Oral History Interview with Dianne Dugaw and Amanda Powell: Transcript, Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project

Title: Oral History Interview with Dianne Dugaw and Amanda Powell: Transcript, 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: Dugaw, Dianne Powell, Amanda
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: Dianne was born in Seattle, the oldest of twelve children. She was raised in a rural area of Cowlitz Prairie, Washington, where her family had a cattle and horse ranch, and her father was a country doctor. Her family was devout Catholic, and Dianne attended a small Catholic mission school from first grade through high school. Her family was socially and politically conservative. From the time she started school, she had an uneasy sense of not fitting either of the two gender categories. She discusses rural Pacific Northwest culture. As she got older, she felt confusion about her sexuality. After high school, Dianne became a nun in the Franciscan order, and was in the novitiate for three years. She discusses Franciscan theology. As a nun, in the late 1960s she attended the University of San Francisco and spent time in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, a few blocks away. She decided not to take vows, and instead finished college at the University of Portland. She went to graduate school at the University of Colorado in music, then to UCLA for a Ph.D. in folklore and English. While on a faculty fellowship at Harvard, Dianne met Amanda Powell, and fell in love. She describes the negotiations (including a job for Amanda) to come to the University of Oregon. They talk about being out lesbians at the UO. Dianne discusses the nature of homophobic reactions. She also talks about rejection by her family ostensibly because of politics. She and Amanda discuss the anti-gay political ballot measures and their efforts with other faculty to promote awareness of LGBTQ concerns on campus. They discuss gay marriage and their various civil unions and marriages with each other on the road to state and federal legal marriage. Dianne and Amanda conclude their interview by discussing aging and healthcare. Amanda was born in Boston in 1955 and grew up in the Boston area. She is the oldest of three children. She went to a girls’ high school, which was formative for her. Although her home life was troubled, there was a lot of support for education. Amanda discusses negative aspects of the culture of the 1950s. Amanda describes a very disturbing dream she had when she was a child, which indicated her subconscious understanding of the suppression of women in society. Amanda discusses a correlation between growing up gay and the ability to develop critical thinking. She discusses her bourgeoning sexual awareness as a teenager. She managed to make her way to nearby Cambridge, where she located the offices of the Daughters of Bilitis. The women there were welcoming. At this time, she recognized she was a lesbian, but had no idea how to act on that. After high school, Amanda went to Yale. She discusses her experiences there, the sex roles she was supposed to meet, and the pressure in that masculinist environment to fit gender stereotypes. Eventually, with the support of lesbians and gay men on campus, she came out. She graduated in 1977. She met her partner, Dianne Dugaw, in Boston. Love and a job brought her to Eugene with Dianne. She and Dianne discuss the spousal hire process at the University of Oregon. They discuss being out lesbians at the UO. She and Dianne discuss the anti-gay political ballot measures. They discuss their efforts with other faculty to promote awareness of LGBTQ concerns on campus. They discuss gay marriage and their various civil unions and marriages with each other on the road to state and federal legal marriage. Amanda and Dianne conclude their interview by discussing aging and healthcare.
Subject: Alcoholism; Alley, Henry, 1945; Bars (Drinking establishments); Brand, Myles; Catholicism; Closeted gays -- United States; Coming out (sexual orientation); Counterculture -- California, Northern; Disowned by family; Douglas, Sarah; Drug use; Farwell, Marilyn R.; Franciscan sisters; Marriage equality; Ryan, Cheyney, 1948-; Sheklow, Sally; Springfield (Or); University of Oregon. Department of English; University of Oregon. Task Force on Lesbian and Gay Concerns; Vetri, Dominick R.; Wood, Mary Elene. Alcoholism; Ballot Measure 9; Brand, Myles; Concord Academy; Douglas, Sarah; Farwell, Marilyn R.; Marriage equality; Chauncey, George; Ryan, Cheyney, 1948- ; Springfield (Or); Wood, Mary Elene; University of Oregon. Task Force on Lesbian and Gay Concerns.
Location: University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
Date: 2018-07-11
Identifier: Coll520_do015
Rights: In Copyright
Dc Rights Holder: University of Oregon Libraries
Local Collection Name: Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
Type: Text
Format: application/pdf
Set: Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
Institution: University of Oregon