Oral History with Katherine Allen, October 23, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Sexual minorities
University History
Katherine Allen is a professor of Human Development at Virginia Tech. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, she completed studies at the University of Connecticut and Syracuse University before joining the Virginia Tech faculty in 1989. Allen came to Tech as one of the first ‘out’ lesbians and following her arrival, she became a vocal activist for LGBTQ rights both within the University and throughout the state of Virginia. Her research has focused on children of LGBTQ families, including the effects of relationship dissolution and legal custody rights. In the 1990s, Allen raised two children in a lesbian relationship and founded a lesbian mothers group with her partner. Her family became a ‘poster family’ for LGBTQ community, both locally and nationally, before she separated from her partner in the early 2000s. Allen continues to fight for legal protections and employee benefits for LGBTQ families at Virginia Tech and around the world. In her oral history, Katherine Allen discusses her activism, her relationships and personal identity, her experiences as part of a ‘lesbian poster family’ and as an ‘out’ faculty member at Virginia Tech.
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Oral histories
Oral History with Eugene Lawson and Scott Sterl, October 23, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Mr. Eugene Lawson and Mr. Scott Sterl are both graduates of Virginia Tech, where they met and began their relationship that is still continuing today over 42 years later. As a couple they have been very active in the communities they have lived in, both socially and politically serving on the Circles Board for the Kennedy Center and hosting fundraising events in their home. Mr. Lawson currently practices law and Mr. Sterl is a working architect. They both have a strong passion for the arts, politics, and of course Virginia Tech. In part 1, Mr. Lawson describes his personal history and involvement with Virginia Tech and the Gay Rights Movement. In part 2, Mr. Sterl describes his personal history, his studies at Virginia Tech and his involvement with the Log Cabin Republicans. In part 3, Messrs. Lawson and Sterl discuss the progression of the gay rights movement through their own eyes. This eventually leads both men to talk about their involvement with the Kennedy Center, and their experience seeing the AIDS Quilt spread across the lawn at the Washington Monument. This portion of the interview ends with Mr. Lawson talking about why he believes people are always surprised to hear about gay couples being together for long periods of time.
Oral History with Luther Brice, Interview 1, October 24, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Luther Kennedy Brice, Jr. began working at Virginia Tech as assistant professor of chemistry in 1954. He earned tenure two years later and became a full professor in 1966. He served as professor of chemistry and Acting Head of the Chemistry Department in 1966-67. He received both of Virginia Tech’s prestigious teaching awards. In 1961, he was awarded the University Wine Award that recognizes a history of university teaching excellence and involves automatic induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. In 1966, he was the first winner of the University Sporn Award for Teaching Introductory Subjects. He took early retirement in 1986 when he moved to Washington, D.C. and taught as an adjunct professor at American University. During his years at Virginia Tech, Brice taught 23,593 students in freshman chemistry, physical chemistry, and principles of chemistry. He was also known as “Merlin the Magician” when he donned the blue cape made for him by his students and presented his chemical magic show. Brice was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, a master’s from Dartmouth, and a Ph.D. from Duke University. In this first oral history, Brice discusses how one had to be underground about being gay during his student years and through much of his time as a professor at Virginia Tech. Until the 1970s being homosexual was not discussed. He comments on the difficulties faced by gay faculty and students.
Oral History with Dolly Davis, October 24, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Dolly Davis is a former Virginia Tech student, who is a self-employed architect in Roanoke, Virginia. She is also a transgender activist who works closely with VT students and alums. Recently, she became involved in healthcare activism in southwest Virginia through her non-profit organization, Ladies and Gents of the Blue Ridge. Davis is married with two children. In this oral history, Dolly Davis describes her life as a transgender woman, including her childhood, the process of coming out to herself as well as others, and her activism on behalf of the transgender and LGBT community in Roanoke and at Virginia Tech.
