Oral History Commons^™

Roan, Alex, Paige Ravenscraft

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Alex Roan is a 42 year old trans masc individual who uses he/him pronouns. He was originally from Stoughton, Massachusetts where he grew up with his family before moving to Central Maine for college and living in the Portland area through adulthood. Alex shares his experience with growing up in a Catholic family and finding himself as a trans person in college. He details what it was like to come out to his family, who was in denial at first but later in life became his biggest supporters.

Alex Roan is the founder of MaineTransNet. This interview captures the story …

Smith, T. Love, Kassey Kreer

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

T Love Smith is a 46 year old born in Lincoln, ME, who identifies as non-binary and queer. After coming out to their mom at age 19, who had also come out as gay when T was 5, they were met with an unsupportive, negative response. Going through a tough childhood filled with alcohol abuse and no community for T to confide in about their gender/sexual identity, T found themselves in toxic relationships in their early adulthood. Eventually they were able to come to terms with their identity and came out as non-binary. T discussed their time in the military …

Murray, Evan, O'Connor Matthew

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Evan Murray is a 45 year old nonbinary transman. They were born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to Windham, Maine. Within the interview, Murray discusses the problems with going to a school that is too small, identity challenges within family, and the love of political activism. He had also discussed how his identity had changed over the years, as a young adult, coming to the identity of nonbinary, and later embracing their more masculine aspects. He attended USM and then later a college in Washington, State. He also discusses the importance of chosen family including his relationship with his three …

Burdin, Johannah, Samantha Rouillard

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Johannah Burdin shares her story as a lesbian/queer woman experiencing southern Maine in the 1990s. Her story touches on topics involving coming out, relationships, a traumatic incident that left her disabled, activism, and much more. She was active in her youth in spreading awareness on the AIDS/HIV crisis, education on safe sex, and spent her evenings at popular Portland gay bars, like Sister’s Bar and Limelight/The Underground. Although she is not much into drinking, she recognized these were some of the few spots queer people could go to make community and relationships. Johannah also shares her story of becoming a …

Spadafore, Sampson, Benjamin Lachapelle

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Sampson Spadafore is a 27-year-old queer, transmasculine person who currently lives in Westbrook, Maine. They are originally from Syracuse, New York, and attended Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. They graduated with a degree in musical theater. Spadafore discusses shifts in their gender self-presentation and gender fluidity as well as media erasure of trans men. They then moved to Portland, Maine, to work for Maine Boys to Men and have also worked with Speak About It; Maine Renters United; and Democratic Socialists of America. A political current focus is using social media and art to raise awareness about Palestine. Writing …

Michaud, Jim, Angelli Bishop

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Jim Michaud, (he/him), was born in 1964. Jim is a local Mainer, born and raised in Lewiston, Maine. He was born into a middle-class family with his siblings, was raised Catholic, and even attended Catholic school in his earlier years. Since the late eighties, Jim has identified as a gay man. He is a USM alumnus and attended the USM Gay Men's Alliance, which was his first ever encounter participating in an LGBTQ-organized environment. Being proactive in his political activism, Jim annually attends the Pride Parades in Boston, New York, and Maine. He stresses the importance of creating open space …

Brodack, Jason, Emily Cook

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Jason Brodak is a 44 year old man of Polish heritage, currently working at the University of Southern Maine and living in Bath, Maine, with his husband. Brodak discusses living in Detroit Michigan, Chicago Illinois, and New York. He attended Michigan State University and later received his bachelor's degree in Interior Design from an arts school in Chicago. He discusses his childhood, coming out, briefly joining the Navy, the role of gay bars and gay chatrooms in his life, gay marriage, and the HIV AIDS epidemic.

Please cite as: Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection, Lesbian, Gay, …

Smith, Betsy, Kayla Graffam

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Betsy Smith is a 63 year old lesbian woman who was born in Bangor and grew up in Exeter Maine. She was raised by her mother and father on a potato farm with her three siblings. She attended Jacksonville University, where she came to terms with her sexual identity and received a degree in physical education. She eventually was hired as a math teacher in Vermont and later Portland, Maine. After moving to Portland, Smith became involved in volunteering for gay rights activist groups like the MLGPA. She was involved in multiple campaigns, including the various Maine Won’t Discriminate campaigns …

Hua, Donovan, Megan Molloy

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Donovan Hua is a queer, non-binary artist and advocate in Portland Maine. Donovan was born in China and was adopted when they were two years old. They moved to Portland and have lived in the area since. They were raised primarily by a single mother who greatly influenced their relationship with Catholocism and spirituality. Donovan later attended Casco Bay High School where they came to terms with their gender identity and sexual orientation. Hua speaks about their chosen family of friends and the sense of community they offered through their navigation of both their identity and their disability.

