linda" Extent The size or duration of the resource. 31:08 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 Oral History Interview Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW# 448 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Buffalo, NY Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1960s-1970s 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 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> Buffalo Women Butch and Femme Fashion Monogamy Oral History Relationships Sexuality https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/246b3841ada65edfd64515d21d25440e.pdf c9440db6a16c50d540e6277980c28eff PDF Text Text Alaina Zulli Okay, this is an interview with Maria Maria Gorkhover. On May 30 2007, interviewed by Alaina Zulli, we are in Bobst Library at NYU, in New York City. Okay, Maria, let's start with your background where you grew up your age and a little bit about your family. Maria Gorkhover So I grew up in Uzbekistan, which is one of the former Soviet republics. Now it's an independent country. And I lived there until I was 10 years old. My family, standard Jewish family, meaning, you know, everybody's Jewish into the nth generation, like pure read. I have one brother, who is 17. And I have another brother, who is for my, when my parents came here, like in about three years after they got here, they divorced. I was like, 13 at the time. And then my mom was married to a guy who was not Jewish, and they had a baby. And that baby is my, is my second brother, who is right now four. My dad, he also remarried, but there's no kids from that marriage. And then they got divorced. And right now he's not married, but you know, he is in a relationship. And I, when we came, I lived with both parents, obviously. Then, after my parents were divorced, I lived with my mom for many, many years. And then about, I think two years ago, something like that. I moved with my dad because he lives in Brooklyn, and it's closer for me to commute to school much closer. And I also like living with him better. So let's see. Anything else? AZ What did your parents do? MG My parents are both computer programmers. My dad, well, my dad used to be a computer programmer, but in America, he had a bit of difficulty in that department. And right now he's trying to be a teacher, like a teacher of high school mathematics. He's finishing his master's program, so you can be �certified. My mom continued to be a computer programmer. And she works right now at Duane Reade. Like, you know, in the corporate office and stuff. AZ Okay. So, let's jump ahead to your sexuality. Tell me about how you knew you were lesbian, when you came out, the whole story? MG Okay, the question presents itself, how graphic do we need to get? So I always knew that I liked girls. And I never, so how did I know that I liked them? Because I had really graphic fantasies about them. And that is before I you know, I saw any kind of pornography or anything of the sort before we had internet and before I you know, had Cinemax or anything of the sort, like I had really kind of graphic fantasies. Nothing like that towards guys. Like, really nothing. So from, I'd say, well, I'd say age eleven. I started having these fantasies, and then like, then I didn't know what the hell what that meant, actually. And by somehow around age fifteen. And I was like, well, let's see, it's pretty clear that I like girls like a lot. But I actually don't mind guys, because I didn't find them distasteful or anything like that. So I was like, You know what, I am bi, because I didn't want to say that I'm lesbian and, you know, cut out the potential of marriage and men and pleasing my parents and as important out of my life altogether. So I thought that, well, I thought in my mind that I was bi until actually recently, it's about a year – no, a year ago, about six months ago, a little bit more, when I figured out through, like, I guess, recent, through sexual experiences that I had at that time that No, I was not, in fact, bi I mean, not minding guys actually doesn't mean that you are attracted to them. So I mean, I mean, if that's your definition of bi, it's not mine. Right, so. So then I like identified myself as basically gay as such, although between that time when I was 23, and the time when I was 15. I always knew that I like girls like far, far more than guys. So I thought that I was bi, just really more much more towards girls. But now it's like it's, you know, like, there's no point of me �being with guys because if, I am just like not attracted to them. I can take it, but why bother? Let's see. Let's see. Let's see. Anything else? AZ Well, um coming out how was it for you with your family? MG Oh, that's that's a drama story and of itself rather. So the first time that I came out was to my mom when I was 15 years old. And it was this big. Like hysteric scene, like I was crying and I had like, hysterics and such and hyperventilating and stuff. Uh. Why I was coming out at that specific time? Because there was this girl that I loved or I thought I loved and I wanted to be in a relationship with her. And even though the smart thing to do would have been to, you know, keep hush hush about it, and save everybody the trouble, being the excruciatingly honest person that I am meaning I can't keep any secrets from my parents, right? I- You know, I, I went to confessional with my mom and the priest. And she was like, Oh, it's a phase, you know, you shouldn't do this. And basically, she told me that, if I do start a relationship with a girl, she'll be very disappointed with me. She will withdraw from me, and she doesn't know what kind of parent- daughter relationship we'll be able to have. Which was kind of like a death sentence. So, I mean, because my mom was basically like, my God at that time, like her approval was my main goal in life and my main cause of happiness in life, and lack thereof, my main cause of misery in life. So, I was like, That's it. Like, I like, I, even though I - No, I did love this girl, I didn't want to be with her. I simply could not do it, even behind my mom's back. Because I would be, let's say, like, you know, making out with her. And then with that going on, you'd be like, What would my mom think of me? If she knew I was doing this? Right. So at that time, I was like, I really, really wanted to �make myself straight. How did I do that? I kind of I started going out with guys basically. Right. Any, like random guys. Like, you know what, I don't mind them, so let's stick to that. Right. And I tried to like force myself to not look at girls – tried being the operative word, obviously. So and, like, a few days later. Like, I just could not stand the thought of my mom being disappointed in me and ashamed of me, basically. And withdrawing from me. I told her mom, you are right, this is a phase and I am in fact straight and so on and so on. Okay, so I thought, you know, the situation was taken care of, so I will make myself straight. Or rather, I will just ignore girls altogether, you know. Cause seeing as I was like well I can just go with guys for the rest of my life, why should that be a problem? You know. So fast forward to let's see, I think it was about 19 years old? Right. Then, was it 19 years old? No, it was not 19 years old. It was well, 20, it was actually 21 years old. Right. I actually, like began a relationship with this girl, like in secrecy at age eighteen, because I don't know I've calmed down or something. And I was like, You know what? I mean, like, I'm not going to kill myself over it. But