Oral History Interview with Nadia Telsey

Title: Oral History Interview with Nadia Telsey
LC Subject: Lesbianism Lesbian community
Local Collection ID: Coll 520
Repository: University of Oregon. Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Interviewee: Telsey, Nadia
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: Nadia was born in 1947 in Brooklyn, New York into a middle-class Jewish family. She became an activist at a young age. Her family was concerned about her activism. Nadia graduated from high school in 1965 and went to Bryn Mawr College for two years, then went to Barnard College in New York. During these years, Nadia was straight. She discusses psychoanalysis. She also discusses the anti-war activism of the time. After college, Nadia taught at the Little Red School House, considered New York City’s first progressive school. She learned karate. In August of 1981, she moved to Oregon and describes Eugene as being a dynamic place. Nadia trained at Amazon Kung Fu, and taught self-defense in the community. She describes some conflicts in the community, some self-righteousness, and some homophobia. Nadia came out at age 28. Nadia worked at the Community Health Education Center, a health education center as well as a clinic. When Nadia lost her job due to funding cuts by the Reagan administration, she got a job at the Rape Crisis Center, and eventually became director. She discusses the University of Oregon’s “Safe Ride,” a program initiated by Lynn Pinckney when she was ASUO President. Safe Ride provided free rides for UO women students to protect them from violence and rape in the evenings. Nadia also discusses Safe Run, the Doberman Pinschers program: women could rent these dogs to protect themselves. Nadia discusses her self-defense work and philosophy, her anti-racism work, and the Baleboostehs. She discusses the Oregon Citizens Alliance homophobic ballot measures in the late 1980s and early 1990s and she describes the emotions of fear, anguish, and terror during Ballot Measure 9. She also describes a successful community Seder at the Hilton Hotel, a fundraiser to help combat Ballot Measure 9. She discusses The New Community Meeting (also known as the “Dialogue Project”) that aimed to provide opportunities for straight people and gay people, for and against Measure 9, to discuss their differences of opinion. Nadia discusses Gretchen Miller, and others, who participated. Nadia was partners with Harriet Rubin. She then became involved with Diane DePaolis, and they eventually married. She discusses gay marriage. Nadia concludes her interview by discussing aging, housing ideas, her love of the outdoors, and the Jewish community.
Subject: ACLU; Aversion therapy; Bones, Barbara; Coming out (sexual orientation); Community life; Drag queens; Fidanque, David; Homophobia; Judaism; Lesbian community; Marriage equality; Martial arts; Oregon Assault Prevention Shuttle; Rape -- Oregon -- Eugene – Prevention; Towne, Joyce; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest movements -- United States.
Location: University of Oregon >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
Date: 2018-08-27
Identifier: Coll520_do057
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