Oral History with Tori Elmore, October 24, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
Tori Elmore grew up in Wytheville, VA, and graduated from Virginia Tech in 2009 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Elmore currently lives in the Blacksburg area and works as a maintenance engineer at the Celanese chemical plant in Narrows, VA. In the Spring of 2013, Elmore began hormone treatments to transition from a man to a woman and the following Fall she came out publicly at her place of work. Elmore plays for the Christiansburg Roller Derby team and is an active member of the New River Valley chapter of PFLAG, a national organization that provides support and education for parents, friends and allies of LGBTQ individuals. In her oral history, Elmore discusses her struggle with depression, the transition process, playing on a Roller Derby team, coming out at work and gaining acceptance in a blue collar Appalachian community.
Oral History with Christian Matheis, October 24, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Christian Matheis is a Doctoral Candidate in the Virginia Tech Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) Program working on a dissertation concerning liberation. He has several research interests including philosophy, feminism, anti-racism, and sexual/gender identity. He has a background in ethics studies and started participating in political activism in the early 1990's. Matheis works closely with the LGBT Caucus of Virginia Tech, helping to establish a political platform. He also works as a trainer in the Safe Zone Program teaching Trans 101 sessions. The interview was conducted in Matheis' office, Lane Hall Room 212. It begins with Matheis' describing his personal history and his views on personal identity. It then moves into discussion of his coming out experience, political activism, and involvement with the LGBT Caucus. Finally, he describes his experience with discrimination and gives advice and a charge to the future LGBTQ community.
Oral History with Aaron Slusher, October 25, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Aaron Slusher was a student at Virginia Tech from 1988 until 1992. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1992 with a degree in Biology. In 2011, Aaron returned to Virginia Tech to pursue a degree in Veterinary Medicine. In 2012, he transferred to Redford University. In the spring of 2014 Aaron graduated from Redford University with a master's degree in Social Work. While at Virginia Tech in the early 1990s, Aaron identified as a straight female and was married after graduation in 1992. In 1994, Aaron's relationship ended in divorce. From 1994 until 2009, Aaron identified as a lesbian. In 2010, Aaron began the transition from female to male and now identifies as a transgender male. Aaron currently lives in Floyd, Virginia and works as a social worker. In his interview, Aaron discusses playing normative social roles to accommodate the desires of other people and how that affected the course of his life. He also talks about his relationships with his parents while living as a lesbian and during transition. The interview concludes with Aaron addressing the need for LGBTQ history to be documented and told.
Oral History with David Hernandez, October 26, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
David Hernandez attended Virginia Tech from 2010 to 2014 and graduated with a degree in Computer Science. In Fall 2012, Hernandez founded the Virginia Tech chapter of Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (oSTEM), an organization that provides professional support for LGBTQ students and faculty pursuing careers in the STEM fields. In 2013, the Virginia Tech Division of Student Affairs awarded Hernandez with the Aspire! Award for Courageous Leadership for his work with oSTEM. In his oral history, Hernandez discusses defining his identity and sexuality at a young age as a Filipino-American, his work with oSTEM and other LGBTQ programs and organizations on campus, the changing visibility and resources for LGBTQ students at Virginia Tech and his hopes for the Hokie Nation in the future.
Oral History with Jean Elliott, October 27, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Jean Elliott is the Director of Communications for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. Before coming to VT in 1999, she earned degrees from Western Maryland College and Salisbury University, then worked in sports information at Brown University and the College of William & Mary. Elliott serves as the co-chair of VT's LGBT Faculty/Staff Caucus and was instrumental in starting the annual Gay in Appalachia event series at the university. She has received multiple awards, including the OUTstanding Virginian from Equality Virginia. In this interview, Elliott discusses her childhood, struggling with her sexuality throughout her childhood and early adulthood, and being out as a lesbian or gay woman while working at Virginia Tech. She also discusses stories of her contributions to the LGBT programming at VT, including the Gay in Appalachia event series, and her observations about allies, challenges, and changes in Virginia and at Virginia Tech.