like, I'm not going to tell my mom because I just could not live with her disappointmented, like, presence, right? But at like by age 21, it really begin to kind of weigh down upon me that I could not really, you know, be with girls and have her know about it. And, like, basically, there was this conflict with this girl. Okay, you know, we actually, we had a very strange on again, off again, open relationship where we're basically best friends and occasionally had sex. So it was not a relationship like as such, like not in the sense that most people understand that. Right. And I always knew that I would have like other relationships, other romantic relationships besides her. And she also knew that that she was like, cool with it. Right? We were just kind of each other's support system. Up until the time when we were both I don't know, ready to go find somebody else or �something like that. Basically, best friends who just turned out to be gay both so you know, why not have sex? So by age 21, there was this conflict in me. On the one hand, I couldn't I was like, okay, um, well, I'm bi, so I can be with guys all the time, but that would mean that I'm gonna be continuously suppressing my urge towards girls, which was very strong, and it was growing stronger, like every day. On the other hand, I could not tell my mom any of this because either she'll be disappointed in me. She'll be like, okay, Maria continue to suppress it or something like that. Or she'll be like, "No, Maria, you're already 21 years old. You're an adult. You can go do whatever you want. You can go sleep with girls," but inside she'll be very, very disappointed and ashamed. She'll just not say it, but she'll think that and she'll feel it. And I didn't want that. So the question was, like, suppress myself, for the sake of my mom's approval, not suppress myself, face her disappointment. Either way, not a pleasant solution. So, after a lot of, you know, mental anguish that we Jews are known for. True, right? So, I, I took my mom, I made an appointment with a shrink in the city, an American shrink, right? And I went to the shrink with my mom, like, I dragged her to it, because I was like, "Mom I need to tell you something." And after, and, it was like this big, big dramatic thing once again, in that shrinks office, right? Because, like, I started crying again, and hyperventilating and stuff like that. And I even had to go outside to like, calm myself down and whatever. And then I came back, and I was like, Mama, I love you. And I don't want to disappoint you, like your approval means everything to me. But I like girls, and I can't fight it anymore. You know, add all the tears and all that and all that stuff. And I wanted to do it in front of a shrink, who has a PHD. So the shrink can immediately tell my mom, no, it's not a phase. And no, you know, it's not like an abnormal thing, or whatever it is. So we can have the professional opinion in �the consultation, like right there. Right? So if I tell my mom, it's not a phase, it's like who the hell am I? I'm no doctor? But if this PhD of psychology tells her? It's an entirely different thing. She took it like much calmer, actually. Right? And so you know, and I asked the shrink, like, is this a phase? Like, can you tell my mom, is it a phase or not? She's like, "No, it's not a phase." And I'm like, "Mom, I'm 21 years old. It's like, how can it be a phase by now if I've been experiencing this since 11, 12, something like that." Right? She took it. And she, at that time, she kind of, she calmed down about it. And she believed me fully. Like she believed that, you know, that is indeed the situation. There's nothing you can do about it really, and right and stuff. And I guess, it also helps the fact that I told her I was bi, because I thought I was bi at the time. So she's like, well, she likes girls. Let her experiment with girls, sleep around, but you know, she's still gonna get married to a guy. And actually I told her as much I'm like, "Yeah, I'm gonna sleep around with girls, party. And then I'm gonna get married to a guy because I want to have a family," and so on and so on. She's like, okay, you know, that's, that's not a problem. I mean, it's unfortunate. That's not the best situation, but you know, we can deal with it. She's still gonna give me grandkids. Yeah. So then, it was like, Okay, this you know, this is a much better situation for me nice and calm. But then it was pressing upon me to confess to my dad, which I did. After you know, a little bit of Dutch courage. AZ Some drinking? MG Yes. So, because I was like, You know what, I'm not gonna hyperventilate, I'm not gonna cry. And I'm not gonna go into hysterics again. I'll be calm, even if it's chemically induced. So, like, yeah, that was, that was really interesting. Like, �he's sitting on the couch. Right. Watching soccer. I'm like, Papa, I want to talk to you. Like, okay, talk to me. I'm like, Papa turn off the tv. I'm gonna talk to you. He muted the soccer. Papa, look at me, I want to talk to you. It's important. He's like, I'm listening. I'm listening. Like, okay. So I'm like, Papa, like girls. He's like, I know. Like, what? How do you know this? Like, your mom told me when you were 15? Yeah, my mom actually, like, as soon as I told her, way back when, she called up my dad and she told him. And it's amazing that he's actually very calm about it. Like, it's not like he doesn't think it's a big source of bother. Especially seeing as at that time, I thought I was bi and my mom thought I was bi. So my mom was like, yeah, she likes girls, but she also likes guys. So my dad is like, okay, that's fine. You know, you know, as long as she likes, guys, it's not a problem. Right? So but, at the present moment, my mom has, you know, gotten used to it like it's not like a big deal for her really. And it's my dad, he was, he was actually a lot less, a lot less having problems with than my mom, like very much so. I-like he was like, he doesn't really care, like, who do I sleep with or something like that. As long as I make a family and stuff. So it was fine. Like it became like very calm and stuff. But then I realized about, basically in November of 2006, after having like sexual experiences with both girls and guys, like one after the other pretty soon, you know, like concentrated. Like that, you know what, guys don't do anything for me, not really. And, you know, it's girls that do. So I guess I must be gay then, like, fully, you know, which was not such a big switch because, like, I don't know, 80% towards girls and 100% towards girls? So not such a big switch. So right now, I do identify as gay, because my, because you know, of my experiences. And my, how do I say this? Like, pretty, pretty kind of concrete definition. Sorry, concrete evidence that I don't like guys. And I do like girls. Yeah, and I'm not going to say what because that would, that would be, you know, the graphic part. So, let's see. That's about it. So I mean, did I cover everything that you want me to? �AZ Yeah. Right. Okay, so, let's go back to let's, let's go back to when you first started thinking about girls. Did, did you think that about gender, about yourself in any gender or how you dressed? MG Well, I always, I never thought of myself as a guy. Like, I always knew I was female. But I always dressed in very loose clothing and either unisex or even guys clothing. But it was not because like I wanted to be butch, it's because I thought I was kind of fat. Like I had, like a, like relatively big stomach. And I wanted to hide that