Denim Day 40th Anniversary Oral History Collection (Ms2019-001)
Dublin Core
Title
Denim Day 40th Anniversary Oral History Collection (Ms2019-001)
Subject
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
University Archives
LGBTQ+ History
Description
This collection includes oral history accounts of the first Denim Day event at Virginia Tech in January 1979.
Abstract
This collection includes oral history accounts of the first Denim Day event at Virginia Tech in January 1979.
Creator
Special Collections, Virginia Tech
Date
1979-01-17
Date Created
2019
Rights
Permission to publish material from the Denim Day 40th Anniversary Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Denim Day 40th Anniversary Oral History Collection, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Rights Holder
Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Collection Items
Denim Day Exhibit Introductory Image
A promotional image to introduce the Denim Day 40th Anniversary Exhibit
Oral History with Nancy Kelly, January 4, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
In this interview, Nancy talks about her time as a lesbian at Virginia Tech in the late 1970s and her memories of the Denim Day event planned by the Gay Student Alliance as part of Gay Awareness Week in 1979.
Oral History with Helene Vachon, February 9, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
In this interview, Helene talks about realizing her sexuality in Catholic school in the early 1970s and her time as a lesbian at Virginia Tech in the late 1970s. She talks about the difficulty being out while keeping that part of her life separate…
Oral History with Steve Noll, January 25, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
In this interview Steve Noll discusses accepting his sexuality as a young man, the unnamed gay student group before the Gay Student Alliance and the support it received from Cooper House, and reactions to Denim Day from the communities surrounding…
Oral History with Sherry Wood, February 26, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
Sherry Wood was the editor of the Collegiate Times in 1979 when the first Gay Awareness Week, and Denim Day, occurred. In this interview, she discusses the volume of letters to the editor received by the Collegiate Times in response to Denim Day and…
Oral History with Lisa Barroso and Mark Barroso, March 2, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
Lisa Barroso arrived at Virginia Tech in the fall after Denim Day happened. She became an active member of the lesbian community and the Women's Space group. Her brother, Mark Barroso, was an editor at the Collegiate Times and is remembered by many…
Oral History with Sueann Brown, March 4, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
In this interview, Sueann Brown talks about realizing her sexuality and becoming involved with the Gay Student Alliance at Virginia Tech, her experience of Denim Day in 1979, and her experience as an openly lesbian architect with the National Parks…
Oral History with Edd Sewell, March 1, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
In this interview, Sewell discusses the classes he was teaching as a member of the Department of Communications in 1979 during Denim Day. He recalls some of the responses he observed to the event, including the university's official stance on the Gay…
Oral History with Andrew Alvarez, February 24, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
Andrew Alvarez was a founding member of the Gay Student Alliance in the late 1970s. In his interview, he talks about living on campus at Virginia Tech, being a guest speaker for the Social Deviance class in the sociology department, planning and…
Oral History with Scott Beadle, February 27, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
Scott Beadle was a member of the Gay Student Alliance during the first Gay Awareness Week and helped to plan Denim Day in 1979. During his time at Virginia Tech, he studied engineering and theater arts and served as president of the Gay Student…
Jeans Noticeably Absent: The Story of Denim Day 1979, April 5, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
A staged reading of articles and letters to the editor about Denim Day from the 1979 Collegiate Times interspersed with clips from the Denim Day at Virginia Tech 40th Anniversary Oral History Collection.
Oral History with Bill Kenealy, April 5, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
In this interview, Bill Kenealy discusses what it felt like to return to campus after forty years, the Gay Student Alliance in the late 1970s, summer resort jobs in New England, gay discos, Denim Day preparations, his time in the United States Navy…
Oral History with Beth Benoit, April 4, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
In this interview, Beth Benoit talks about computer science classes and the campus climate for gay men and lesbians at Virginia Tech in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She recounts how it felt to come out publicly in the school paper while having…
Oral History with William Simpkins, July 25, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
William Simpkins discusses his experience coming to Virginia Tech as a student from the local area in the late 1990s and coming out as gay while here. He talks about the history of gay student groups at Virginia Tech in the late 1990s and their…
Oral History with Susan Manero, April 5, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
Susan Manero talks about her time at Southern Seminary College (now Southern Virginia University) decision to transfer to Virginia Tech, surprise at the lack of denim on Denim Day in 1979, coming out, the gay and lesbian community in Blacksburg, the…
Collection Tree
- University History and Archives
- LGBTQ History at Virginia Tech
- Denim Day 40th Anniversary Oral History Collection (Ms2019-001)
- LGBTQ History at Virginia Tech