This oral history interview with Susie Shepherd was conducted by Erin Sexton and Jamie Walton on November 4, 2000. Sexton and Walton conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Ann Mussey's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University. Several of Shepherd's pets were also present and occasionally interrupted the interview.

In this interview, Shepherd discusses her identity as a gay woman. She talks about working with Jerry Weller on the Portland Town Council; about her experiences at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and at Portland State University; and about her life as a lesbian in the 1970s. She speaks at length about coming out to her parents. She then speaks about her activism for gay rights with the Portland Town Council during the 1970s, and talks about some of the people she worked with, politicians they lobbied, and some of the opposition they faced. She also describes coming out on the television show "Town Hall." She discusses her abuse of alcohol in the late 1970s, describes how it affected her life and relationships, and talks about her recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous. She talks about her involvement in the Leather community, including winning the title of International Ms. Leather in 1989, and winning the title of International Master and Slaver with her partner, K.T. Chase, in 1992. She also describes how she parlayed those titles to further her activism for gay rights. She closes the interview by discussing her management of the Bill and Ann Shepherd Legal Scholarship.

This oral history interview with Steve Suss was conducted by Danita Doun and Lachelle Ogden on February 15, 2011, as part of their Capstone course at Portland State University, under instructor Pat Young. Doun and Ogden conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest, which collects the histories of organizations and individuals active in lesbian and gay issues in the Portland area and throughout the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the audio, the collection includes a transcript of the interview and photographs of Suss.

In the interview, Suss discusses his ownership of Embers, a gay bar in Portland, Oregon. He also talks about serving on the board for Esther's Pantry, which provides food and clothing for people with AIDS. He discusses his stance on marriage equality; talks about owning a bar and steam bath in Seattle, Washington, but leaving due to city government corruption; and talks about his reasons for relocating to Portland and some of his early business ventures. He discusses the early years of owning Embers, beginning in 1971, including his attempt to expand its original location, and moving to the location on Broadway in 1981. He also talks about his relationship with his partner and his family. He closes the interview by talking about a lawsuit against the Oregon Liquor Control Commission that he was involved in.

Philips discusses his involvement (since the 1980s) with the Rosetown Ramblers, a gay & lesbian square dancing club and with the leather & S/M community.

This oral history interview with Sally H. Cohn was conducted by Jade Davis and Erin Babcock Musick at Cohn's home in Portland, Oregon, on February 8, 2011. Davis and Musick conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Pat Young's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University.

In this interview, Cohn talks about teaching herself to hand whistle. She discusses her preference for short hair and talks about lesbian stereotypes. She talks about her involvement in gay and lesbian rights organizations, including the Lesbian Community Project and Old Lesbians Organizing for Change. She also shares the experience of coming out to her family in the 1970s. She talks about her volunteer work; about the fight against Measure 9, an initiative against LGBTQ rights, in 1992; and about her work for an alcohol and drug treatment center in Portland, which is now known as the Avel Gordly Healing Center. She closes the interview by talking about writing her book, "A Handwhistler: Memories of Creativity and Activism," and speaking about her 2010 appearance as a handwhistler on "America's Got Talent."

Kinnard discusses a few different subjects that include the accident that left him a paraplegic, his experience and career in cartooning and graphic design, working for Just Out, his new venture The LifeCapsule Project, and his feelings on gay marriage.

Watters discusses his early life in Vancouver, Washington, life as a young gay man in Portland, Oregon in the 1970s, his experiences during the AIDS epidemic while in San Francisco, California, and feeling the need to hide his sexual orientation to protect his career.

Thorpe discusses her tenure as Director of Basic Rights Oregon (2001-2006) and her subsequent role on staff at Planned Parenthood in Portland. Thorpe also discusses her youth in Columbia, SC, her coming-out process during the early 1980s, and the significant positions she has held in organizations dedicated to LGBT rights, non-profit community childcare, and at Empire State Pride Agenda (NY).

Hawes discusses his involvement (since the mid-1980s) with the Rosetown Ramblers, a Portland chapter of the Gay & Lesbian Square Dancing Association.

Leo speaks of her experiences as an out lesbian pastor in the United Church of Christ; her experiences in Nicaragua during the 1980s that led to her decision to attend a Presbyterian seminary; homophobia within the church; and social justice & activism. She also addresses the difficulty her mother had in accepting Leo's lesbianism.