fat. And I was really like, uncomfortable with my body, like a lot of body issues. And because of that, right? It's just that I suppose if other girls are uncomfortable with their bodies, and they wear loose clothing, they will usually be wearing feminine loose clothing, whereas I wore just like T shirts and sweatshirts and something that a guy would wear with no problem. Right? Why? Because I just felt more comfortable in those kind of clothing. So that has been my style since basically, day one, like loose clothing that, that is either unisex or when guys pants and guys, not guys shirts but like sweatshirts, right and T shirts. And that style it was how do I say this? It was not, it was not determined by my orientation. But at the same time, if I were straight, like as such, and I wanted to attract the attention of guys, then I probably would be wearing more feminine clothes and tighter clothes, even on my stomach because I would be like you know, you know, why not? That's like show something, instead of showing nothing. But seeing as I was really into girls and I didn't care much about guys, I was not interested in attracting their attention. So it was not important for me to wear tight clothes that would attract their attention and for me to like appear on their radar as potential you know, dating candidates you know? �AZ Yeah, so as your self conception as a lesbian as it evolved, did your let's see, how can I say this. Did your style change at all? Did you feel? MG Yes. Okay. My style like in high school was influenced by several factors. First of all the fact that my parents didn't have a lot of money and I also didn't want to take a lot of their money so I bought crap basically, like cheap crap that looked bad. Brand name was something that happens for other people. So cheap jeans from Kmart, guys jeans, like cheap sweatshirts for like five bucks, things like that. So I look like a badly dressed guy basically. Right so, so that, and I mean I could have bought cheap women, cheap girls clothes, you know from things like pretty girl or you know, any, you know, like really cheap, cheap, like, what's it called, even Kmart, cheap girls clothes. But I didn't feel comfortable like showing my body. So my style in high school was that cheap unisex clothes. Then when I went to college, I started working and I started making some money. And I started dressing a little bit better. Like also unisex clothes because I was just used to that style and then because I still thought of myself as kind of always not attractive, and unattractive. But more stylish mens clothes, like men's jeans from Express for example, as opposed to Kmart or Old Navy, like more brand name, you know, like nicer shirts instead of just crap. Right? Still kind of loose and still something that a guy could wear also, but just nicer, nicer looking and better fitting. Right. Ah, and that style continued to about. Well, basically, up until now, and as I continued throughout college, I worked more, you know, as I made more money. And I started just asking my mom for money to buy more brand new things, like nicer things, but I still stuck to unisex slash male clothes mostly, or at least kind of loose female clothes. Right, like nothing tight, nothing that shows up anything. If you look at me in regular clothes, it would be like, okay, the only way you can tell I'm female is you know, possibly boobs �and above the neck, you know. And you know, the shirt could be female, but it would be loose female. The pants, you know, male pants. So the quality of my clothes improved, and the fit and the style improved. But the overall, overall kind of approach has remained the same. And right now, I have lost some weight recently. So now I feel like I could wear like tight feminine clothes and look appropriate in them and stuff, appropriate means good. But I just don't choose to because first of all, I'm so used to wearing loose clothes, that I'm just comfortable in things that are losing and not tight fitting. And second of all, I don't feel like having my ass for display, you know, to all and sundry, it's just I don't know, like, I prefer this kind of approach, especially the school that I go to, which is City College. It's a, it's mostly there's a lot of like Hispanics and blacks, there. And the neighborhood itself is Spanish. And for a white girl tall, white girl, tall, skinny white girl in tight clothes to be walking around in Spanish Harlem, late at night, in tight clothes. Ahhh, no, not happening. So like, like, I don't want to attract that kind of attention, because they are, in that neighborhood, and that setting in my college specifically, it's very easy for me, like, you know, just by virtue of being exotic for them, to attract that kind of attention and I don't want that. Also, I feel like I get more respect, if I wear nice clothes, clothes that are like brand new, and you see they fit nice and stuff, but they're loose. Because in our society, women are evaluated on their appearance first and everything else second. So if my appearance, you know, my shape is taken out of the equation, then it ceases to be a components available of evaluation for me. And when people, when I meet new people, they see me, okay, female, but they don't check out you know, the assets and so on. And they don't make their judgment based on that, they make their judgment based on their actual interaction with me in whatever capacity that occurs. So, in that mirror, I feel like, I could represent myself not as a set of, you know, the stuff but as �like a whole person, and males would be evaluating me as a whole person, which is what I want. And females also because girls also judge other girls by their appearance, not in the sense oh, I want to like do her, but in the sense, you know, comparing to themselves, I guess. So, in that- So I think that I'm definitely going to stick to this like loose but now brand name and nice looking stuff. Because for me, it was also in my chosen profession of engineer, there's not a lot of women. And obviously. So and I feel like if you don't know, if you present yourself like in any sexual manner to guys, then they will immediately see you like a something of an object more or less, not entirely but to some degree, yes. And I don't want to be seen as an object. Like at all, even like 1%. That's just not, at least not let's say by just some random guys. You know, I mean, obviously, I want my girlfriend to want me but not just some random guy in the street. AZ So do, you said that that you dress, or that you don't dress to please the male gaze? Is there any sense in your clothing or how you dress and pleasing the female gaze? MG I have no idea what pleases the female gaze. Well, I mean, okay, I know what pleases me, but that's the same thing that pleases guys. So it's not, so it's not like anything different, but I don't really know. I mean, my objective is not to impress somebody with you know the beauty of my abs. But, like, you know, to look presentable, clean cut, matching, like wearing quality clothes instead of junk. It's like somebody, you know, that seems like smart and worthy of respect. And I, and I think that, you know, my general clothes, they accomplish that. And also like, lately, it's clothing has ceased to have very much importance for me honestly, I do have feminine clothes, and I do wear them when I go out and stuff. Like when I go into a club, I dress appropriately. Of �course, like short skirts, tight shit, the whole nine yards. But that's because the setting demands it. You know, when you