Oral History Interview with Susan Detroy
- Title
- Oral History Interview with Susan Detroy
- LC Subject
- Lesbianism Lesbian community
- Local Collection ID
- Coll 520
- Repository
- University of Oregon. Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
- Interviewee
- Detroy, Susan
- 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
- Susan was born in 1946 in Indiana. She grew up in a conservative family. Susan was a good student and loved dancing at an early age. She was bussed to school as a part of racial integration. She studied Spanish at DePauw University. She lived abroad in Spain, which opened her eyes to a different culture. She discusses the Cuban Missile Crisis. She taught in St. Louis for a while after college, and married a man. After divorce from her husband, she lived in a commune in Indiana. She traveled around in California, and visited Eugene in 1971 and decided to stay. Susan discusses the Growers Market, a not-for-profit food-buying club for buying organic and natural foods. She was involved in protesting the Vietnam War. She discusses the beginnings of the WOW Hall. She became interested in martial arts, which became her community. She discusses a commune near 12th Avenue and Monroe, called “Café de Poets,” with Tom Cooke and Laurie Shaw. Susan became a Head Start teacher in Creswell, which she found to be a very conservative place. In the mid-1980s, Susan lived with her partner in Marcola, where they were out to the community. At the University of Oregon, she took classes in photography, which captured her interest. Susan discusses her artwork. She discusses her work to combat the anti-gay ballot measures and the Oregon Citizens Alliance. During the campaigns, she went door-to-door, and had people yell at her. She had nightmares during the campaigns and was afraid at the Riviera Room, that someone would come in and shoot the customers. She started Lez Dance so lesbians could dance together. There were no “male” and “female” dancers; there was “lead and follow.” Susan concludes her interview by discussing the lesbian community in Eugene.
- Subject
- Abortion; Amazon Kung Fu; Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Oregon – Eugene; Buckley, Florence; Cancer; Community Center for the Performing Arts; Consciousness-raising; Gertrude’s Café (restaurant); Maedl, Kathy; Perry’s; Photography; Racism; Veterans Memorial Building (Vet’s Club)
- Location
- University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
- Date
- 2018-09-12
- Identifier
- Coll520_do012
- Rights
- In Copyright
- Dc Rights Holder
- University of Oregon Libraries
- Local Collection Name
- Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
- Type
- Collection
- Format
- application/xml
- Set
- Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
- Primary Set
- Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project
- Institution
- University of Oregon
