Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project

Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project
Established 1997 (1997)
Location Northampton, MA
Collection
Size 174 oral histories
Website Old Lesbian Introduction Page

The Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project (OLOHP) is a collection of interviews created by Arden Eversmeyer for the Sophia Smith Collection to document and appreciate the lives of members of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC). The project contains over 150 interviews and transcripts, many of which include secondary documents pertaining to their subjects such as photographs, artwork, and newspaper clippings.[1] The interviewees come from a variety of backgrounds and places but are all lesbians over the age of 70.

History

The Old Lesbians Organizing for Change were founded in 1987 in response to the blatant combination of ageism and sexism in regards to older lesbians. The initial meeting was inspired by the publication of Look Me in the Eye: Old Women, Aging and Ageism by Barbara Macdonald and Cynthia Rich in 1983, 4 years prior.[2] The goal of the organization is to "confront ageism in our communities and our country" through education and public discourse. They were a major presence at a variety of national lesbian events such as the National Lesbian Conference in Atlanta in 1991 hosted by the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance and the March on Washington. Supporters may be of any age and younger individuals warmly welcomed, however the minimum age of membership is 60 years old.[3] In 1992 OLOC reached an even higher level of legitimacy as they reached non-profit status in the state of Texas to continue their work.[4] OLOC continues to be an active force in pursuing the equality for all.

The ""Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project" is the culmination of the individual stories of some of the founding members of OLOC. Originally created by Arden Eversmeyer the project seeks to expose the life stories of women from past generations, including images and other supplementary documents. Eversmeyer was inspired to gather these oral histories when she observed friends passing away in her area and was concerned that their stories would never be shared. While subjects such as feminism and civil rights are touched upon in many of the interviews, there is no common focus other than the shared experience of old lesbians. Much of the material is purely autobiographical in nature.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "OLOHP main page". Sophia Smith Collection. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Old Lesbians Organizing for Change Records". Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Old Lesbians Organizing for Change About Page". Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Old Lesbians Organizing for Change Herstory". Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Old Lesbians Organizing for Change Herstory History". Retrieved 27 March 2015.

See also

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