go to a restaurant, you know, I would also wear like a dress and stuff like that. But in general, in general, like I don't think I dress to please the female gaze. I don't try to please, the female gaze means you're like looking for a girlfriend, which I'm not because I have one. And when I didn't have one, I don't know. Like, it didn't occur to me that if I dress like sexy, I would attract girls as well as guys, so it just doesn't work. I don't know if that's the case. So no, not really, I don't think so. I dress to please me most importantly, and in a manner that is in accordance with the setting that I'm in. Meaning business casual, when it's necessary, to college, I can wear whatever I wants, but you know, I wear like, like nice, like, sort of brand name stuff. To a restaurant, I would wear something appropriate, and so on and so on. So my objective in terms of dressing is not to look sexy and not to look hot. And I mean, looking attractive, yes, but attractiveness in the sense that, you know, I look put together. And my appearance is fitting the setting, and it's considered normal and appropriate. And it's like, yeah, that girl dresses nicely, like nothing special. But you know, not that. AZ So this is maybe a little repetitive. But do you consciously use any signs in the way you dress? Or maybe even the way you walk, or talk, to let other people know that you're gay? Is that all important to you? MG Letting other people know is not important to me, per se. Because to me, because that has never I mean, while that is a big part of my identity, I've never been, let's say political about it. Like, you know, I've never been an activist or anything of the sort. Like if people asked me, I would say girlfriend and so on, but I don't but I don't you know, have like rainbow flags on my bed �or something. But on the other hand, my attitude, meaning the way I walk the way I talk, the way I sit, like on a subway. Like if somebody like in the family looks at me, they'll be like, yeah, she's probably gay. Yeah, because I really don't have act that feminine. Like really. So, but on the other hand, if somebody who looks at me who is not really straight and who doesn't have much experience with gay people, they will, they will not really think gay, they will be like no no, ithat girl is kind of I don't know nerdy or she's like kind of eccentric or something like that. But they will not think gay, the reason they will not think gay is because my hair is long. If my hair was short everybody will think I'm a total dyke obviously because, for short when I say I don't mean short as yours, I mean really really short because yours as you know still. Yes. No, no, no, no short as in boy short Yeah, like that. Yes, I did have that experience. I used to have like here like this long. This long. I'm showing like two inches. AZ And um, did it, did people perceive and? MG Yeah like people mistook me for a guy like so. But actually, when I had my hair that short, I dress really feminine to compensate so nobody would mistake me for a guy because if I dress like the way I usually did with that short hair it would be Sir, Sir, Sir all the time. But yeah, like, like one of my friends. She, she, she figured out I was gay like, long before I told her because like, she knows a lot of gay people and stuff like that. And if you want to know in any, any sort of way, either you're friends with gay people, or you are yourself gay. You definitely suspect like as soon as you look at me. AZ Right. So I'm interested in that you, you bought men's clothing, since you were very young you said. Did you ever have the sense that that was transgressive? �MG Because for me it was not. It was not like clothing was not really divided into, like allowed women's clothes and disallowed mens clothes, it was like, Okay, I'm not going to wear men's women's pants for the only reason that they are too tight for my fat ass. And what is like, what jeans would be fitting for me, meaning what jeans would be loose enough that they would like not show anything men's jeans, if there was a line of women's clothes that was, well, first of all, cheap, and second of all loose, I will get those, that will not be a problem. In fact, I would prefer them because, you know, made for women, they would fit better. And with mens schools, there were a lot of issues with comfort and the crotch being too low with that and stuff like that, like because of the cut. And it's been, what's my objective was not to, to present myself as gay or to present myself as Butch or to I don't know, rebel or anything like that. It was simply that is that was the only option of loose pants available to me, or just who that is available to women period, that women's pants are tight, like straight up, or at least in my estimation, that is the style currently. And that was the style when I was younger. And if I don't like the style, then what else must they turn to? I guess I was turning to I don't know, straight leg men's pants or something like that. Which is what I did. AZ Okay let’s see. Um, just looking around, you’re in New York city, so you see women all the time and do you, you probably evaluate them and try to guess, that’s one of my favorite games. Um, is there a style that seems lesbian to you? Like an iconic style? MG Well, if a woman looks really butch, then very likely she is lesbian right. And you know, well not only looking butch because you can have like, like some 45 year old lady with really short hair from the midwest who is you know, maybe �kind of fat, so she’s wearing mens clothes because that’s the only thing that will fit. And she’s married with three kids. I don’t mean like that. I mean, I mean, like looks butch and acts butch and like kind of young and stuff. Obviously, then that would be to me, not an iconic lesbian style because butches are I think a minority if we take the lesbian population as a whole, they’re like one minority of many other subdivisions. But, that is a distinguishably lesbian. Because, any other style is like straight women wear it also. So it’s not like you can be like, that is uniquely gay, besides the butch. AZ Okay….I guess that’s it, that’s all I have. Is there anything else you want to, anything else you want to bring up? MG Hm, I’m probably not like the best interview subject, because my experiences are not shaped by my orientation as much as a bunch of other things like body issues and self esteem and socialization and blah blah blah. Uh, so, hm, hopefully, I mean, ui don’t know if I’ll be a very accurate, how do I say this, like, representative of the general population as a whole. Add to it the fact that I like, am an immigrant with an immigrant mentality. So it’s, so you know, so, I hope that you can find some American born lesbians who would like, with normal social development and normal friendships and normal everything. Whose clothing experiences were in fact shaped a lot by their orientation. AZ This is actually one of my questions, is how much really do lesbians care how visible they are? MG Uh, well I cannot speak for all of them. And, okay, it’s like, it works the same way as straight people. There’s a spectrum, obviously. On the one hand you �have the activists, you know, who march in the Dyke March and rainbow flags all over the place and so on. Obviously they care very much about visibility. On the other hand, you have just regular people who don’t really care very much. Right, or, who cannot be very open about it because of their job or something like that. Right and obviously you have people who