Oral History with John Gray Williams, October 28, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
John Gray Williams is a Career Advisor in Career Services at Virginia Tech. From 2005 to 2008 he also attended Virginia Tech as an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Arts in Public and Urban Affairs program. He has been active in LGBTQ activism since he first came to Virginia Tech, working on events such as the Freedom to Marry Day, Gay? Fine by Me Rally, and the LGBTA Relay for Life. As a member of the faculty, he has organized a yearly LGBTQ networking reception and has served as a trainer for the SafeZone program. In his role in Career Services, he is a passionate social justice advocate and works to help members of marginalized populations identify discrimination concerns in the job market. The interview was conducted on October 28, 2014 at John Gray Williams’s home in Blacksburg, VA. The interviewer was Whitney Wright and she was assisted by Damon Kinmond. There was limited time for the interview and there are moments within the interview where discussion of the time and Williams’s evening plans can be heard. The interview lasts almost two hours. It begins with a description of Williams’s family and their social dynamics and proceeds into his early experience and understanding of his sexuality and his motivations for choosing to be closeted. The interview then moves into his time at Tidewater Community College where he was first able to research homosexuality and the history of the LGBTQ civil rights movement. He then discusses his decision to transfer to Virginia Tech to pursue a career in Landscape Architecture and his decision to come out to his family. A significant portion of the interview is concerned with his involvement with the LGBTA at Virginia Tech and the variety of protests and events he participated in while completing his undergraduate degree. Then, he discusses his decision to attend the University of Delaware to pursue student affairs while remaining close enough to Blacksburg to maintain a relationship with a student at Virginia Tech. He then describes his return to Virginia Tech as a faculty member and the work he has done to support the LGBTQ community and other marginalized populations since returning. Finally, he discusses broader issues affecting the LGBTQ community beyond the fight for marriage equality.
Oral History with Ann Kilkelly, October 29, 2014, (Ms2015-007)
Ann Kilkelly is a Professor of Theatre Arts and Women's Studies at Virginia Tech. She teaches a variety of performance and theater classes, women's studies seminars and undergraduate courses about community and culture, and tap classes. Since coming to Virginia Tech in 1991, she has been an advocate for traditionally underrepresented populations and she served on the Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity from 2005-2008. The interview was conducted on October 29, 2014 in Henderson Hall at Virginia Tech. It begins with a description of Kilkelly's upbringing and early involvement with activism. It then covers her marriage and her own description of her personal identity with respect to societal labels. Next, the inverview addresses the racial and LGBTQ climate at Virginia Tech, how it has changed over time, the scandal relating to Shelli Fowler's hiring, and the development of the Principles of Community. Finally, there is a description of drag shows at the Shamrock bar and Kilkelly's views on why it is important to discuss LGBTQ issues.
Oral History with Jeff Mann, October 30, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Jeff Mann is Associate Professor of English and Director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program at Virginia Tech. Mann started as an instructor in the English department in August of 1989, was appointed Assistant Professor in 2003, and later received tenure. A prolific writer, artist, and poet, Mann's work encompasses the complexities of love and relationships as well as the gay and lesbian experience in the culture of Appalachia. Mann is also known for his fiction, which details the depths and intensities of gay male relationships. The inverview was conducted on October 30, 2014 in Jeff Mann's office, 210 Shanks Hall, on the campus of Virginia Tech. The interview chronicles the story of Mann's life from growing up in a small town in West Virginia to his college experience and his arrival in Blacksburg. It includes stories of his first experience with his sexuality, coming out as gay, his first sexual experience, relationships, the nature of his publications, and the meaning of his tattoos.
Oral History with Howard Feiertag, November 2, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Howard Feiertag, an instructor of hospitality and tourism management in the Pamplin College of Business, has been a Virginia Tech faculty member since 1989. In 2015 he was awarded one of the Top 30 CMP Influencers Award, which recognizes the top 30 professionals in the global meetings and events industry. Before joining the university, he was a senior vice president at Servico, a hotel management company based in West Palm Beach. His 30 years in the hospitality industry include serving as the first convention bureau manager in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Orlando, Florida. His many professional honors include induction to the Convention Industry Council Hall of Fame and the Lifetime Achievement award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. Feiertag, who was among the first to receive the CMP designation in 1985, earned a bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University. In his oral history, Feiertag discusses his childhood in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1930s and 40s, his long career in the military and hospitality industry, his homosexual experiences as a young man in the 1950s and 60s, his relationship of nearly 50 years and his life in the Virginia Tech community.
