Oral History Commons^™

Degoosh, Milo, May Hohman

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Milo Degoosh is a 28 year old FTM transgender adult. He works at Bard Coffee Shop in Portland, and competes in National Barista competition. He elaborates on how the Queer community has influenced the Barista competition and how he is a Queer figure in this environment. Milo has two moms and big family, all of which have helped him in his transition. He started hormones in 2015 and has had many changes since, such as mood, attitude, and work ethic. Milo participating in the National Campaign for Marriage Equality by knocking on doors. The necessity and cost for transition …

Beck-Poland, Sherry, Ariana Wenger, Johnna Ossie

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Sherry Beck-Poland is 64 years old and lives in Lewiston, Maine with their wife Dee, and two sons, Jacob and Joe. Sherry has dedicated much of their life helping others including fostering over ten children, adopting their two sons, working for DHHS with individuals with PTSD, personality disorders, and other disabilities, as well as their involvement with political activism for marriage equality, and their help in organizing pride in Lewiston.

Sherry has attended the University of Southern Maine for their undergraduate degree where they graduated with honors, then attended Seminary where they received their master’s degree in theology. Sherry is …

Fenton-Snell, Butch, Danielle Fraser, Jarod Wescot

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Butch is 68 years old and was born in Youngstown Ohio, One of 6 children, Moved to Maine in 1980 to be with his husband. Family life was relatively normal for Butch in terms of coming out. However his father was not very emotionally available in general. Butch Knew he was gay from a very young age and did not feel as if he was ever confused about his sexuality. Butch later joined the military and was in the Vietnam War. Continued to move to different states and eventually ended up in Maine later becoming owner of Blackstones in Portland. …

Brushaber, Skip, Jack Barrett, Branden Pratt

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Skip Brushaber is a 71-year old gay man who uses he/his/him pronouns. Skip worked as a nurse and social worker during the AIDS crisis. He was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 9th, 1947. Skip studied English in college but later became a nurse and social worker. He lived in New York and Pennsylvania before moving to Portland in 1980. He helped found the AIDS Project in 1983, a group in Portland that helped support individuals dealing with AIDS, and founded and wrote for Our Paper throughout the 80s, an LGBTQ paper aimed at covering issues related to queerness …

Kawamoto, Eric, Cosette Holmes, Tiana Cope-Ferland

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

This interview with Eric Kawamoto reveals a journey of self-discovery in Chicago, L.A., Boston, and Portland; an intersection between being Asian American and being queer; and survival of AIDS as a result of reserve. Kawamoto places these personal themes among his account of the LGBTQ+ and Asian American communities’ overarching struggles, like the fight for domestic partnership benefits, representation of Asian American gay men, and spreading awareness about Japanese American internment in California.

Citation

Please cite as: Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+ Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in …

Mckenzie, Ellen, Caroline Wheeler, Marwa Ibrahim

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

This interview features Ellen McKenzie, an African-American lesbian woman living in Portland, Maine. Having lived in Portland for almost her entire life, Ellen can provide insight on growing up in one of the only black families in her community, the intersections between race and sexuality, co-parenting children from a spouse’s previous marriage and generally navigating the world and her career as a queer woman of color. Throughout this interview, we hear a lot about her childhood and her family’s history as civil rights activists in Maine, her relationship with her spouse and and co-parenting their children with both her spouse, …

Cusack, Ralph, Hannah Cain

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Ralph Cusack was born in Maine and has lived most of his life in the state. He is one of the founders of The Harbor Masters of Portland Maine, men’s leather club, and an active member of the leather community and a navy veteran. This interview covers his participation in the Harbor Masters of Portland, Maine, living through the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 80s, his participation in many years of gay pride events and the march on Washington in 1987, owning the gay bar Blackstones in Portland, ME, and his service in the US Navy.

