Oral History Interview with Debora Landforce: Video, Eugene Lesbian Oral History Project

Title: Oral History Interview with Debora Landforce: 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: Landforce, Debora
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: Debora was born in 1952 in Enterprise, Oregon and was raised primarily in Corvallis. She describes Corvallis in the 1960s, which was politically and socially conservative. She talks about the expectations of heterosexuality while growing up and as a young adult. She discusses the book The Well of Loneliness, and talks about loneliness. She came out after she moved to Eugene. She received an Interdisciplinary Master’s Degree in Counseling, Psychology and Health and a certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Oregon in 1985, and started her therapy practice in 1986. Debora describes aversion therapy that damaged individuals, and her experience with the negative Christian perspective on homosexuality. She discusses homophobia, alcoholism and suicide. She counseled hundreds of lesbians in the course of her career, about twenty percent of whom had either alcohol problems or suicidal ideation. She describes the vibrancy of the Eugene lesbian community. In 1989, she became the lesbian counselor on the University of Oregon campus, sharing the job with Kathy Sullivan. They developed a “lesbian life” outreach program, and worked with PFLAG. She talks about the Oregon Citizen Alliance and Ballot Measure 9. She discusses the topics of humanity and self-esteem. She started a program for lesbians called “Surviving the Holidays.” She finishes her interview by discussing the aging of lesbians and talking about her fourth generation family farm, where she does organic farming with her partner.
Subject: Alcoholism; Barry, Kate; Bradley, Jill; Coming out (sexual orientation); Corvallis (Or.); Counseling psychology; Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB); Farming; Feminist bookstores; Heterosexuality; Homophobia; Homosexuality -- Religious aspects; Identity (Psychology); Lane Community College (Eugene, Or.); Mother Kali’s Books; Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Self-esteem; Social isolation; South Eugene High School (Eugene, Or.); Suicide -- Oregon -- prevention; The Well of Loneliness (book); University of Oregon; Weyerhaeuser Timber Company; Women in Transition Program.
Location: University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
Date: 2019-09-04
Identifier: Coll520_do068
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