Bodies of Evidence: The Practice of Queer Oral History (Oxford Oral History Series)

__Bodies of Evidence: The Practice of Queer Oral History__ is the first book to provide serious scholarly insight into the methodological practices that shape lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer oral histories. Each chapter pairs an oral history excerpt with an essay in which the oral historian addresses his or her methods and practices. With an afterword by John D'Emilio, this collection enables readers to examine the role memory, desire, sexuality, and gender play in documenting LGBTQ communities and cultures.The historical themes addressed include 1950s and '60s lesbian bar culture; social life after the Cuban revolution; the organization of transvestite social clubs in the U.S. midwest in the 1960s; Australian gay liberation activism in the 1970s; San Francisco electoral politics and the career of Harvey Milk; Asian American community organizing in pre-AIDS Los Angeles; lesbian feminist ''sex war'' cultural politics; 1980s and '90s Latina/o transgender community memory and activism in San Francisco; and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The methodological themes include questions of silence, sexual self-disclosure and voyeurism, the intimacy between researcher and narrator, and the social and political commitments negotiated through multiple oral history interviews. The book also examines the production of comparative racial and sexual identities and the relative strengths of same-sexuality, cross-sexuality, and cross-ideology interviewing Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 12 INTRODUCTION: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: The Body and Knowledge in Queer Oral History 14 PART I: SILENCE 34 1 SEX, “SILENCE,” AND AUDIOTAPE: Listening for Female Same-Sex Desire in Cuba 36 2 REMEMBERING PROVINCETOWN: Oral History and Narrativity at Land’s End 54 3 QUEER FAMILY STORIES: Learning from Oral Histories with Lesbian Mothers and Gay Fathers from the Pre-Stonewall Era 70 4 SPIRALING DESIRE: Recovering the Lesbian Embodied Self in Oral History Narrative 86 PART II: SEX 106 5 TALKING ABOUT SEX: Cheryl Gonzales and Rikki Streicher Tell Their Stories 108 6 PRIVATE LIVES AND PUBLIC HISTORY: On Excavating the Sexual Past in Queer Oral History Practice 126 7 GENDER, DESIRE, AND FEMINISM: A Conversation between Dorothy Allison and Carmen Vázquez 143 PART III: FRIENDSHIP 160 8 FRIENDSHIP, INSTITUTIONS, ORAL HISTORY 162 9 GAY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, ORAL HISTORY, AND QUEER KINSHIP 180 10 SHARING QUEER AUTHORITIES: Collaborating for Transgender Latina and Gay Latino Historical Meanings 197 PART IV: POLITICS 216 11 DANCING WITH STELLA, LOS ANGELES DAUGHTERS OF BILITIS PIONEER 218 12 “YOU COULD ARGUE THAT THEY CONTROL POWER”: Politics and Interviewing across Sexualities 233 13 DON’T ASK: Discussing Sexuality in the American Military and the Media 250 14 THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: A Narrator Asks an Oral Historian for Validation 266 AFTERWORD: “IF I KNEW THEN . . . ” 282 Contributors 292 Index 296 A 296 B 296 C 297 D 298 E 299 F 299 G 299 H 300 I 300 J 300 K 301 L 301 M 302 N 302 O 302 P 303 Q 303 R 304 S 304 T 305 U 306 V 306 W 306 X 306 Y 306 MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 12 INTRODUCTION: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: The Body and Knowledge in Queer Oral History 14 PART I: SILENCE 34 1 SEX, “SILENCE,” AND AUDIOTAPE: Listening for Female Same-Sex Desire in Cuba 36 2 REMEMBERING PROVINCETOWN: Oral History and Narrativity at Land’s End 54 3 QUEER FAMILY STORIES: Learning from Oral Histories with Lesbian Mothers and Gay Fathers from the Pre-Stonewall Era 70 4 SPIRALING DESIRE: Recovering the Lesbian Embodied Self in Oral History Narrative 86 PART II: SEX 106 5 TALKING ABOUT SEX: Cheryl Gonzales and Rikki Streicher Tell Their Stories 108 6 PRIVATE LIVES AND PUBLIC HISTORY: On Excavating the Sexual Past in Queer Oral History Practice 126 7 GENDER, DESIRE, AND FEMINISM: A Conversation between Dorothy Allison and Carmen Vázquez 143 PART III: FRIENDSHIP 160 8 FRIENDSHIP, INSTITUTIONS, ORAL HISTORY 162 9 GAY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, ORAL