Hua discusses …

Barkley Roy, Jill, Rachel Gilbert

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Jill Barkley Roy is a 42-year-old woman from Sault, Ste. Marie, Michigan who moved to Maine in 2004. A self-described “democrat from birth”, Jill grew up in a small conservative town with her sister older sister Christine. She attended the University of Michigan Ann Arbor as a women’s studies major. Jill found herself surrounded by new and exciting opportunities in college, becoming involved in several LGBT organizations that would eventually bring her to the East Coast. At age 23, Jill began working with Family Crisis Services, now known as Through These Doors, a domestic violence resource center. Upon working as …

Bilodeau, Richard, Maggie Powers

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Richard Bilodeau is 54 years old and identifies as a gay man. He grew up in Portland, attending Deering High School. He is married to his partner Scott and they went on their first date in 1988. He studied applied clinical chemistry at the University of Vermont and began his career in the Maine Medical Center lab. He earned his bachelors and master's in business from the University of Southern Maine. Currently, he works as a professor in the School of Business and Honors Program. Over the years, he also had ownership in alternative health and TV programming businesses. He …

Poulin-Burrage, Edward "Teddy", Brendan Mcbrine

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Edward “Teddy” Poulin-Burrage is a biracial queer man who has lived in the Portland area for just about his entire life. Teddy has been deeply involved in the world of activism for more than half his life at this point, including with the Southern Maine Workers Center, Sexual Assault Response Services, Portland Racial Justice Congress, Pride Portland, Equality Maine, and other groups. Teddy has mostly done behind the scenes work for these organizations, usually focusing on coalition-building and forging relationships with other organizers. On top of this, Teddy has been a regular in the local gay bar scene for quite …

Leighton-Cory, Jocelyn, Bella Shannon

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Jocelyn identifies as a Queer woman but also aligns with the label Gender-Queer. They are 40 years old and currently live in the city of South Portland where they serve as a member on the City Council and also work as a managing director at Space Gallery in downtown Portland. Jocelyn was born in Bangor, Maine, and lived there for a year before moving briefly to South Princeton, Maine, and eventually settling in Princeton, Maine, where they grew up. Jocelyn was raised by their single mother along with their older brother and younger sister. They received their B.A. in Arts …

Marcous, Dana, Robben Harris

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Dana Marcous is a spiritual, successful and fascinating man who at times lives in the extremes, but always seems to maintain his balance. His life story and his spiritual path are so closely intertwined, it might appear as if he has eclipsed the spiritual and physical world. From being a world-class hairdresser and opening one of the most successful hair salons in Maine, to pursuing a career as an actor in L.A., Dana is a person who always follows his dreams and looks for the signs. This interview contains stories of Dana’s early life, including his process of coming out …

Cadwallader, Megan, Gretchen Thiele

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Meghan Cadwallader was born in 1976 in a small, rural town in Upstate New York. She grew up with a stable family and surrounded by the Catholic religion. Cadwallader realized she was lesbian around her junior year of high school. However, her sexuality was never a huge deal, more just another part of her. She went to college at Holland’s University, and all-girls school, in which she initially came out to people resulting in mixed responses. Meghan then went to Bucknell University In Pennsylvania. She received a degree in French and English with a concentration in creative writing. She talks …

Parker, Heidi, Tegan Bryne

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Heidi Parker is a 47-year-old lesbian, who uses she/her pronouns. Heidi Parker grew up in the South and Seventh-Day Adventist. One of her favorite parts about living in the South and still one of her favorite things today is the mountains. Heidi Parker has moved to a few places around the United States; including New York, Maine, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Morrow Beach. Heidi Parker worked as a PE teacher before getting a higher degree in Sports Management. After getting her degree, she moved to New York and worked at Syracuse and then moved to Maine to work …

Id209 Oral History, Uniting Cultures

Uniting Cultures: Who We Are, How We Got Here: Collecting Stories Oral History Collection

Lutheran pastor descended from Norwegian immigrants. He was born in Starbuck, Minnesota and moved to St. James when he became the pastor at the Lutheran church.

