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Oral history interview with Susie Shepherd

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.

Shepherd, Susie (Susan Mary), 1949-

Oral history interview with James K. Logan

This oral history interview with James K. Logan was conducted by Toni R. Black Cloud in Portland, Oregon, over three sessions from April 12 to May 23, 2002, as part of the Radical Elders oral history series. The interview was conducted as part of a senior capstone class on history at Portland State University, with instructor Sandy Polishuk. The sound quality during session 2 is very poor, and during session 3, the tape recorder malfunctioned.

In the first interview session, conducted on April 12, 2002, Logan discusses his family background and early life on the Washington coast. He describes family life with an abusive, alcoholic father and shares his memories of the murder of his father in 1969. He discusses his experiences in the foster care system in Oregon, and describes how he became homeless at age 12. He speaks at length about his experience as a homeless teenager in Portland during the 1970s, describes the dangers and stress of that life, and talks about his experiences with police and the justice system as an unhoused person. He discusses his six-year incarceration in MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, talks about his alcoholism and drug addiction, and discusses his later experiences being incarcerated in his 20s. He then speaks about his efforts to get sober, about his involvement with the American Indian Movement, and about his relationships with women.

In the second interview session, conducted on May 9, 2002, Logan speaks further about his experiences as a homeless teenager and talks about his work mentoring youth gang members. He speaks further about his involvement with the American Indian Movement, talks about connecting to his Native American heritage, and describes discrimination he experienced as a person of color. He talks about attending pow-wows.

In the third and final interview session, conducted on May 23, 2002, Logan continues to discuss attending pow-wows and talks about the spiritual significance of playing drums. He speaks further about getting sober in 1989, and also about his involvement with the American Indian Movement. He describes his experiences working in the sobriety program at Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc. He talks about his sister, who had also experienced homelessness as a teenager. He speaks about going through the 12-step sobriety program. He talks about his work history in roofing and construction, discusses racism he experienced, and speaks at length about his relationship with his children and their mothers. He closes the interview by talking about his civil rights activism, and about his health.

Logan, James K., 1962-

Oral history interview with April D. Lewis

This oral history interview with April D. Lewis was conducted by Tyler Brewington and Heaven Hartford on May 1, 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, Lewis briefly discusses her family background, early life in Portland, Oregon, and her early career. She talks about her relationship with Carol D. French, about her experience of coming out as a lesbian to her family, and about how social attitudes towards LGBT people changed. She discusses lesbian and gay bars in Portland, talks about recovering from alcoholism, and speaks about people she knew who were affected by the AIDS epidemic. She also speaks about raising children with her partner and talks about marriage equality. The interviewers close the interview by discussing their senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University, with instructor Pat Young.

Lewis, April D., 1952-