Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rainbow History Project Oral History Collection Description An account of the resource Eye-witness accounts of what we’ve seen and experienced provide a valuable resource to researchers and future generations to understand our past and how we arrived where we are today. Each interview in this collection has a narrator telling the story and a documenter guiding the process. Collected since the founding of the RHP, this collection is growing and is open to researchers. All interviews have been digitized and are described in the catalog; only some of them have transcripts available. None of the interviews stream online. To obtain access to an interview, you must request by contacting us directly, providing a brief description of your project and your research interests. Our email address is: info AT rainbowhistory DOT org One of our team will share the file from our Google Drive, and you can listen from home. Please be sure to have "Music Player for Google Drive" enabled on your machine to play the recording. www.driveplayer.com Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. To see all interviews in the collection, click on "Items in the Rainbow History Project Oral History Collection" link below. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Rainbow History Project Various narrators per oral history Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound. No, not yet transcribed Original Format If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Yes, recording available Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed. Meryl Kerley Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral history interview with Maryl A. Kerley Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 9/25/2001 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource "Not for commercial use without my permission" Subject The topic of the resource 60s-00s Lesbian experience, lesbian social scene, Gay Women's Alternative, Gay Women's Open House Description An account of the resource LISTEN ONLINE <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_rmd0YNI039OU1PZGZSM2FfeUU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-LanALWrJj0N8jkhij0z1Cg">1 of 2</a> <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_rmd0YNI039enNLeUJ0S25KZEU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-cJ00FeDcn_PduJw9vuAPpw">2 of 2</a> Meryl Kerley shares her experience as part of the Washington, DC lesbian scene in the 1960s and beyond. Her family moved to the greater DC area in 1959, and when she graduated high school in 1966 she immediately began working in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a clerk. After reading an article in the Washington Star that gave a hotline number for a gay community center, Meryl decided to take a chance and call it. She then began going to lesbian house parties, and soon after divorced her husband. Outside of house parties, Meryl talks about going to lesbian bars like Phase 1 and Club Madame. While these places came with an increased risk of retaliation and violence, they were nonetheless an integral part of the lesbian community. Meryl was also involved in a sexuality task force and lesbian potlucks, but most of her early activism concerned the Gay Women’s Alternative (GWA). The GWA was a group that was very involved in education and networking within the lesbian community. The Washington, DC branch met every Wednesday and occasionally hosted dances or open houses. Meryl did a lot of work organizing events and keeping members informed by doing things like managing supplies, distributing fliers, and helping to manage mailing lists. Meryl also recounts her experiences as a gay woman within HUD and her part in HUD GLOBE in the 1990s. HUD GLOBE is the LGBT group at HUD, and it is still active today. Looking back on the years, Meryl recounts some of the lost spaces she misses the most, such as Lammas Books. She also recalls some of the intersectionality, or lack thereof, within the LGBT community. She talks about issues with male dominated LGBT spaces, as well as issues with trying to cultivate racial and ethnic diversity. 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Bars and clubs Community Gay Women's Alternative (GWA) Intersectionality Lesbians Nightlife Parties Phase One