History of Gender Commons^™

Gonzalez- Rodriguez, Alex, Robert Mitchell, Devon Rosano

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Alex Luna Gonzalez Rodriguez is a 25-year-old transgender woman who was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. She first came out as bisexual to the only “out” gay person in high school before later discovering she was trans while attending college. She went to the University of Southern Maine after hearing about it on the radio in Austin, Texas. When she came to Maine, she discovered what she described as “the real me.” She discusses her journey of self-discovery and the challenges and support she has faced along the way. She discusses how life was different in Mexico, Texas, and Maine, …

Schoeller, Margaret, Samantha Bender

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Margaret “Margie” Schoeller is a 65-year-old newly-wed lesbian, retired OB/GYN, LGBTQ+ activist, and aspiring interfaith chaplain. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schoeller reflects fondly on her upbringing in a progressive Presbyterian community, as well as her exposure to the arts and access to excellent education. In 1977, she moved to Maine to attend Bowdoin College, where she came out in 1981 during an era of significant cultural and social transformation for the gay and lesbian community.

Schoeller’s medical career stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment to dignity, inclusivity, and compassionate care. After earning her medical degree from …

Brown, Brandy, Atlantis Martin

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

In this interview with Brandy Brown, a queer social worker originally from Georgia, they discuss such topics as family of origin, education (including getting a GED and later a doctorate), religious conversion therapies, overcoming estrangement with their family, parenting, and queer youth. Dr Brown also discusses their important role in creating the first gender clinic for trans youth at Maine Health in the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

Humphries, Tara, Fatima Hagi

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Tara Humphries uses they/them pronouns. They identify as queer, trans, nonbinary, and lesbian. They were born in Portland, Maine, but grew up in North Yarmouth and Durham. Tara Humphries received their bachelor’s degree in sociology at Bates College. They completed their Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School, a program to prepare people for ordination to the Christian ministry. They work as a Minister at the Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland, Maine. In this interview, Humphries shares how their Unitarian Universalist faith has shaped their perspective on their queer identity in their personal life and professional settings. They …

Rovelto, Hope, Dakota Desantis

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Hope Rovelto’s oral history offers a compelling narrative of her experiences as a queer person, illustrating her journey of self-discovery, relationships, and dedication to activism. Growing up in a Catholic family, she encountered difficulties in reconciling her queer identity with her family's expectations, particularly those of her father. Nevertheless, Hope embraced her identity and turned her challenges into activism, advocating for issues such as abortion rights, gun control, Black Lives Matter, and prison reform. Her screen-printing business in Portland, Little Chair Printing, acts as a center for her advocacy, providing support to LGBTQ+ and minority-owned businesses through discounts and partnerships …

Hendricks, Kaycee, Katlyn Marcin

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Kaycee Hendricks (she/her) is a 33-year-old media professional born and raised in South Portland. She discusses the intersection of personal identity, sexuality, and community. Hendricks was raised in a close-knit, two-parent household, with a mother and father and younger brother. She developed a strong bond with her father as they shared an interest in photography. She completed an Associate’s degree at Southern Maine Community College and earned a BA from Emerson College in Boston, with a final semester in Los Angeles. Hendricks was inspired to move to Los Angeles after graduating to work within the media industry. Her professional journey …

Shearman, Patricia, Larisa Filippov

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

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Pat Shearman is a 75 year old lesbian currently living in Norway, ME. Although she was born in Waterville, she has lived in other places around the country such as Massachusetts and Ohio. Born to an American Baptist minister, Pat eventually distanced herself from religion as a college student despite her father’s liberal attitude. Years later, she began going to church again, and now identifies as a Unitarian Universalist. Pat was very involved in multiple types of activism during and after college, including antiwar activism and women’s rights activism. Although she does not march anymore, Pat is still politically …

Cardoza, Janice, Silvio Morales

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Janice Cardoza is a 73-year-old lesbian woman from Norway, Maine. She has lived in many places around New England and went to college in Boston, at the University of Massachusetts. She is a quiet woman and the youngest in the 3-child family. Cardoza grew up in a Catholic household but, as she matured, became disillusioned with the Catholic church and religion. She considers herself a Unitarian Universalist and attends a church in Norway, though she describes her relationship as more spiritual than religious. She met her wife at The Underground bar in Portland 40 years ago and they’ve been inseparable …

Resilience And Evolution: The Transformative Impact Of The Black Death On Women’S Roles In Medieval England, Kaylee N. Vitato

The Cardinal Edge

"Resilience and Evolution: The Transformative Impact of the Black Death on Women’s Roles in Medieval England" delves into the nuanced effects of the Black Death on gender dynamics in medieval England. While there were positive shifts in attitudes toward women's roles, persistent challenges, such as unequal employment conditions, lower wages compared to men, and negative household stereotypes, endured. The research examines alterations in labor markets, inheritance norms, property laws, and domestic dynamics to uncover the multifaceted impact of the Black Death on the evolution of women's roles. Despite emerging opportunities for women in previously male-dominated spheres, the analysis also reveals …

Can Men Be Feminists?, Abigail M Stanger

The Cardinal Edge

At the emergence of the feminist movements of the mid-nineteenth century, women advocated for and eventually gained the right to make their voices heard in the political arena. As feminism has evolved to campaign for social, economic, and further political equality among genders, the question of who can be a feminist remains a topic of debate. This presentation will first attempt to define feminism historically and in the modern sense, then ponder the evolving definition of a man in relation to their potential role or lack thereof in the modern feminist movement.