Poetic Portraits Of Older Women In The Great Black Swamp, Sandra L. Faulkner

ICS Fellow Lectures

Dr. Faulkner discusses the importance of oral histories and listening to older women by presenting poetic portraits of older women in the Bowling Green area that she co-created from oral histories. This was a collaborative project with The Wood County Committee on Aging, the BGSU archives, and local women Faulkner interviewed about their experiences across their life course and contributions to our community. These poetic portraits and oral histories will be archived at the BGSU libraries for all of us to learn from.

Id208 Oral History, Uniting Cultures

Uniting Cultures: Who We Are, How We Got Here: Collecting Stories Oral History Collection

Woman adopted from Lebanon by Norwegian and Swedish parents while they were living in Saudi Arabia. Grew up in Saudi Arabia until moving to Houston, Texas, and then Balaton, Minnesota. She married a Norwegian man, and together they live on a farm. She’s always been fascinated by different cultures, and the ways they are similar and different.

Phyllis Sprague, Interviewed By Kristen Frey, Part 2, Phyllis M. Wheeler Sprague

MF144 Women in the Military

Phyllis Sprague, interviewed by Kristen Frey on November 14, 2001. Sprague was born in Newbury, Vermont in 1943. Sprague talks about joining the Army in 1961; a typical day in basic training and then working for the Army; experience as a medical officer in the Army; Sprague’s attitude toward the military and government becoming more patriotic after her service; way soldiers were welcomed home after Vietnam compared to the Gulf War; relationship between men and women in the military in the 60s; having to leave the military for pregnancy; absence of sexual harassment in the Army. Text: 10 pp. transcript. …

Paula Pietrowski, Interviewed By Annie Howley, Paula K. Pietrowski

MF144 Women in the Military

Paula Pietrowski, interviewed by Annie Howley, April 21, 2003. Pietrowski, age 36-37, talks about her decision to join the Coast Guard; her family and boyfriend’s reaction to her enlistment; her basic training experiences; returning to Maine for assignment; male vs. female commanding officers; tension between men and women and between women; minorities in the Coast Guard; sexual harassment; whether women should be included in the next draft; how she spent her leisure time; her discharge and transition to civilian life; rising through the ranks; gays and lesbians in the military; whether she would do it all over again; her most …

Deborah Smith, Interviewed By Sarah Beazley, Deborah Schultz Smith

MF144 Women in the Military

Deborah Smith, interviewed by Sarah Beazley, April 15, 2003, in her home in Brewer, Maine. Smith, age 42-43, talks about her decision to join the Air National Guard; rising through the ranks; her family and friends’ reaction to her enlistment; her current duties in the Air National Guard; her basic training experiences; how basic training affected her self-image; the bonds she formed with other female enlistees; discrimination in the military; changes in the role of women in the military; nursing as a historic profession for women in the military; women organizations in the military; her leisure time; meeting her husband …

Anne Tenney, Interviewed By Elizabeth Bunten, Anne E. Howes Ferris Tenney

MF144 Women in the Military

Anne Tenney, interviewed by Elizabeth Bunten, May 7, 2003, in Castine, Maine. Smith, age 81, talks about her decision to join the Navy (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in World War II; her basic training experiences; being assigned to New York City; her anti-submarine work; marrying and leaving the service after her pregnancy; remarrying another WWII veteran as a widow; public perception of women in the Navy during the war; minorities in the military; and changes in the role of women in the military. Text: 6 pp. transcript. Recording: No recording.

Erma Frances Fletcher, Interviewed By Amy L. Stevens, Erma Frances Dancer Fletcher

MF144 Women in the Military

Erma Frances Fletcher, interviewed by Amy L. Stevens, April 24, 2003, in Dexter, Maine. Fletcher, age 79, talks about her family history; her early life; working in a factory after high school; the stigma against female military service; enlisting in the Navy in World War II; her basic training experiences; marching for President Roosevelt; surviving on a small stipend; missing out on serving in Manila; her transcription work; how she spent her leisure time; meeting her husband during the war; regretting not staying in the service after 1946; moving to Washington, D.C. after her service; her sense of patriotism during …

Mary Jane Miller, Interviewed By Elizabeth Bunten, Mary Jane Chase Miller

MF144 Women in the Military

Mary Jane Miller, interviewed by Elizabeth Bunten, May 9, 2003. Miller, age 80, talks about her family; enlisting in the Navy (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in World War II; her family and friends’ reaction to her enlistment; her basic training experience; the relationship between male officers and female enlisted; her not going overseas during the war; whether she would do it all again; changes in opportunities for women in the military; leaving the Navy after the war; delivering a top secret message; and working under women officers. Text: 8 pp. transcript. Recording: No recording.