Oral History with Jo Ann Underwood, November 4, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Jo Ann (Murphy) Underwood pioneered tolerance of sexual minorities on the Virginia Tech campus. She and her family came to Blacksburg in the mid-1970s. She worked as a registered nurse at Virginia Tech’s Student Health Services and was appointed the university’s first health educator in January 1979. A strong advocate for women’s issues, safe sex, birth control, and tolerance of sexual minorities, she started the peer education program at Virginia Tech in the mid-1980s. Her columns in the Collegiate Times helped educate students about various health issues. She served as an advisor to the gay students’ group, Lambda Horizon. At one time she was known as the “Condom Queen of Virginia Tech” because of her diligence in working to prevent sexually transmitted disease. In June 2014, she was named Ally of the Year at the sixth annual Lavender Ceremony for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender graduates and their allies. After the ceremony, it was announced that the award would henceforth be called the Underwood Ally of the Year Award. The interview explores Jo Ann Underwood’s work as health educator at Virginia Tech and her involvement with the gay students’ group, Lambda Horizon. Underwood’s family background and her husband Richard’s civil rights work in the Together magazine are also discussed.
Oral History with Michael Sutphin, November 5, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Michael Sutphin was a student at Virginia Tech from 2002-2006. While at Tech, he was a student activist involved with LGBTA (now HokiePRIDE) and a writer and editor for the Collegiate Times. During his time on campus he organized the first Freedom to Marry demonstration on the Drillfield in 2004 and served as the President of the LGBTA in 2005. After graduation, he worked for the College of Agriculture and Life Science, which lead him to his current position as the public relations coordinator for the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Since 2011, Sutphin has also served on the Town Council for the City of Blacksburg, and he's currently vice-chair of Equality Virginia, the state's largest LGBTQ group. In this interview, Sutphin discusses his involvement on campus and on the Town Council, his activism in the LGBTQ community, and the current climate towards the LGBTQ community and the community's future.
Oral History with Tom Brobson, November 6, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Tom Brobson graduated from Virginia Tech in 1982. After working in Washington, D.C., for several years, he returned to work for Tech in 1989, working as a fundraiser for the Department of University Relations. A diabetic himself, Brobson went on to work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). In this oral history, Brobson discusses his life as an undergraduate student and work as a fundraiser at Virginia Tech. He recounts stories of discrimination and threats he felt while an out gay student, discrimination and challenges he's faced at the university, and his activism while an employee, including helping to found the LGBT Caucus and to support Lambda Horizons.
Oral History with Mary Beth Dunkenberger, November 6, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Mary Beth Dunkenberger is the Senior Program Director at the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance. She joined Virginia Tech in 2001, after working in the international trade field and as an attorney in Washington, D.C. In this oral history interview, Dunkenberger discusses her first marriage and children before coming out to her family in her 30s. She also discusses being out in Virgina, her involvement in LGBTQ community, and issues related to LGBTQ and other minorities at Virginia Tech and in Virginia. In particular, she discusses issues surrounding being gay and religious, legal issues concerning gay marriage, and the LGBTQ climate survey at Virginia Tech.
Oral History with Edward Spencer, November 7, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Dr. Edward Spencer worked in student affairs administration at Virginia Tech from 1982 to 2012, most recently serving as Vice President for Student Affairs from 2008 to 2012. From 1983 to 1989 he served as Director of Housing and Residence Life, managing all aspects of residence life on campus during the height of the national AIDS crisis. Spencer was an important ally to LGBTQ students and organizations at Virginia Tech, helping to start various campus programs such as the AIDS Education Committee, the SafeWatch Program, and create a full-time position for Coordinator of Campus LGBTQ Relations and Initiatives. In his interview, Spencer discusses his career in university administration, his work with LGBTQ student organizations and how attitudes and treatment of the LGBTQ community on campus has changed since the 1980s.