are entirely in the closet. So, I don’t know if you can say as whole. Obviously, all lesbians would like to see more lesbians being visible, like on TV or something like that. Like, that’s what’s up. But, themselves being visible? Mmm, I think that uh, only a minority is actively concerned with being visible I guess, like the ones with a more activist mentality. Uh, I don’t have that activist mentality. I don’t mind it, but I’m not going to go around Spanish Harlem with like a rainbow flag because that’s just asking for trouble. My friend got into trouble like, doing that, even though she keeps doing that. Yeah, so, you know what? I can add one more thing. I can, if you, if you don’t mind. I can tell you what I think about the way lesbians dress as compared to the way straight women dress? AZ Please. MG Right. Uh, well, for lesbians’ appearance, like their physical appearance. Is definitely less important in my opinion than it is for straight women. Because straight women are ought to get men, who are very visual and for whom the physical, visual appearance is the make it or break it point, at least initially. So they’re like, you know, we need to look nice, we need to bring everything to the table and so on and so on. Uh, for lesbians, seeing as they’re trying to get women, and women are not so visual, it’s more of a like, they make their choice like in partner and fuckbuddy and whatever it is, based on the interaction they have with that person and so on. There, the appearance becomes less important. So, lesbians, they would, they would probably wear, probably looser clothing or uh, less mainstream clothing, like more punk style �or something like that. Uh, or more, you know, just not be as tremendously concerned about presenting their assets, continuously to the entire world. Because of the, their kind of target market, as it were. AZ And just the innate, uh… the innate way that women… MG Yeah, like that’s why gay guys are so appearance oriented, right, because their target market it guys who are appearance oriented. So, you know, if you wanna, if you want to like market yourself successfully to them, then you have to uh, look good. And probably that's why straight guys are, can let themselves go, you know and wear crap and have beer bellies and so on, because they know women will not be evaluating them based on whether they have a six pack or not, but based on what they say and what they do and how much money they make, and so on and so on. AZ Okay, very good. Thank you. � https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/7f879f599dd03334b803bab3f53fc842.mp3 b8cf5f5e1e6219bd650262988ab32ff1 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 collection is an oral history project created by Alaina Zulli in 2007. Zulli was a NYU graduate student studying fashion history at the time and was working with the oral history collection as a student employee at Tamiment Library. This motivated her to document changes in New York City’s Lesbian culture as expressed in fashion through the personal accounts of women who identify as a lesbian. This collection includes four audio recordings of interviews conducted by Zulli, 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 were made by 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 <a href="https://lesbianherstoryarchives.org/">Lesbian Herstory Archives</a>. 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. Lesbian Style Project Gorkhover 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: Mariya Gorkhover Description An account of the resource Alaina Zulli interviews Mariya Gorkhover. They discuss her family, coming out to her parents, how her style has evolved with her sexuality, how she believes she is perceived, and how she would like to be perceived (based upon her looks). Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Contact LHA at <a href="mailto:dyv.lha@gmail.com">dyv.lha@gmail.com</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 5/30/07 Extent The size or duration of the resource. PT37M27S 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"). Maria Gorkhover Coming Out Fashion Lesbian Youth Sexuality https://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. � https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/09eb364f891e947eb646ed85077af3be.mp3 bdf9c741c88259419e5bd84ba2e1816a 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 collection is an oral history project created by Alaina Zulli in 2007. Zulli was a NYU graduate student studying fashion history at the time and was working with the oral history collection as a student employee at Tamiment Library. This motivated her to document changes in New York City’s Lesbian culture as expressed in fashion through the personal accounts of women who identify as a lesbian. This collection includes four audio recordings of interviews conducted by Zulli, 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 were made by 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 <a href="https://lesbianherstoryarchives.org/">Lesbian Herstory Archives</a>. 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. Lesbian Style Project Anonymous 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 Contact LHA at <a href="mailto:dyv.lha@gmail.com">dyv.lha@gmail.com</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</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 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/64/378/kay_ohara_gerrie_morrison.jpg 2c3c36ee308d9474fa0e4f44ab7407f9 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. Width 312 Height 236 Bit Depth 8 Channels 3 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/64/378/O_ohara_morrison_tape1of2_19881020.mp4 427c3ac7a14732ab5d44af1e7e054d15 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/64/379/Kay_OHara_Gerrie_Morrison_tape2of2_19881020.mp4 8b6952188e5072cd3f883011ff2fbeab 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 Daughters of Bilitis Video Project, 1987-1993 Description An account of the resource This collection includes videos created as part of the Daughters of Bilitis Video Project collection. The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was a social and activist group founded in 1955. The video project began in 1987 with the purpose of conducting interviews with the DOB founders and former members documenting their critical role in the gay and lesbian liberation and Civil Rights movement. The interviews focus on the formation and impact of the many DOB chapters around the country. Some of the issues discussed are whether the DOB was primarily a social or activist group, attitudes regarding assimilation, and the "theft" of the DOB publication The Ladder. Individual interviewees discuss their childhoods, sexual awakenings, personal relationships as well as their first encounters with the DOB and their perspectives on the organization.  Morgan Gwenwald suggested the project, founding DOB member Sara Yager videotaped all the interviews, and founding DOB member Manuela Soares researched and conducted all of the interviews. The videos gathered here have been digitized from VHS tapes by students at the Pratt Institute’s Library and Information Science Program. This is a comprehensive collection of the interviews gathered for the Daughters of Bilitis Video Project. The original materials are held in off-site storage by the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Transcriptions of many of the videotaped interviews are available, thanks to Ruth Helmich, Kelly Anderson, Trista Sordillo, Manuela Soares, and others. Links to the the individual interviews are at the bottom of the page. Some longer interviews will be collated in subgroups of the collection tree. For more on the DOB, see: Gallo, M. (2007). Different daughters: A history of the Daughters of Bilitis and the rise of the lesbian civil rights movement. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press. The Journal of Homosexuality, “The Purloined Ladder,” Volume 34, Numbers 3/4, 1998. Technical Video Recording Metadata elements specific to Video Recordings, taken from PBCore and LC-AV (interoperable with METSRights) to supplement Dublin Core. Digital Format* Preservation: .AVI with DV Codec, Access: .MP4 Physical Format VHS Date Digitized 2014-03-31 2014-03-10 Duration* 02:02:18 01:29:57 File Size .AVI: 27.34 GB, .MP4: 364 MB .AVI: 20.11 GB, .MP4: 293 MB Data Rate 16 bit/32 kHz Aspect Ratio 4:3 Frame Rate* 29.97 Resolution .AVI: 720 x 480, .MP4: 320 x 240 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 Kay O'Hara and Gerrie Morrison Interview, October 20, 1988 Description An account of the resource Kay O'Hara and Gerrie Morrison are interviewed in 1988. They both talk about their family lives, when they realized they were lesbians, coming out, their relationship, and previous relationships. Kay mentions her engagement and marriage before she accepted she was a lesbian. They talk about the San Francisco DOB from the 1950s and the meeting's events that were held, as well as butch and femme roles. They talk about literature that was available, including the Ladder and the contributions they made to its design and distribution. On tape 2, they comment on a series of slides and photographs of members of DOB. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Interviewer: N/A, Interviewee: Kay O'Hara and Gerrie Morrison Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archives Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988-10-20 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science, LIS 668 Moving Image and Sound Archiving students. Edited by Morgan Gwenwald, Manuela Soares, Sara Yaeger. 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> Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Language A language of the resource en Type The nature or genre of the resource Video Recording, Oral History Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Physical: MV-49, Digital: ohara_morrison_tape1of2_19881020 Physical: MV-50, Digital: ohara_morrison_tape2of2_19881020 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Suisun, CA 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 License A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource. CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Common License) Relation A related resource LHA Spoken Word Audio Cassette Collection, SPW192 LHA Spoken Word Audio Cassette Collection, SPW193 PBCore PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/ 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. VHS Digital Format Preservation Copy: AVI with DV codec Access Copy: MP4 Butch and Femme Colleges and Universities Coming Out Families Fashion Friendship Gerrie Morrison Images Interviews Kay O'Hara Literature Marriage The Ladder https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/181/SPW501_Judy.jpg ca16a4f53498e732ad7ca487850f4932 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 2448 Width 3264 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/181/SPW501_Judy_A.wav.mp3 45c2c2db97657c2696b82b07530ccb33 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/181/SPW501_Judy_B.wav.mp3 b1fd83935c3426516f5fba93cc7d08ed 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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 Judy, November 25, [year unknown] Subject The topic of the resource Lesbians--United States—Interviews, Lesbians--United States—History, Relationships, Childhood, Coming out, Lesbian Bars, Work. Description An account of the resource Judy shares detailed aspects of her life as a gay woman in the 1940s; she talks about the first time she felt attracted to another girl at age nine, and what it felt like when she came out in 1944. The interview brings to light the array of conflicts and fears she experienced growing up at the heart of a devout Italian family in Buffalo, and the difficulties faced as a young woman living in New York City at the end of World War II. Some of the topics discussed include working conditions, relationships, gay and lesbian bar scenes, popular music, butch and femme, and clothing styles. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Judy (interviewee) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archives Date Created Date of creation of the resource. November 25 [year unknown] Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. 2013-06 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. Is Format Of A related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format. tape cassette “SPW501 Judy” Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Original= Cassette Tape WAV MP3 Extent The size or duration of the resource. Side A [46:05 minutes] Side B [46:10 minutes] 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 501 [Tape 1 in a series of Judy’s interviews, followed by SPW502 (tape 2) and SPW503 (tape 3).] Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Buffalo, NY Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 20th 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 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> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> Bars Buffalo Women Butch and Femme Coming Out Fashion Music Oral History Working Class https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/83/417/judith.png ff4375cd1ded4ac2765223b328bca2ad https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/83/417/Schwarz_Judith_COMPRESSED.m4v 2e1606ccacd6c8aba4e584737e1df525 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 Daughters of Bilitis Video Project, 1987-1993 Description An account of the resource This collection includes videos created as part of the Daughters of Bilitis Video Project collection. The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was a social and activist group founded in 1955. The video project began in 1987 with the purpose of conducting interviews with the DOB founders and former members documenting their critical role in the gay and lesbian liberation and Civil Rights movement. The interviews focus on the formation and impact of the many DOB chapters around the country. Some of the issues discussed are whether the DOB was primarily a social or activist group, attitudes regarding assimilation, and the "theft" of the DOB publication The Ladder. Individual interviewees discuss their childhoods, sexual awakenings, personal relationships as well as their first encounters with the DOB and their perspectives on the organization.  Morgan Gwenwald suggested the project, founding DOB member Sara Yager videotaped all the interviews, and founding DOB member Manuela Soares researched and conducted all of the interviews. The videos gathered here have been digitized from VHS tapes by students at the Pratt Institute’s Library and Information Science Program. This is a comprehensive collection of the interviews gathered for the Daughters of Bilitis Video Project. The original materials are held in off-site storage by the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Transcriptions of many of the videotaped interviews are available, thanks to Ruth Helmich, Kelly Anderson, Trista Sordillo, Manuela Soares, and others. Links to the the individual interviews are at the bottom of the page. Some longer interviews will be collated in subgroups of the collection tree. For more on the DOB, see: Gallo, M. (2007). Different daughters: A history of the Daughters of Bilitis and the rise of the lesbian civil rights movement. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press. The Journal of Homosexuality, “The Purloined Ladder,” Volume 34, Numbers 3/4, 1998. Technical Video Recording Metadata elements specific to Video Recordings, taken from PBCore and LC-AV (interoperable with METSRights) to supplement Dublin Core. Data Rate 16 bit/32 kHz Aspect Ratio 4:3 Frame Rate* 29:97 Resolution AVI: 720 x 480, .MP4: 320 x 240 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 Judith Schwarz Interview, 1992 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archive 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> Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Type The nature or genre of the resource Video Recording, Oral History 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 Language A language of the resource English Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. New York, New York Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992 Description An account of the resource Judith Schwarz discusses how grateful she is the DOB exists, the way that societal attitudes towards lesbianism has changed since the founding of DOB, how many women were afraid to have mail mailed to them or used pseudonyms or “bar names” to hide their identity. She discusses her first lesbian relationship, which happened shortly after she moved to San Franciso, and how this introduced her to lesbian culture, specifically survival literature. She talks about how she was at first intimidated by certain aspects of lesbian culture, like powerful butch lesbians, frequent drinking in the community, and lesbian literature. She talks about the impact of DOB, and how there was harassment from police as well as other lesbians or women. She also talks about sharing The Ladder around her workplace in secret, and shares the story about how The Ladder was “stolen” from the DOB San Franciso offices. She says that diversity was always lacking in the DOB, and talks about some reasons why. DOB meetings sometimes consisted of potluck dinners and Gab and Javas, sometimes taking place at Schwarz’s house. She talks about how lesbians dressed at the time. Finally she discusses the differences between the DOB and the Lesbian Herstory Archives and how they met different needs for lesbians, and finally some of the special collections in the archive. Joan Nestle jumps in at the end to discuss radical politics and the FBI surveillance of the DOB. PBCore PBCore is a metadata standard for audiovisual media developed by the public broadcasting community. See http://www.pbcore.org/documentation/ 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. VHS Digital Format Preservation Copy: AVI with DV codec Access Copy: M4V Bars Butch and Femme California Communities Daughters of Bilitis Fashion Interviews Joan Nestle Judith Schwarz Mailing Lists Non-Monogamy Pseudonyms Southern Lesbians Working Class https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/178/SPW497_Debra.jpg d740104a1b292062746f7d0ebe4cf82b 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 2448 Width 3264 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/178/SPW497_Debra_A.wav.mp3 cd4748342fbbe9bab9ed54dcb1a9d956 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/178/SPW497_Debra_B.wav.mp3 88c27752f04b6859ff53d63598288602 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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 Debra, February 20, 1980 (Tape 1) Subject The topic of the resource 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--New York (State)--Buffalo--Social Conditions Lesbianism--United States Lesbianism--Social Aspects Lesbianism--United States-- History Roles--Butch and Femme Lesbian and Gay Experience Gay Bars Discrimination Religion Lesbians--Romantic Relationships Interracial Couples Lesbians of Color Gay Men Hair Fashion Description An account of the resource Debra discusses her experiences as a lesbian. She talks about her first lesbian relationship when she was 12, how she was married for one day, how her mother knew something was different about her, and how her sister figured out she was a lesbian because she was only married for one day. She talks about her relationships with women, how she never openly acknowledged that she was gay but if she was asked she wouldn’t deny it. They discuss monogamy, she was mostly faithful, but she also talks about jealous partners and how when one is accused of things, one might as well and go ahead and do it. She doesn’t believe that a lesbian relationship is any different than a straight relationship. They discuss bars and areas in Buffalo that she would frequent: Moon Glow bar, Pearls bar, Ralph Martins, Ryan’s Hotel, Little Harlem. They also discuss dating rituals, fashion, and relationship/ courting roles. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Debra (Interviewee) Madeline Davis (Interviewer) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived SPW497_Debra_A SPW497_Debra_B Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archives Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1980, February 20 Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. Digitized 2013, May 20 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><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a><a href="/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a> Relation A related resource Tape one of a two tape series recorded in 1980. Succeeded by SPW498. Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Original = Cassette Tape MP3 WAV Extent The size or duration of the resource. Side A = 29:46 minutes Side B = 29:38 minutes Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound PhysicalObject Oral History Interview Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW497 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Buffalo, NY Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 20th 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 Buffalo Women Butch and Femme Discrimination Employment Fashion Gay Bars Madeline Davis Oral History Relationships https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/111/SPW488_BUFF.jpg 6166482182a6343571c1a1c93d862851 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 450 IPTC Array a:1:{s:12:"date_created";s:10:"28.11.2012";} IPTC String date_created:28.11.2012 Width 800 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/111/SPW488_BUFF_A.wav.mp3 86c41eaf61968d8b59c2ea55e4dc4a5e https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/111/SPW488_BUFF_B.wav.mp3 6d5d6d4d92d9d644dae0af44a1b289ee 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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. 