Colonel Judy-Ann Carroll, Interviewed By Davida Kellogg, Part 1, Judy-Ann Carroll

MF144 Women in the Military

Colonel Judy-Ann Carroll, interviewed by Davida Kellogg, August 20, 2002, in Ms. Kellogg’s home in Orono, Maine. Carroll talks about her service in the United States Army through the College Junior Program; her training conducted at Fort McClellan, AL; being stationed later in Darmstadt, Germany; serving as a training officer with the Women’s Army Corps and as a Military Police Officer. Text: 35 pp. transcript, 10 pp supplemental material. Time: 01:45:42. Restrictions: None.

Listen:

Part 1: mfc_na3253_c2366_01
Part 2: mfc_na3253_c2366_02
Part 3: mfc_na3253_c2367.1_01

Colonel Judy-Ann Carroll, Interviewed By Davida Kellogg, Part 2, Judy-Ann Carroll

MF144 Women in the Military

Colonel Judy-Ann Carroll, interviewed by Davida Kellogg, August 20, 2002, in Ms. Kellogg’s home in Orono, Maine. Carroll talks about her service in the United States Army through the College Junior Program; her training conducted at Fort McClellan, AL; being stationed later in Darmstadt, Germany; serving as a training officer with the Women’s Army Corps and as a Military Police Officer. Text: 35 pp. transcript, 10 pp supplemental material. Time: 01:45:42. Restrictions: None.

Listen:

Part 1: mfc_na3253_c2366_01
Part 2: mfc_na3253_c2366_02
Part 3: mfc_na3253_c2367.1_01

Colonel Judy-Ann Carroll, Interviewed By Davida Kellogg, Part 3, Judy-Ann Carroll

MF144 Women in the Military

Colonel Judy-Ann Carroll, interviewed by Davida Kellogg, August 20, 2002, in Ms. Kellogg’s home in Orono, Maine. Carroll talks about her service in the United States Army through the College Junior Program; her training conducted at Fort McClellan, AL; being stationed later in Darmstadt, Germany; serving as a training officer with the Women’s Army Corps and as a Military Police Officer. Text: 35 pp. transcript, 10 pp supplemental material. Time: 01:45:42. Restrictions: None.

Listen:

Part 1: mfc_na3253_c2366_01
Part 2: mfc_na3253_c2366_02
Part 3: mfc_na3253_c2367.1_01

Agnes E. Flaherty, Interviewed By Melissa Piselli, Part 1, Agnes E. Flaherty

MF144 Women in the Military

Agnes E. Flaherty, interviewed by Melissa Piselli, February 22 and April 26, 2005, South Portland, Maine. Flaherty, born in Portland, Maine, talks about her parents, Anna and Mark Flaherty; her family’s involvement in nursing; enlisting in the military during WWII as a nurse in the Army Air Core; working out of Grenier Field in Manchester, New Hampshire; her experiences and favorite memories as a flight nurse; early medications; experiences with the Women’s Army Core (WAC); patriotism during WWII; serving in the Pacific as a flight nurse; working out of Hickam Air Field in Oahu, Hawaii; relationship between nurses and doctors …

Agnes E. Flaherty, Interviewed By Melissa Piselli, Part 2, Agnes E. Flaherty

MF144 Women in the Military

Agnes E. Flaherty, interviewed by Melissa Piselli, February 22 and April 26, 2005, South Portland, Maine. Flaherty, born in Portland, Maine, talks about her parents, Anna and Mark Flaherty; her family’s involvement in nursing; enlisting in the military during WWII as a nurse in the Army Air Core; working out of Grenier Field in Manchester, New Hampshire; her experiences and favorite memories as a flight nurse; early medications; experiences with the Women’s Army Core (WAC); patriotism during WWII; serving in the Pacific as a flight nurse; working out of Hickam Air Field in Oahu, Hawaii; relationship between nurses and doctors …