Oral History Interview with Barb Ryan
- Title
- Oral History Interview with Barb Ryan
- LC Subject
- Lesbianism Lesbian community
- Local Collection ID
- Coll 520
- Repository
- University of Oregon. Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
- Interviewee
- Ryan, Barb
- 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
- Barb was born in Schenectady, New York in 1953, and she lived there until she was twenty-one. She had a large Irish-Italian Catholic family. She describes her neighborhood, which was populated by many of her relatives. Barb was a tomboy growing up. As a young adult while living in Pennsylvania, Barb came out. Around that time, she heard about Mother Kali’s Books and the lesbian community in Eugene. She came to Oregon in 1980 to attend the University of Oregon. She describes the lesbian community. She describes the character of the Riviera Room, and she describes the Riviera’s women’s night on Thursdays. Barb talks about the various student groups at UO and the process of building coalitions among them. She describes homophobic harassment directed at her and others while she was director of the variously-named LGBTQ student group. Barb describes the different classes she took at UO, which emphasized cultural diversity. She also talks about having a baby and the community of friends who helped when her child was growing up. She and others were a part of a lesbian parenting group. Barb and her family protested the Oregon anti-gay political measures. Barb became a counselor. She talks about the support groups she created for lesbians. She concludes her interview by discussing aging in the lesbian community.
- Subject
- Alternative insemination; Artificial insemination, Human; Associated Students of University of Oregon (ASUO); Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Oregon – Eugene; Berrigan Brothers; Bomb threat; Camilio, Cheryl; Catholicism; Children of the Light; Communal living; Counseling psychology; Diversity and inclusion; Domestic abuse; Feminist bookstores; Funk, David; Foster mothers; Gay People’s Alliance (University of Oregon); Hate crimes; Lesbian community; Lesbian mothers – United States; Love Loves Fear (book); Midwifery -- United States; Nudity; Oregon Citizens Alliance; Oregon Social Learning Center; Pacifism; Parenting; Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Philips, Laura; Pope, Barbara Corrado; Rape Crisis Network; Reading (Pa.); Riviera Room; Self-insemination; Sexual Assault Support Services; Socialism; Spirituality; Suicide; University of Oregon. Women's Studies Program; Waechter, Erika; Womenspace (Eugene, Or.)
- Location
- University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
- Date
- 2018-07-09
- Identifier
- Coll520_do051
- 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