This is interview of Renee LaChance was conducted by Brontё Olson and Nicole Estey for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of their senior capstone at Portland State University. LaChance worked with the queer newspaper The Cascade Voice, first selling advertising and writing and later as the editor for a period of time before founding Just Out newspaper with Jay Brown in 1983. The interview covers her involvement in the Gay Pride Festival, AIDS and ACT-UP, and Ballot Measures 9 and 13, as well as her experiences with running Just Out, her decision to sell, and her feelings about the path of the paper after its purchase by Marty Davis in 1998. It finishes with words of wisdom offered by LaChance for both the gay community and the general public on life and changing the future.

Paul Fukui, Operations Manager of the Q Center in Portland, OR, discusses his work with the Q Center and his life as an artist.

Patty Wolff relates stories and anecdotes about the life of Wolff's partner of many years, Maxine L'Ecuyer, and about the lives of lesbians during the first half of the 20th century. Wolff's partner, Maxine L'Ecuyer (b. 1923), was a French-Canadian, left by her parents to be raised in a Catholic orphanage in Kansas. After moving to California on her own at age 14, L'Ecuyer worked as a movie projectionist for the Marines during WWII, after which she joined a Catholic convent, believing her sexuality to be an abomination. Denied the right to take her final vows, L'Ecuyer attended graduate school at the University of Washington, and was briefly institutionalized (as a result of her sexuality being revealed and compromising her professional career as a professor). L'Ecuyer retired to Portland in her late 50s, at which time she at last found a means of realizing her same-sex attractions to other women. L'Ecuyer met Patty Wolff circa 1992, at a rally on Pioneer Square in opposition of Ballot Measure 9.

This oral history interview with Patricia A. Cach was conducted by Aaron Powell and Dorothy Zapf on February 4, 2011. Powell and Zapf conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Pat Young's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University.

In this interview, Cach describes her experiences as a fan of the Erv Lind Florists, a softball team in Portland, Oregon. She talks about Erv Lind and his support for the team; about the players, particularly Chris Mazzuca; and about the 1962 Women's Softball Tournament. She also speaks about coaching another Portland softball team, the Lavender Menace 2. She shares her experiences as a lesbian in the mid-20th century and talks about her opinion on marriage. She talks about playing in an all-lesbian jug band, about her interest in art, and about why her interest in softball waned. She discusses her spirituality and her identity as a lesbian. She closes the interview by talking about her relationship with her brother.

This oral history interview with Norm Costa was conducted by Stephanie Munly and Ruben Reynaga from November 13-20, 2000. Munly and Reynaga conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Ann Mussey's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University. The interview was conducted in two sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on November 13, 2000, Costa discusses coming to Portland, Oregon, from California in 1958. He talks about his experiences as an out gay man during that time, about his relationships, and about his career as a hairdresser. He discusses raising his niece, and his relationship with his mother. He talks about gay bars and clubs in Portland; discusses his work for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases; and talks about his work advocating for gay rights. He also briefly talks about racism within the gay community. He speaks at length about his work with AIDS/HIV patients, and talks about the history of public policy toward the disease. He talks about social conditions for young LGBTQ people from when he first came out as gay in 1947 to the time of the interview in 2000; describes the history of policing in the gay community; and talks about serving on the board of the Sexual Minorities Roundtable.

In the second interview session, conducted on November 20, 2000, Costa continues discussing his service on the board of the Sexual Minorities Roundtable. He talks about Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker, the No on Measure 9 campaign, and his other political and advocacy work. He shares a story about being arrested in California in the late 1940s and serving time in San Quentin State Prison. He closes the interview by discussing issues facing the LGBTQ community in the 21st century.

Davis reflects on her tenure (1998-2011) as the second owner/publisher of Just Out (Portland's LGBT newspaper).

Maria Council is co-founder/President of Peacock After Dark. Council discusses her introduction to drag; her drag influences including "drag mother" Patty O'Dora and Lady Elaine Peacock; her reputation as Northwest's First Lesbian Drag Queen and subsequently as the first biologically female Empress of the Rose Court; her experiences in workplaces that required different levels of closeting and self-censorship; and her involvement with the local Portland church community.

Besant discusses her involvement in the earliest incarnation of the vocal group The Dyketones; coming out in her early thirties (to herself & to her family); her commitment to Women In the Wilderness (aka Keep Listening); her life with her partner, Marcia; and the community at the Mountain Moving Cafe in the 1980s.

This oral history interview with Lee Coleman was conducted by Katrina Griffiths and Joshua Fackrell on February 17, 2011. Griffiths and Fackrell conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Pat Young's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University.

