Andrea Jenkins to Lead Transgender Oral History Project Andrea Jenkins
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
June, 2015 Volume 10 Number 2 NEWSLETTER FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE TRETTER COLLECTION Andrea Jenkins to Lead Transgender Oral History Project Inside this issue...... -- Cover Story - (read about it on Page 4) -- Unearthing Bisexual History -- Legacy Project Processing Completion--Success! -- From the Field -- Conference Recap, Congratulations to Emily Atchison, ALMS 2016 heads to London -- New Acquisitions You Can Help! The Tretter Collection relies on the support FROM THE CHAIR of organizations and individuals, like you! Please consider making a charitable donation to the Tretter Collection using the enclosed self-addressed envelope as part of your giving plan. Your support will help to By Anne Hodson, Chair preserve GLBT history now and for future Happy Pride month everyone. The Tretter Collection has been generations. This continues to be an exciting busy attending events in the Thank you. time for the Tretter Collection. area, the BECAUSE Conference We are continuing to add to the here at the U of M, the Upper collection with important new Midwest Queer Indigenous and NEWSLETTER FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE TRETTER COLLECTION acquisitions from so many great People of Color Conference, https://www.lib.umn.edu/scrbm/tretter people. Keep those donations also here at the University, Advisory Committee coming in. and also a road trip to Duluth/ Community Representatives Anne Hodson, Chair As I mentioned in the last Superior to talk with the Eric Colleary community and people at UMD. James Garlough newsletter, the Tretter Collection Jaden Hansen was extremely fortunate to A lot of work has been done to Martha Hardy receive a substantial grant to increase the online access on Frankie Jader Jean-Nickolaus Tretter, Founder collect oral histories our web site. The Stewart Van Cleve from the Transgender Legacy Project has Stef Wilenchek and Gender Non- been successfully University Library Representatives Kris Kiesling Conforming completed with Kathy McGill community in the an astonishing Lisa Vecoli, Curator Upper Midwest. With 1/3 of a mile of Sodlis Emeriti, Ex-Officio Jim Bones this grant we were boxes processed Shamey Cramer able to hire someone for improved Jesse Field as the Transgender accessibility. A huge Greg Gronseth Ralph Hanson Oral Historian. We job, that took a lot of Christoph Heydemann had a very talented skill, determination, Angela Nichols and diverse pool and stamina to Anne Phibbs Anne Hodson, Chair Adam Robbins of candidates to accomplish. Well Linnea Stenson interview and are so done, staff. Phil Willkie happy that the awesome Andrea Newsletter Editor/Production Jenkins has agreed to fill that George Hamm Be sure to check out the History The University of Minnesota is an equal role. This is a rare opportunity opportunity educator and employer.This for the Tretter Collection as well Pavilion at Twin Cities Pride, publication can be made available in as the transgender community it’s in the Southeast corner of alternative formats for people with disabilities. the park inside the building. Direct requests or address corrections to Lisa to capture our history in a Vecoli, Special Collections, Andersen Library way that has never been done Many of our traveling display Room 111, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-624- before on this scale. We have panels will be available to view, 7526, ([email protected]). also established an advisory showing some of our history, The University’s mission, carried out on including a few new panels. multiple campuses and throughout the state, is committee of community and threefold: research and discovery, teaching and University members to assist Stop in and say hello. learning, and public service. Andrea. Be sure to read Andrea’s © 2015 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. article in this issue for more about her and the project. Cover Photo: Tretter Historian, Andrea Jenkins, copyright photo by Caesar Gonzales 2 Tretter Letter June 2015 Thanks to the generous support of our donors...... We gratefully acknowledge the • Douglas Kline - Minneapolis, MN From the following individuals for their support • Susan Lasoff - Minneapolis, MN and give thanks to countless others • Ron Linde - Northfield, MN whose generous spirits have made our field.... work possible. • Robert Reed - Minneapolis, MN • Craig L Anderson & Kile Martz - WI • Log Cabin Republicans - Washington, DC (in memory of S T Rabbit & • Bryan Mayfield - Minneapolis, MN Harold Wells) • Michael McConnell & Jack Baker What’s happening in national & - Minneapolis - MN • Nancy Barcelo - NM international circles..... • Doug Benson & Duane Gajewski • Gay Noble - Minneapolis, MN - Robbinsdale, MN • One Voice Mixed Chorus - St Paul, MN • Sanford Berman - Edina, MN Conference Recap, • Ronald G Perrier - Minneapolis, MN Congratulations to Emily • Bisexual Organizing Project • Steven J Shochet Endowment - Minneapolis, MN - Minneapolis, MN Atchison, ALMS 2016 Heads • Bill Bloedow - Minneapolis, MN • Ana Silva - Minneapolis, MN to London • Margaret Cruikshank - ME • Laurie R Simon - St Paul, MN by Lisa Vecoli • David E Drinkwater - TX • John P Stadler - NC • Bisexual Empowerment Conference, • Andrew Eddy - FL • Linnea A Stenson - IL A Uniting Supportive Experience • David J Eder & Jason Lue - CA • Arthur R Stoeberl - Roseville, MN (BECAUSE), the annual conference (in memory of Arthur Johnson) • Tawani Foundation - IL of the Bisexual Organizing Project, • Scott Fearing - NY was held in April at the University • Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN) • Jane Fee - Woodbury, MN - Minneapolis, MN of Minnesota. Andrea Jenkins, the new Transgender Oral Historian at • Melissa M Franckowiak • Thomas E Trisko & John E Rittman the Tretter Collection, gave one of - Minneapolis, MN (on behalf of the - Minneapolis, MN Lesbian Feminist Organization Group) the keynote presentations. Tretter • Gerry Tyrrell - Minneapolis, MN • Lee & Marcia Greenfield Collection Board Member Martha - Minneapolis, MN • William Uhlenkott - St Paul, MN Hardy, Curator Lisa Vecoli, and • Gregory Grinley - NY • Jill C Vecoli - Minneapolis, MN supporter Sarah Weaver presented • Lisa Vecoli - Minneapolis, MN a well-received session on the • Laura J Gurak - Arden Hills, MN conference was founded by the Tretter • Kim W Waldorf - Minneapolis, MN • Martha E Hardy - Minneapolis, MN Collection, Quatrefoil Library, and • Gary Hudson - Edina, MN • A J Walkley - CT the University of Minnesota Libraries • Bob Jansen - Superior, WI • Phil Willkie - Minneapolis, MN in 2006. Since that time, gatherings have been held in California, New • James Kane - Washington, DC York, and the last conference was in • Alexandra Ketchum - Canada Amsterdam in 2012. We are delighted to see the conversation continue and look forward to participating. For information on the conference, search Facebook for “LGBTQ Archives, Libraries, Museums and Special Collections.” They also plan to launch a blog soon. • The next LGBTQ Archives, Libraries, Museums, and Special Collections (ALMS) Conference will be held in London, June of 2016. This conference was founded by the Tretter Collection, Quatrefoil Library, and the University of Minnesota Libraries in 2006. Since that time, gatherings From the Field, Continued on Page 9 Tretter Letter June 2015 3 The Journey Begins: The Transgender By Andrea Jenkins African-American Trans gender and gender non-conforming woman. I didn’t always identify as communities, locally, nationally, I was recently hired as the such though I always knew deep and internationally. My life’s work Transgender Oral Historian for the in my heart that I was a woman. is about visibility, authenticity, and Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies Since age-four I knew that I felt equality for all people. One might at the Elmer L. Andersen Library, different from other little boys, say that accepting this position is Archives and Special Collections. but I also knew that if I wanted coming around full circle to where A little bit about me, I was born in to stay safe and be loved by my it all started for me in Minnesota. Chicago, IL, in the North Lawndale family and friends I could not neighborhood on the Westside. What exactly is this project, you let that part of myself surface want to know? The Transgender It was a predominately African– under any circumstance. So I, like American, low-income, working Oral History Project mission many Trans* and gender non- states: “This project will support class community where everyone conforming folks, hid that fact looked out for each other, but the Upper Midwest Transgender as best as I could for as long as I community and empower slowly the neighborhood began could. to change. Drugs and crime individuals to tell their story, while became signature attributes of the It was a challenging and soul providing students, historians, and neighborhood and as this occurred stealing time of my life, to say the the public with a richer foundation my mother would always move least. For a while I thought I might of primary source material about our family to a better part of town. be gay but realized that it was the Transgender community. Eventually, we made our way to more than being attracted to men. Materials will be housed within the the Southside of town to a middle I tried getting married to a woman Tretter Collection.” class community and I ended up and raising a child, but I realized The first few weeks on the attending a pretty challenging that the feelings still remained and, job have been a whirlwind of college prep high school, in fact, became even more intense. media for the Trans* and gender Lindblom Technical. So, finally in 1993, I came to terms non-conforming That high school This project will support the Upper community. Bruce experience opened my Jenner announced that Midwest Transgender community and 2 eyes to the possibilities he is a Trans woman of going to college. empower individuals to tell their story, in a block-buster It is funny how peer while providing students, historians, interview with Diane pressure sometimes and the public with a richer foundation Sawyer on ABC’s 20/20.