Citation

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Hopkins, Susan, Ysanne Bethel

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Susan Hopkins is a 53-year-old member of the LGBTQIA community, living in Westbrook, Maine. Susan grew up with her family on the small island of Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay, hearing tales of her anti-racist bisexual aunt. A self-identified feminist in her adolescence, Susan recognized that she was not straight early on, but did not feel safe to come out in her small community. Going to the University of Maine, Orono, Susan experienced her first lesbian relationship and taste of chosen family. Eventually, Susan found herself at the Howard University School of Law, where she interned at Whitman Walter Clinic in …

Leveille, Lee, Student Interviewer

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Lee Leveille is a 30-year-old Californian transplant that grew up in Sumner and Greene, ME. S/he works as an intentional peer support specialist in central Maine and is currently finishing up his/her bachelor’s in Psychology and Community Studies at the University of Maine at Machias. S/he is an active member of his/her local synagogue after beginning the conversion process to Judaism in 2016.

Lee considers him/herself to be a transgender butch, or someone who lives simultaneously as both a butch woman and transman. His/her pronouns are thus conditional in order to provide him/her with the flexibility to adapt to different …

Ward, Jeffrey, Benjamin Cornwall

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Jeffrey Ward, from Northern Maine, talks about his experience interacting with the Portland LGBTQ community and his experience coming out as a gay man at the age of 47. Some subjects include: his experience with the Casco Gay Men group, Portland Pride Parade, The Front Porch, Blackstones, his involvement in the Methodist Church, his family life, and how he met his partner of 16 years.

Citation

Please cite as: Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+ Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries.

For more …

Elias, Richard, Benjamin Cornwall

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Richard Elias grew up in Northern Maine and moved to Portland at a young age. In this interview, we discuss: coming out as a gay man, his family life, his experience with Portland gay bars (The Phoenix, Roland’s and Blackstones), some of his travel stories, his love for dancing, and the effect of the AIDS epidemic on his life.

Citation

Please cite as: Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+ Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries.

For more information about the Querying the Past: …

Maceachern, Meredith, Skylar Hebert, Emma Chapin

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Meredith MacEachern is a 25 year old graduate of Acadia University in Canada, and has completed the Stonecoast MFA program. The only child of two archeologists, Meredith spent her childhood in Canada and South Africa, with most of her middle and high school years in Brunswick, Maine. She is passionate about activism for the indigenous populations of Canada, and uses her voice as a writer to speak about stigma towards psychosis and mental illness. She is hoping to move back to Canada in the next year and act as a supporter of justice for indigenous peoples.

Citation

Please cite as: …

Steve & Anita, Steve, Anita, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Steve and Anita Canfield helped the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Turkey. They helped send blankets, coats, and washing machines to Syrian refugees. They were assigned to Frankfurt to assess refugee camps, soup kitchens, warehouses, and immigrant communities. The couple visited refugee camps and soup kitchens all over Europe to determine what was needed most by refugees.

The Canfields established the Friendship Center in Rome. The center offers classes in Italian, English, Italian, and a Red Cross course. It also has a gospel choir, a popular activity for primarily African refugees. The LDS Church has plans to …

Quezada, Alzenira, Wendy Chapkis

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Alzenira Quezada, also known as Lady Zen, is a queer artist, singer and performer. Quezada was born to Brazillian parents and raised by white adoptive parents who were members of the Church of the Nazarene, a branch of evangelical Christianity. She was cut off by her adoptive parents when she came out at 17. She studied music at Evergreen College in Washington State. She grew up in Arkansas and spent many years in Portland, Maine before moving to Mexico where she currently resides. Quezada owns a production company in Mexico and also works at a queer run bar. Her current …

Hart, Bunny, Johnna Ossie

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Frederica 'Bunny' Hart was born in 1930. She spent the first nine years of her life living with her grandparents in Boston. Her mother died when she was three. When she was nine her father remarried and the family moved to Newton Center. She graduated from Junior College in 1950 where she studied History and English. From there, she traveled to New York City to look for work. Bunny first started dating women in the 1950s while she was living in New York. She worked as a stage manager in NYC in a time where it was very difficult for …

African Americans In Wv Oral History Project Flyer, Kelli Johnson

Ephemera

Flyer for oral history project for African American's in WV

Carolyn Nix, Mijour Jones

Oral Histories

Oral History of Carolyn Nix interviewed by Mijour Jones in Huntington, West Virginia

Shirley Williams, Markayla Moore

Oral Histories

Oral History of Shirley Williams, interviewed by Markayla Moore in Huntington, West Virginia.

Joe Williams, Markayla Moore

Oral Histories

Oral History of Joe Williams, interviewed by Markayla Moore in Huntington, West Virginia.