In this interview, Coleman discusses his involvement with the Log Cabin Republicans in California and Oregon. He discusses the political fight against Measure 9, an Oregon ballot measure against LGBTQ rights, in 1992. He also talks about the state of the Republican Party at the time of the interview in 2011. He discusses the reasons he became a Democrat in 2004; talks about recent gay rights legislation in Oregon; and speculates about the future of gay rights. He closes the interview by encouraging his interviewers to become more politically active.

This oral history interview with Laurie Lockert was conducted by Lee Ann Phillips on July 26, 2007, for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. The interview was conducted as part of a senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University, with instructor Christa Orth.

In this interview, Lockert discusses her family background and early life in Portland, Oregon, including the expectations her parents had, and her experience of accepting her identity as a lesbian. She shares her experience of coming out to her parents. She talks about her involvement with the lesbian community in Portland in the 1970s, and about playing tennis with other lesbians. She speaks about her early relationships with women, then talks about her marriage to Kathleen M. Roy and about raising a child. She closes the interview by discussing how the lesbian community in Portland changed, and by talking about the increasing visibility and acceptance of gays and lesbians in American society.

This oral history interview with Larry S. Copeland was conducted by Emily Bowen and Kenty Truong on February 17, 2011. Bowen and Truong conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Pat Young's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University.

In this interview, Copeland discusses his early life in Redmond and Portland, Oregon. He talks about his social life as a gay man in the mid-20th century, particularly the role of Portland gay bars. He speaks at length about his involvement with the Portland Town Council. He also discusses his 1982 campaign for the Portland City Council. He speaks about the progression of gay rights in the United States; talks about his experience during the AIDS epidemic; and speaks about the various jobs he worked. The interview closes with discussion about the senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University.

This oral history interview with Larry D. Smith was conducted by Tanesha Dawson and Halla Williams in Beaverton, Oregon, on February 12, 2009, for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. The interview was conducted as part of a senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University, with instructor Pat Young. The interview took place at a hair salon where Smith was working, and customers often interrupted.

In this interview, Smith discusses his involvement with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a national organization dedicated to making school safe for LGBTQ youth. He talks about working with LGBTQ youth; describes some of the issues facing them, including familial abandonment and bullying; and discusses the ways GLSEN tries to address those issues. He describes how his activism with GLSEN affected his career as a history teacher in the Beaverton School District. He talks about homophobia and rebuts some common justifications for anti-gay beliefs. He speaks about his work building an AIDS education curriculum and about the importance of comprehensive sex education. He also talks about his current relationship. He describes his work to expand the Oregon chapter of GLSEN, talks about events he organized, and speaks about his hopes for his legacy. He closes the interview by talking about traveling and making presentations for GLSEN during his retirement, and by reflecting on his teaching career.

This oral history interview with Kimberlee Van Patten was conducted by Katie Horton and Amy Sherwood on February 12, 2009, for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. The interview was conducted as part of a senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University, with instructor Pat Young.

In this interview, Van Patten discusses her early life in Portland, Oregon. She shares her experiences going to gay bars in Portland during the 1980s and describes how she became involved with the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court, Oregon's oldest LGBTQ organization, which holds annual drag-themed charity galas that award titles ranging from Mister and Miss Gay Oregon to Rose Empress and Emperor. She talks about participating in Imperial Sovereign Rose Court pageants, her marriage to Blayne Van Patten, a drag queen who performs under the name Patti O'Dora, and her later relationship with Maria Peters Lake, also known as Rose Empress XXXVI Maria. She discusses her relationship with Lady Elaine Peacock, and speaks at length about her management of Peacock Productions, Inc. and the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund. She shares the reasons why she and Lake ended the annual free event Peacock in the Park after 2004, and describes the operations of the scholarship fund. She also talks about her break-up with Lake. She discusses her reign as Rose Emperor XXIII Kimberlee Van Patten of the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court in 1996. She closes the interview by describing the effects of the AIDS epidemic on the Portland gay community.

This oral history interview with Khalil Edwards was conducted by Natasha Lipai and Stephen Quirke at the offices of Basic Rights Oregon in Portland, Oregon, on February 27, 2013, for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. The interview was conducted as part of a senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University with instructor Pat Young. A transcript of the interview is available.

In this interview, Edwards discusses his involvement with the Portland Black Chapter of PFLAG, talks about its origins, and describes the intersection of racism and homophobia that Black LGBTQ youth face. He also talks about his parents' social justice activism. He discusses his involvement with Basic Rights Oregon, including his work on the Our Families video project and as a Racial Justice Fellow. He speaks about some of the goals of Basic Rights Oregon, including marriage equality and trans-inclusive health care, and talks about issues that the organization may focus on after achieving its current goals. He also speaks about racial inequity in the U.S. justice system. He discusses his career as a high school English teacher in San Bernardino, California, and shares his reasons for returning to Portland and focusing on racial justice and LGBTQ advocacy work. He closes the interview by talking about his love for Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.