Oral History with Shelli Fowler, November 13, 2014 (Ms2015-007)
Shelli Fowler was a member of the Virginia Tech faculty from 2003 to summer 2015, serving as an associate professor of English and senior director for Networked Pedagogies and Professional Development in Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies. She directed the Networked Learning Initiatives faculty program and the Graduate Education Development Institute. She earned her doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin. She was honored with an Edward S. Diggs Teaching Scholars Award in 2013. In her oral history, Fowler discusses her upbringing in Southern California, her academic career as an out lesbian, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors' refusal to approve her spousal hire and coming together with members of the Virginia Tech community to fight for equality and policy change.
Oral History with Luther Brice, Interview 2, March 26, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Luther Kennedy Brice, Jr. began working at Virginia Tech as assistant professor of chemistry in 1954. He earned tenure two years later and became a full professor in 1966. He served as professor of chemistry and Acting Head of the Chemistry Department in 1966-67. He received both of Virginia Tech’s prestigious teaching awards. In 1961, he was awarded the University Wine Award that recognizes a history of university teaching excellence and involves automatic induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. In 1966, he was the first winner of the University Sporn Award for Teaching Introductory Subjects. He took early retirement in 1986 when he moved to Washington, D.C. and taught as an adjunct professor at American University. During his years at Virginia Tech, Brice taught 23,593 students in freshman chemistry, physical chemistry, and principles of chemistry. He was also known as “Merlin the Magician” when he donned the blue cape made for him by his students and presented his chemical magic show. Brice was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, a master’s from Dartmouth, and a Ph.D. from Duke University. In this second oral history, Professor Brice discusses his approach to and ideas about teaching. He also explains some aspects of his chemical magic show.
Oral History with Mark Weber, March 26, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Mark Alan Weber, class of 1987, was born and raised in Northern Virginia. When he was a student at Virginia Tech, he served first as secretary and then as president of the gay student group, Lambda Horizon. He earned a bachelor’s of business marketing at Virginia Tech and an M.B.A. in marketing from George Washington University. He is Director of Communications, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The interview tells about the beginning of Lambda Horizon on the Virginia Tech campus in the 1980s, the organization’s struggle to be treated equitably, and the work that the organization did. Weber discusses forming the AIDS Education Committee and organizing an AIDS Education Forum at Virginia Tech on March 3, 1986. Virginia Tech along with University of California Berkeley were recognized by the American College Health Association (ACHA) for their students’ AIDS education efforts, and the students were invited to present their work at the ACHA annual meeting in New Orleans. The interview also addresses issues around coming out to one’s family.
See also the Mark A. Weber Collection on Lambda Horizon, Ms2014-010
Oral History with Michelle Oshinski, June 9, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Michelle Oshinski was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is currently earning a degree in English Education with a minor in Theatre, hoping to graduate in the Spring of 2016. Oshinski details her identity as a pansexual. She discusses how her childhood and early life experiences shaped her understanding of the term, how she currently navigates the LGBT community, and the unique issues that are associated with being a pansexual. She also discusses her involvement with TranSpace at Virginia Tech, and her thoughts on the LGBTQ+ community at Virginia Tech. This oral history was conducted in the summer of 2015 as part of an oral history project titled: “Bridging the gap between LGBTQ alumni and current students,” by Megan Lee Myklegard, winner of the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grant for undergraduate research and creative scholarship.
Oral History with Crysta Highfield, June 23, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Crysta Highfield was born in Dallas, Texas and now lives in Berkeley, California where she attends school at the University of California at Berkeley. She graduated from Virginia Tech in 2008 with a BS and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering and is currently working toward a Masters of Development Practice. In her interview she discusses her confusing realization of her own sexuality, her involvement in the LGBTA at Virginia Tech, and she assesses the climate of LGBTQ+ community in the Bay area. Topics such as, religion, family, school, friends, partners and the professional world are also discussed in relation to LGBT issues and experiences. This oral history was conducted in the summer of 2015 as part of an oral history project titled: “Bridging the gap between LGBTQ alumni and current students,” by Megan Lee Myklegard, winner of the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grant for undergraduate research and creative scholarship.