Gina Johnson, Shyah Johnson

Oral Histories

Oral History of Gina Johnson, interviewed by Shylah Johnson in Huntington, West Virginia.

Carl Woolfolk, T'Rayah Paschall

Oral Histories

Oral History of Carl Woolfolk, interviewed by his granddaughter T'Rayah Paschall in Huntington, West Virginia.

Janella Coleman, Denise Wattie

Oral Histories

Oral History of Janella Coleman, interviewed by Denise Wattie in Huntington, West Virginia.

Constancio Perales García, Constancio Perales García

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Constancio Perales es originario de Durango, México. Perales perdió a sus padres y decidió cruzar la frontera de los Estados Unidos para construir un mejor futuro para su propia familia. Perales tuvo un recorrido muy difícil para llegar a EE. UU. Trabajó en el campo y en la matanza. Por medio de este esfuerzo, Perales les dio una educación a sus hijos. Perales cree que la educación es muy importante para el futuro de las personas.

Constancio Perales is originally from Durango, Mexico. Perales lost his parents and decided to cross the US border to build a better future for …

María Guadalupe García De Perales, María Guadalupe García De Perales

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

María Guadalupe García de Perales proviene de Durango, México. María está casada con Constancio Perales y juntos tienen cuatro hijos. El esposo de María inmigró a los Estados Unidos para mejorar su situación económica. Después de varios intentos, García finalmente logró cruzar la frontera de EE. UU. junto con sus hijos para reunir la familia. María se sintió bienvenida en un país nuevo. María tuvo la oportunidad de trabajar en varios empleos lo cual ayudó a sustentar a su familia y a darles a sus hijos la oportunidad de tener una buena educación.

María Guadalupe García de Perales is from …

Rev. Reginald Hill, Raiven Scott

Oral Histories

Oral History of Rev. Reginald Hill of the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Huntington, West Virginia

Doris Atkinson, Ariana Redding

Oral Histories

Oral History of Doris Atkinson interviewed by Ariana Redding in Huntington, West Virginia.

Enedina Manríquez, Enedina Manríquez

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Enedina Manríquez was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Her family moved to the United States when Manríquez was ten months old. Manríquez and her family have lived in many places in the United States, moving to find work. They finally settled in Scottsbluff, Nebraska where her parents could work at a restaurant that Enedina’s uncle owned. Manríquez’s parents now own the restaurant. Manríquez is a part of DACA, which allows her to attend school and work in the United States as an undocumented immigrant. She discusses how being undocumented has impacted her life. Manríquez attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney …

Diamante, Robert, Wendy Chapkis

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Robert Diamante is a photographer from an Italian America family from New Jersey. He also has a graduate degree in theology. At an early age, he began to doubt religious dogma. He came out as gay in 10^th grade and stood up against homophobic taunting by successfully physically defending himself. He briefly had a girlfriend in high school who remains one of his best friends. He moved to NYC and attended Pratt University before transferring to the Portland School of Art (now MECA) where his interests in art and theology combined in a body of work based on Catholic …

Crewe, Dan, Wendy Chapkis

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Description: Dan Crewe is an 84 year old gay man originally from New Jersey. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1957. Crewe was a member of the United States Air Force for four years, after which he moved to New York City and began a lucrative career in the music industry in production and publishing. He then moved to Los Angeles, California where he met his then wife, the musician Cindy (now Cyd) Bullens, and they had two daughters. The family eventually moved to Maine, where Crewe opened Gateway Mastering Studios and continued working in music. During …

Lorraine Grace Libby Bowdoin Interview, Susie R. Bock

Lorraine Grace Libby Bowdoin Papers

Lorraine Grace Libby Bowdoin, Gorham State Teacher's College '59. A Portland native, she attended King Middle School and Portland High School. Mrs. Bowdoin taught for several school districts during her long teaching career and advocated tirelessly for mental health and elder issues.

Lorraine Grace Libby Bowdoin's physical papers are expansive and cover her entire life and career, including items from her attendance at Camp Laughing Loon as a child and young teen, her school assignments from elementary through graduate school, photos of her family and friends, items from her run as a Maine house representative, and several meticulously organized scrapbooks …