Moore, Raminta, Alex Kuvaja

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Ramona Moore is a first generation Lithuanian-American immigrant in her 40’s. She works as the Arts & Culture librarian at the Portland Public Library on Monument Square in downtown Portland, ME. During this interview, she discusses themes of coming out, representation, and her work experience at the library. The beginning of the interview focuses more heavily on her personal experiences as a young lesbian growing up in the 1990’s. She explores her own experiences with her sexuality, representation of queer people in her generation, the importance of having role models, and ends talking about coming out. She has worked at …

Hanson, Scott, Joel Kerins

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Scott Hanson is a 62 year old gay man originally from North Conway, NH who now lives in Topsham, ME. Hanson moved from North Conway to New York City at 18 to study art. Hanson later moved to Portland, ME in 1983 where he discovered the local gay community. Hanson’s interview highlights the Portland of the 80’s and 90’s, notably many LGBTQ bars that have long been closed.

Hanson’s story highlights his journey of sobriety that started in 1985 and how he found support outside of the bars, most notably in the local AA community of North Conway. Hanson’s story …

Emery, Kasie, Madison Strout

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Kasie Emery (they/them) is a 31-year-old, asexual, non-binary individual who discovered their asexual identity during their college years and discovered their non-binary identity a few years later. Emery has experienced many instances of asexual erasure in queer communities and speaks on the differences in the perceptions of their gender identity vs their sexual identity both in and out of LGBTQ+ spaces. They emphasize that discovering aspects of identity and self-expression is non-linear and how experimentation has been important in the learning process for them.

Throughout the interview, Emery displays their passion for queer representation in the media, describing LGBTQ+ characters …

Danvers-Kidman, Bre, Eddy Dakota

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Bre Danvers-Kidman is a queer, transmasculine non-binary individual currently living in Saco, Maine, and raised in Rhode Island. They attended Loyola University in Chicago. They go in depth about their experiences growing up as a queer person, including being outed at a young age, dealing with mental health struggles, and finding community through organizations like M.E.S.H. and the burlesque scene in Portland, Maine.

Bre also discusses running for the U.S. Senate in 2020 in Maine as the first non-binary candidate to run for that office, as well as their current role as the development director at MaineTransNet, a transgender advocacy …

Lyon, Lex, Oliver Eaton

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Lex Lyon is a 48 year old queer transgender man living in Portland, Maine. He is a multilingual language learner teacher and was a leader of the Welcoming and Safe Schools Youth Conference. Lyon speaks about the course of his life, identifying different ways and finding joy in different queer scenes. He transitioned during his teaching career, teaching middle schoolers. He has a strong passion for music and has good memories of the Michigan Women’s Music Festival. One of his role models is Nicole Maines, a transgender activist who stood up for herself at a very young age. Lyon recalls …

Patrick, Michelle, Julia Scavello

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Michelle Patrick is a 60-year-old lesbian woman born in Bethesda Maryland, but who mostly grew up in Washington D.C. Metro area. Patrick came out as a lesbian at age 15 in the late 1970s. Her mother initially reacted negatively but later became an advocate for her after a tragic accident. Patrick, who was openly gay in high school and college, faced some challenges but also found support from teachers and peers. She discusses the bar scene in Washington D.C and her experiences sneaking into some of them underage. She was involved in political activism from a young age. Moving to …

Munderback, Lisa, Noam Albion

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Lisa Munderback is a 68 year old lesbian who grew up in Pleasant Valley, New York and is currently married to her wife, Susan. Having grown up a Christian, Munderback attended seminary school with the intent on becoming a pastor, however after graduating decided not to. After being involved with a Jewish woman, she began attending the reform Jewish synagogue, Congregation Bet Ha’am, connecting particularly with the Jewish concept of Shekhinah, or the feminine aspect of G-d.

Munderback also spent time with the National Organization of Women, supporting the Anti-Proliferation movement, and still regularly contributes to LGBTQIA+-supporting organizations such as …

Spaulding, Bryan, Thomas Wreck

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Bryan Spaulding, also known as Letta the Queen, is a 22 year-old drag

performer known for both adult and children’s performances in Southern Maine. In this interview, he discusses his family, including his close relationship with his mother and two sisters; coming out; and friendships and chosen family. He then talks about the meanings of drag and drag performance, as well as his own roles within that genre. He also discusses how drag can serve as a powerful form of political activism. Spaulding describes his experiences as a theater major; as a Residential Assistant for the Rainbow floor on the …

Keen, Shahida, Olivia Davis

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Shahida Keen is a 63 year old lesbian real estate agent originally from California but she grew up mainly in New Hampshire and Maine. She currently resides in South Portland, Maine and attended the University of New Hampshire. She worked as a massage therapist before getting into real estate and finding her love for helping women, families and members of the LGBTQ+ community find their home. Throughout her life she has been involved in many organizations in various capacities such as AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, Dyke Marches, Pride Marches, Sexual Minorities Action Committee and Seacoast Response to AIDS.

Shahida …

Parker, Kael, Mj Huot

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

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Kael Parker is a 44-year-old transgender man who was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He first came out as a lesbian to his family and friends in college before later discovering he was trans. He went to University of Maine Farmington (UMF) and while there he felt, for the most part, very at home and welcomed as a queer person. In this interview he talks about his life, finding people he connected with in the lesbian and the trans communities. He also talks about how his gender identity has shaped his life in a plethora of aspects. He talks …