Oral History Interview with Jennifer Bills: Video, Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project

Title
Oral History Interview with Jennifer Bills: Video, Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
LC Subject
Lesbianism Lesbian community
Local Collection ID
Coll 520
Repository
University of Oregon. Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Interviewee
Bills, Jennifer
Interviewer
Long, Linda, 1956- Raiskin, Judith L.
Description
The Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project collection consists of interviews of 83 people for the Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project, conducted by Professor Judith Raiskin and Curator Linda Long at the University of Oregon starting in the summer of 2018.
Abstract
Jennifer was born in Reno, Nevada and grew up in Charleston, Oregon. She discusses her growing up years on the south Oregon coast and the antisemitism she experienced in high school. She also recognized she was gay while in high school. As a student at the University of Oregon, Jennifer learned about the student organization, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GALA) but felt some trepidation about it. Later, she became the director of GALA. Jennifer worked in student government and was elected—as an open lesbian—president of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO). After college, she became a police officer with the City of Eugene and she discusses her experiences in the police force, including discrimination, her leadership of the SWAT team, and her work in hostage negotiation. She discusses parenting her son with her former partner, Karen Gaffney.
Subject
Artificial insemination, Human; Civil service – Oregon – Eugene; Discrimination in criminal justice administration; Hate crimes; Gays – crimes against; hostage negotiations; Law enforcement; Judaism; Lesbian mothers -- United States; Parenting; Police – Oregon – Eugene; Jews—Oregon; Self-insemination; Sexual minority college students; Student government; SWAT; University of Oregon.
Location
University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
Date
2018-08-02
Identifier
Coll520_do007
Rights
In Copyright
Dc Rights Holder
University of Oregon Libraries
Local Collection Name
Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
Type
Moving Image
Format
video/mp4
Set
Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
Institution
University of Oregon