HISTORY, AND QUEER KINSHIP 180 10 SHARING QUEER AUTHORITIES: Collaborating for Transgender Latina and Gay Latino Historical Meanings 197 PART IV: POLITICS 216 11 DANCING WITH STELLA, LOS ANGELES DAUGHTERS OF BILITIS PIONEER 218 12 “YOU COULD ARGUE THAT THEY CONTROL POWER”: Politics and Interviewing across Sexualities 233 13 DON’T ASK: Discussing Sexuality in the American Military and the Media 250 14 THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: A Narrator Asks an Oral Historian for Validation 266 AFTERWORD: “IF I KNEW THEN . . . ” 282 Contributors 292 Index 296 A 296 B 296 C 297 D 298 E 299 F 299 G 299 H 300 I 300 J 300 K 301 L 301 M 302 N 302 O 302 P 303 Q 303 R 304 S 304 T 305 U 306 V 306 W 306 X 306 Y 306 Close Encounters : The Body And Knowledge In Queer Oral History / Horacio N. Roque Ramírez And Nan Alamilla Boyd -- Silence -- Sex, Silence, And Audiotape : Listening For Female Same-sex Desire In Cuba / Carrie Hamilton -- Remembering Provincetown : Oral History And Narrativity At Land's End / Karen Krahulik -- Queer Family Stories : Learning From Oral Histories With Lesbian Mothers And Gay Fathers From The Pre-stonewall Era / Daniel Rivers -- Spiraling Desire : Recovering The Lesbian Embodied Self In Oral History Narrative / Jeff Friedman -- Sex -- Talking About Sex : Cheryl Gonzales And Rikki Streicher Tell Their Stories / Nan Alamilla Boyd -- Private Lives And Public History : On Excavating The Sexual Past In Queer Oral History Practice / Jason Ruiz -- Gender, Desire, And Feminism : A Conversation Between Dorothy Allison And Carmen Vázquez / Kelly Anderson -- Friendship -- Friendship, Institutions, Oral History / Michael David Franklin -- Gay Teachers And Students, Oral History And Queer Kinship / Daniel Marshall -- Sharing Queer Authorities : Collaborating For Transgender Latina And Gay Latino Historical Meanings / Horacio N. Roque Ramírez -- Politics -- Conversations With Stella, Los Angeles Daughters Of Bilitis Pioneer / Marcia M. Gallo -- You Could Argue That They Control Power : Politics And Interviewing Across Sexualities / Martin Meeker -- Don't Ask : Discussing Sexuality In The American Military And The Media / Steve Estes -- Thanks For The Memories : A Narrator Asks An Oral Historian For Validation / Eric C. Wat. Edited By Nan Alamilla Boyd And Horacio N. Roque Ramírez. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Bodies of Evidence: The Practice of Queer Oral History is the first book to provide serious scholarly insight into the methodological practices that shape lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer oral histories. Each chapter pairs an oral history excerpt with an essay in which the oral historian addresses his or her methods and practices. With an afterword by John D'Emilio, this collection enables readers to examine the role memory, desire, sexuality, and gender play in documenting LGBTQ communities and cultures. The historical themes addressed include 1950s and '60s lesbian bar culture; social life after the Cuban revolution; the organization of transvestite social clubs in the U.S. midwest in the 1960s; Australian gay liberation activism in the 1970s; San Francisco electoral politics and the career of Harvey Milk; Asian American community organizing in pre-AIDS Los Angeles; lesbian feminist 'sex war' cultural politics; 1980s and '90s Latina/o transgender community memory and activism in San Francisco; and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The methodological themes include questions of silence, sexual self-disclosure and voyeurism, the intimacy between researcher and narrator, and the social and political commitments negotiated through multiple oral history interviews. The book also examines the production of comparative racial and sexual identities and the relative strengths of same-sexuality, cross-sexuality, and cross-ideology interviewing."--Publisher's description This is the first book to provide serious scholarly insight into the methodological practices that shape lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer oral histories. Each of the fourteen chapters pairs an oral history excerpt with an original essay in which the oral historian addresses his or her methods and practices.