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 Buff, September 23, 1979 Subject The topic of the resource Prostitution, Identity, Lesbian community--New York (State)--New York, Lesbian bars, Lesbians--United States--Identity, Lesbians--United States--Interviews,Oral history interview Description An account of the resource Talks about dating a prostitute, lesbian prostitutes, lesbians and butches having sex with men, lesbian pregnancy, clothing styles, Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Buff (Interviewee) Madeline Davis (Interviewer) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived SPW488_BUFF_A SPW488_BUFF_B Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1979, September 23 Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. Digitized 2012, September Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>Contact LHA at <a href="mailto:dyv.lha@gmail.com">dyv.lha@gmail.com</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Original= Cassette Tape WAV MP3 Extent The size or duration of the resource. Side A=46:16 minutes Side B= 28:27 minutes Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Digital reproduction of audio cassette. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Oral History Interview Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW488 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Buffalo, NY, Seattle, WA 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 Bisexuality Buffalo Women Butch and Femme Fashion Lesbian Mothers Madeline Davis Mothers Oral History Police Harassment Relationships Sex Work https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/110/SPW487_BUFF.jpg ea9028e4b8a3baf1a6f68adb1bdc48d9 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 552 IPTC Array a:1:{s:12:"date_created";s:10:"28.11.2012";} IPTC String date_created:28.11.2012 Width 800 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/110/SPW487_BUFF_A.wav.mp3 db96bb3edd10b70500f11006537688f7 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/110/SPW487_BUFF_B.wav.mp3 ff30a18ce4f2fc3b4cdebaa3984b0e81 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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. 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 Buff, October, 1978 Subject The topic of the resource Lesbian community--New York (State)--New York, Lesbian bars, Lesbians--United States--Identity, Lesbians--United States--Interviews,Tattooed people--United States--Social conditions. Description An account of the resource Talks about community tattoos, race, being butch, the challanges of identity and expectations. Touches on past sexual abuse by her father, gender roles, identity, learning about gay life and her discovery process, friendship, clothing and identity, her marriage to a gay man, her suicide attempt. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Buff (Interviewee) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived SPW487_BUFF_A SPW487_BUFF_B Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1978, October 3 Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. Digitized 2012, September Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Contact LHA at <a href="mailto:dyv.lha@gmail.com">dyv.lha@gmail.com</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> <a href="/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a> Relation A related resource Tape 3 of a 3 tape series. Preceded by SPW477 and SPW478. Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Original= Cassette Tape WAV MP3 Extent The size or duration of the resource. Side A=46:20 minutes Side B=30:53 minutes Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Digital reproduction of audio cassette. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Oral History Interview Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW487 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 Alcoholism Buffalo Women Butch and Femme Fashion Gender Roles Identity Lesbians of Color Marriage Oral History Race Relations Sexual Assault Suicide Tattoos https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/260/SPW537_AnnII_TapeIIPic.jpg b871c33bb33a4676d98d2208d4bc5632 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 1194 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/260/SPW537_Ann_A.wav.mp3 511e4f72d84c030548b36f0164a94325 https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/files/original/22/260/SPW537_Ann_B.wav.mp3 7984888280c5acd1a1a46802b80b1052 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 Buffalo Women's Oral History Project, 1978-1990 Description An account of the resource Part-ethnography and part-history, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Madeline Davis and Elizabeth Kennedy is an intimate history of a lesbian community in Buffalo, New York. It combines the ethnographic method of a rigorous study of a single community’s culture and identity, along with the historian’s urge to analyze the specific forces that shape these communities over time. In terms of primary sources, this historical analysis relied on the Buffalo Women’s Oral History Project. This extensive oral history project began in 1978 and extended through the next 13 years. Interview subjects were working-class lesbian women from Buffalo, New York who described their experiences during the period from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. These recordings of interviews with working-class lesbians are rich with wisdom, insight and emotion. Interviews discuss a wide range of topics including butch/femme roles, gendered sexuality, relationships, family dynamics, the bar scene, religion, realization of homosexuality, coming out, lesbian mothers, oppression, police brutality, race, gay rights movements, women in the military, youth, and identity. They offer dynamic first-person perspectives of the place and time before the emergence of the gay and lesbian liberation movements. From these stories surface the personal struggles and triumphs of the lesbian community during an intensely oppressive time. For recordings related to the publication of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, see <a href="http://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/collections/show/54">Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: Related Audio Recordings, 1977-1990</a>. The 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. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. 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 Ann II, October 23, 1980 (Tape 2) Subject The topic of the resource Lesbian Community--New York (State)--New York Lesbians--United States--Interviews Lesbianism Description An account of the resource Ann describes what she looked for in a women. Discusses the clothing change among lesbian women. Explains some of her relationship experience with women. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Interviewer: Jane Doe Interviewee: Ann Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lesbian Herstory Archives Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1980-10-23 Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. 2013-11 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 Contact LHA at <a href="mailto:dyv.lha@gmail.com">dyv.lha@gmail.com</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND</a> <a href="/omeka/rights-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a> Is Format Of A related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format. tape cassette “SPW537 Ann” Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. Kennedy, E. L. & Davis, M. D. (1993). Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. New York: Routledge Extent The size or duration of the resource. 59:08 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 Physical Object Oral History Interview Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SPW 537 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Buffalo, NY Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 20th 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 Buffalo Women Fashion Identity Oral History Relationships Sexual Relationships Social Life