Adams, Donna, Carole Bennett and Judy Boles, 2018 September 14

Donna: Donna was born in 1956 in Louisiana. She attended college in Colorado and came to Eugene in 1976. She attended Lane Community College, then transferred to the University of Oregon. She discusses working for the City of Eugene, starting in 1980, and discusses the sexist environment she first experienced there. She discusses parenting with her partner, Cheryl. Cheryl was a musician in the band “TranSister.” Cheryl died in 2015.

Key terms: Bands (music); Camilio, Cheryl; Eugene (Or.); Lesbian mothers -- United States; Parenting; Women’s music;

Carole: Carole was born in 1942 in Vancouver, B.C. She moved with her family to Tacoma and then to San Diego. She met Judy Boles, a lifelong friend, while in elementary school. At a young age, Carole had crushes on girls, but was terrified that someone would find out. Carole was a talented athlete, but felt she could not participate in school sports because she thought others would associate sports with lesbianism. In Eugene, Carole worked at a variety of jobs. She worked at Wild Iris restaurant, cleaned trucks at Starflower Natural Foods & Botanicals, and started her own cleaning business called Arrow Cleaning. She later did social work in Lane County Mental Health. She concludes her interview by talking about her friends, the reason why she stayed in Eugene—to be with a community of women friends.

Key terms: Athletes; Boles, Judy; Community mental health services -- Oregon -- Lane County; Eugene (Or.) -- Social conditions; Lesbian community – Oregon; San Diego (Calif.); Wild Iris (restaurant)

Judy: Judy was born in San Diego in 1944. In early elementary school, she remembers thinking she had a really bad secret. She went to Carlsbad High School, and dated boys. Although she continued to date men, she had a lesbian relationship while in college. Judy was in college at the University of California, Berkeley during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley. Over the next ten years, she was in and out of college. She received a degree in English. Judy met Carole Bennett, a lifelong friend, when they were both in elementary school. Judy discusses the alternative restaurants in Eugene, such as Gertrude’s Café, which later became Wild Iris restaurant. Because Judy had been a comptroller, she was asked to do financial work for MIUSA (Mobility International USA) and Wild Iris. Professionally, she served as the City of Eugene budget officer, and later was the City of Springfield Finance Director. Judy discusses the tendency of lesbians to do social services work.

Key terms: Collectives; Cooperatives; Eugene (Or.) -- Politics and government; Eugene (Or.) -- Social conditions; San Diego (Calif.); Softball; Springfield (Or).