The History of Queervallis, 2015

Partial Transcript: Welcome to the History of Queervallis keynote

Segment Synopsis: OSU students Tara Crockett and Malik Ensley welcome attendees and explain that keynote speakers will include the OSU Queer Archives, Dr. Qwo-Li Driskill, and Tristen Shay.

Keywords: Corvallis; LGBT history; LGBTQ; Oregon State University; Queer History Month

Subjects: College student development programs; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student participation in administration; college students

Partial Transcript: Hi I'm Bradley Boovy, um, I'm an assistant professor in women, gender, and sexuality studies and world languages and cultures

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Bradley Boovy and Natalia Fernandez speak a little bit about OSQA, its history, mission, and recent events.

Keywords: LGBT; LGBTQ; OSU; Oregon State; Queer history; archives; lived experience; oral history; queer archives; valley library

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements

Partial Transcript: [Welcoming attendees in Cherokee] Hi everyone, um, I want to thank the Calapooia peoples whose land we are on and, um, also all of you for being here tonight

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Driskill briefly discusses the history and focus of the queer studies program at OSU

Keywords: Corvallis; PhD; QTPOC; Queer history; gender studies; graduate; queer and trans people of color; queer curriculum; queer studies; undergraduate; women, gender, and sexuality studies

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community

Partial Transcript: So while the queer studies curriculum is fairly new, the history of the program is really embedded in larger histories of activism

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Driskill provides a national as well as local context for LGBTQ issues being discussed at OSU, explaining how larger discussions in the U.S. and in Oregon impacted what was happening in Corvallis.

Keywords: GLF; Gay liberation front; OSU Barometer; OSU women's center; Portland; Stonewall riots; affirmative action; consciousness raising groups; feminism; women of color; women's studies

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community

Partial Transcript: In 1975 we begin to see a backlash at Oregon State against the gay community

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Driskill describes some of the advances being made in LGBT visibility and support in Oregon and at OSU, as well as the backlash which occurred in reaction to such advances

Keywords: Corvallis; GPA; OSU; Oregon straight; cruising; gay people's alliance; gay women's consciousness raising; lesbian organizing and community; queer curriculum; women's studies

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements; University of Oregon

Partial Transcript: Ok so 1979 this was a wacky year here, 'cuz here's what happened

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Driskill details a controversy surrounding a book called "Toilets" in the Women's Center--a toilet repair manual which was mistaken as a text on lesbian perversion.

Keywords: Barometer; OSU Women's Center; OSU library; gay and lesbian literature; student fees

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements

Partial Transcript: I was trying to look at where some of the curricular interventions were happening at the university

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Driskill discusses the role of the state in LGBT rights when LGBT-related classes (precursors to the queer studies program) were being introduced at OSU.

Keywords: Colorado; Corvallis; LGBT organizing; OCA; Oregon Citizen's Alliance; amendment 2; backlash; city ordinances; hate crimes; homophobia; local government; measure 8; measure 9; queer history; queer studies

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements

Partial Transcript: But one of the, I think, important, to me fascinating, I learned recently about national responses to the murder of Hattie Mae and Brian Mock

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Driskill explains how the Lesbian Avengers were inspired to eat fire as a political act in reaction to the racist, homophobic firebombing that occured in Salem, OR in 1992.

Keywords: Corvallis; Hattie Mae Cohens; Oregon; Salem; eating fire; firebombing; queer organizing; radical lesbians

Subjects: Gender minorities; Lesbian activists; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements

Partial Transcript: So, now I would love to hear other things that people know or, um questions

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Driskill opens the floor for questions and comments. Audience members get involved and discuss sex education in Oregon and safe sex education's roots in feminist and queer activism; tensions in the feminist movement between white feminists and feminists of color; and more.

Keywords: feminism; feminist tensions; feminists of color; measure 9; sex education

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community

Partial Transcript: So, now, through the fire, we have Tristen Shay. Tristen Shay has overcome my poor communication skills

Segment Synopsis: OSU student Tara Crockett introduces Tristen Shay, and their discussion of queer activism in Corvallis and the surrounding area.

Keywords: Corvallis; LGBTQ rights and activism; Oregon State University

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community

Partial Transcript: Um, I thought I would share a little bit about my experience growing up in the area, and the changes I've seen

Segment Synopsis: Shay briefly describes their early childhood experience in Oregon. They explain how their identity as gender nonconforming very early in life really "shook up" their peers in the area.

Keywords: Albany; Corvallis; Philomath; Scio; gender nonconforming; homeschool; rural life

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community

Partial Transcript: So I started high school in 1996, and the following year I came out. And I knew at that time

Segment Synopsis: Shay gives a glimpse into their high school experience in Philomath, OR, including coming out, starting a gay-straight alliance club, and witnessing homophobic/transphobic acts of violence committed by fellow students.

Keywords: GSA; Gay Straight Alliance; LGBT youth; coming out of the closet; hate crimes; queer youth; radical

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements; University of Oregon

Partial Transcript: And when I moved away, uh, from Philomath in 2000 I went to, uh, Whitman College in Eastern Washington

Segment Synopsis: Shay describes the climate of their conservative college town, and how that impacted them as well as their peers.

Keywords: Walla Walla, Washington; gender studies; queer college student

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements; University of Oregon

Partial Transcript: I came back here in 2004, uh, as an Americorp member at a rural high school. I again did not realize how radical it would be

Segment Synopsis: Shay describes how radical it was for them to simply be out in a community like Brownsville's, and how their out-ness showed others in the community who may have been "in the closet" that they were not alone.

Keywords: Brownsville; LGBT; coming out of the closet; queer representation

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; University of Oregon

Partial Transcript: And so it was at that time that I got re-involved with a youth group here in town, so [inaudible] facilitators in the room, um, for that youth group called Out 'N' About

Segment Synopsis: Shay describes the Corvallis youth group Out 'N' About, and the role it played in their young life.

Keywords: Corvallis, Oregon; First Methodist Church; LGBT youth; mentors; queer community; queer youth; role models

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; University of Oregon; student activism

Partial Transcript: And so at that time we connected with the local PFLAG chapter and they said, "Oh yeah! Totally! We've totally got, uh, we've got funding

Segment Synopsis: Shay tells the story of how they and another individual re-started the weekly Out 'N' About youth group to support LGBTQ+ students in the Corvallis area.They also describe how Pride Festival in Corvallis was—somewhat haphazardly—established.

Keywords: Corvallis, Oregon; Gay Pride Parade; LGBTQ+ youth; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; mentors; queer community; queer facilitators; queer youth; role models; support group

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; Student activism; Student movements; University of Oregon

Partial Transcript: And so, from that, you know, we've had many iterations of trying to bring community together and, like I said, I'm just one person

Segment Synopsis: Shay concludes their discussion with a short and funny anecdote about Philomath's "logging culture," and why it made their parents afraid for Shay's life after starting a GSA at their high school. Other closing remarks.

Keywords: GSA; Gay Straight Alliance; LGBT community; Philomath, Oregon; coming out; logging culture; queer community

Subjects: Gender minorities; Oregon State University; Oregon, Western; Sexual minorities; Sexual minority community; University of Oregon