This oral history interview with John E. Baker was conducted by Jeffrey Ohren and Jim Donohue on May 7, 2012, for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. The interview was conducted as part of a senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University, with instructor Pat Young. A transcript of the interview is available.

In this interview, Baker discusses his history of political and gay rights activism, particularly his involvement with Right to Privacy, a lesbian and gay political action organization that was headquartered in Portland, Oregon. He talks about ballot measures against gay rights in Oregon, discusses his involvement with the Portland drag performance community, and shares his thoughts about marriage equality.

Radosta discusses his childhood in Salem, OR; his coming out process (at age 27); his professional life as a journalist (including a stint at gay Portland newspaper, Just Out); and his solo performance endeavors.

This oral history interview with Jerry Weller was conducted by Libbey Austin at Weller's home in Portland, Oregon, on May 10, 2007. Austin conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Achives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Christa Orth's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University. The collection includes a transcript of the interview.

In this interview, Weller discusses his early life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including his experiences as a young gay man at Penn State University. He talks about his relationship with Bruce Muller, describes how he became involved in the gay rights movement while living in the Bay Area, and discusses his reasons for moving to Portland in 1976. He discusses his involvement with the Portland Town Council, describes the anti-gay legislation that passed in many places in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s, and talks about his involvement with the national gay rights movement. He discusses the development of the Portland Town Council, the Right to Privacy PAC, and other gay rights organizations he was involved in. He also talks about the development in the language regarding LGBTQ people. He talks about his experiences in Washington, D.C., and in Chicago, Illinois, and his return to Portland in the 1980s. He discusses his relationship with the Shepherd family; describes his experience with AIDS; and speaks about gay rights legislation he was involved with. He closes the interview by talking about the role gay bars and drag queens played in the gay rights movement, about the growth of gay pride events, and about his favorite gay bars in Portland.

This oral history interview with Holly Mulcahey was conducted by Erin Sexton on November 11, 2000. Sexton conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Ann Mussey's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University.

In this interview, Mulcahey discusses the history of It's My Pleasure, a women's bookstore and lending library in Portland, Oregon, that was inclusive of lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender people. She discusses how the store evolved from its beginnings in 1991 to the time of the interview, in 2000. She talks about harassment she experienced at the bookstore's first location on Hawthorne Boulevard, about working with other women's bookstores in Portland, and about the increasingly expensive rent at It's My Pleasure's second location on Hawthorne. She then discusses moving to the business's location at the time of the interview in 2000 on Northeast 64th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard. She talks about running the store, including holding events and collaborations with other businesses. She also briefly discusses her life and career before opening the bookstore, as well as her involvement in the women's spiritual community. She speaks about her identity as a lesbian and her relationship with the broader LGBTQ community. She shares her hopes for the future of It's My Pleasure and for the LGBTQ community. She closes the interview by talking about some of the sex toys sold at the bookstore.

This oral history interview with Holly Hart was conducted by Winter Drews and James Loos at Hart's home in Portland, Oregon, on November 14, 2000. Drews and Loos conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Ann Mussey's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University. The interview transcript includes a written introduction by George Nicola.

In this interview, Hart discusses her experience at Reed College in Portland during the 1960s, including her experience as a closeted lesbian and her political and civil rights activism. She talks about working for the Willamette Bridge newspaper, her involvement in the gay liberation movement, and coming out as a lesbian. She briefly talks about her experience studying law at the University of California at Berkeley, then discusses practicing law in Portland. She talks about cases she worked on, lawyers she worked with, and her focus on civil rights cases, particularly gay rights. She discusses serving on the Task Force on Sexual Preference and describes the report of recommendations she authored for the governor. She talks about her dissatisfaction with practicing law and her decision to instead open a restaurant, Old Wives' Tales; describes the process of opening the restaurant; and talks about her original plan to also open a bookstore. She speaks at length about running the restaurant and its role in the Portland community. She then discusses having a child via artificial insemination and talks about raising her daughter. She also discusses her involvement in Portland's Jewish community. She then revisits the topic of her restaurant and talks about the diversity of its clientele; discusses how social conditions for LGBTQ people have changed in Portland; and talks about her experience as a lesbian and a mother in Portland's Jewish community. She closes the interview by revisiting the topic of her work at the Willamette Bridge newspaper, describing instances of harassment she has experienced, and talking about her hopes for the future of gay rights.