Oral History Interview with Bonnie Morris, 1961-

AU student Rebecca Day interviews Dr. Bonnie Morris, a long-time resident of Washington, D.C. who identifies as a lesbian woman and works as a professor and writer.

1960s-present

Dr. Bonnie Morris is interviewed by Rebecca Day. Dr. Morris describes her childhood and family life, her education, her family’s geographical history, and her coming out experience, describing both her intellectual and sexual awakening. She speaks about various LGBTQ spaces in Washington, D.C. - bookstores, women’s groups, concerts and festivals, bars and clubs, et cetera. She discusses feminism, women’s culture of the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties, the era of the woman-identified woman, and several landmark events in women’s, LGBTQ, and civil rights history. There are various accounts of her education and her career - including work as a professor, writer, speaker, performer, and working with institutions including Michigan Women’s Music Festival, Olivia Cruises, and Semester at Sea. Dr. Morris speaks to various movers and shakers in the gay rights movement, and landmark media and publications. She additionally describes her personal life, including several girlfriends and lovers. Dr. Morris speaks to themes of intersectionality, racism and homophobia, progressive politics and the effects of technological advancements, and the erasure of her generation’s era in the modern LGBTQ dialogue.

George Washington University

Yes, courtesy of Rebecca Day

Yes, recording available (.wav, 1.38 GB)

2:08:53