W0042_Transcript |
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Object Description
Interview no. | W-0042 |
Restrictions | In-library use only. Access through the Southern Historical Collection. |
Project | W.2. LGBTQ Life in the South: Sweet Tea Interviews by E. Patrick Johnson |
Project description | Interviews, 2003-2006, conducted by E. Patrick Johnson with black gay men from the South including men from many Southern states regarding their experience of growing up gay in the South with particular focus on such topics as the influence of the church in upbringing, coming out experiences, gay vernacular, college and career in the South, gay life in small towns, segregation, gay social life, and whether the South is hospitable to gays. These interviews form the basis for Johnson's book, “Sweet Tea: Black Gay men of the South,” published in 2008 by University of North Carolina Press. |
Date | 27 September 2004 |
Interviewee | Chaz/Chastity. |
Interviewee occupation | Hairdressers |
Interviewee DOB | 1969 |
Interviewee ethnicity | African Americans |
Interviewer | Johnson, E. Patrick, 1967- |
Abstract | Chaz/Chastity is a pre-op transgendered woman born in 1969 in Catawba County, N.C. Chastity is a very popular hairstylist in Hickory, N.C. and for the most part no one seems to mind or even acknowledges that Chastity is transgender. She explains how growing up she never felt particularly masculine and was not interested in the same things as other boys. Chastity discusses her relationship with her family, including how she has a very positive relationship with her parents and has never tried to hide anything from them. Church has had a large impact on her life and she still feels very connected to it, as evidenced by the fact that she still sings in the choir. She came out in high school and some of her friends introduced her to the gay life. She also discusses the differences between drag queens and female impersonators. Finally, Chastity discusses her journey from being a gay man to a pre-op transgendered woman, including her decision to remain pre-op and not undergo the gender reassignment surgery. This interview is part of the E. Patrick Johnson collection and was conducted for Johnson's book, “Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South.” |
Citation | Interview with Chaz/Chastity by E. Patrick Johnson, 27 September 2004 W-0042, in the Southern Oral History Program Collection #4007, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. |
Description
Interview no. | W0042_Transcript |