Oral History with Tobias Quaranta, June 23, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Toby Quaranta was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and now lives in San Francisco, California. Quaranta received his bachelor in Political Science at Virginia Tech in 2006 and now works as an Account Executive for the Salesforce Foundation. In his interview he discusses his difficulties in the coming out process, his involvement in the LGBTQ+ community at Tech, and his current sentiments about life as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the workforce and the city. This oral history was conducted in the summer of 2015 as part of an oral history project titled: “Bridging the gap between LGBTQ alumni and current students,” by Megan Lee Myklegard, winner of the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grant for undergraduate research and creative scholarship.
Oral History with Aaron Wilson, June 26, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Aaron Wilson was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and currently resides in Palo Alto, California. Wilson graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 with a BS in Computer Science. He works as a Software Engineer at Olark in San Francisco, California. In Wilson’s oral history he discusses growing up with wealth in a small town, how he entered the LGBTQ+ community as an ally at Virginia Tech, his ongoing association with the LGBTQ communities in both Blacksburg, Virginia and San Francisco, California through his friendships. As an ally to the LGBT community, Wilson also talks about the cultural differences between San Francisco and Blacksburg and his opinion on bringing up sexuality in the workplace. This oral history was conducted in the summer of 2015 as part of an oral history project titled: “Bridging the gap between LGBTQ alumni and current students,” by Megan Lee Myklegard, winner of the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grant for undergraduate research and creative scholarship.
Oral History with Katherine Staats, July 7, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Katherine Staats was born in Landstuhl, Germany and currently resides in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Tech with her Bachelors on the PreMed track in 2008 and now has a residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. In her interview she discusses growing up in a military home, becoming an ally to the LGBTQ+ community at Virginia Tech, and how her identity has evolved since she graduated from Tech. This oral history was conducted in the summer of 2015 as part of an oral history project titled: “Bridging the gap between LGBTQ alumni and current students,” by Megan Lee Myklegard, winner of the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grant for undergraduate research and creative scholarship.
Oral History with Caroline Ickes, July 9, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Interview with Caroline Ickes regarding her affiliations with the LGBT community at Virginia Tech and in her personal life. Ickes discusses her identity as a straight individual who has been and advocate for and associated with the LGBT community. The interview explores her initial associates and understanding of LGBT issues, and Ickes later friendships and events that took place within the community. Ickes also talks about cultural changes between her time at Virginia Tech and now living in Austin Texas. This oral history was conducted in the summer of 2015 as part of an oral history project titled: “Bridging the gap between LGBTQ alumni and current students,” by Megan Lee Myklegard, winner of the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grant for undergraduate research and creative scholarship.
Oral History with Gwen Coleman, July 24, 2015 (Ms2015-007)
Gwendolyn Coleman was born in Nankudo, Namibia before moving to Mays Landing, New Jersey. Gwen graduated from Virginia Tech in Spring 2015 with a degree in the Biological Sciences. In her oral history Coleman discusses her progressive views on sexuality and identity as a current VT student. Raised in a religious and culturally diverse home, Coleman expresses how she navigated sexuality growing up. As a current student she also addresses contemporary trends and issues that she sees on campus in the LGBT and LGBTA communities, her work involving Hokie Pride, her experience in aiding the Health Education and Awareness team in being more inclusive, and her opinions on the Virginia Tech diversity climate. This oral history was conducted in the summer of 2015 as part of an oral history project titled: “Bridging the gap between LGBTQ alumni and current students,” by Megan Lee Myklegard, winner of the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Creativity and Innovation grant for undergraduate research and creative scholarship.
Oral History with Megan Nguyen, March 16, 2016 (Ms2015-007)
LGBTQ+ History
Megan Nguyen is a Queer Vietnamese American originally from Northern Virginia. They attended Virginia Tech from 2012 to 2016 and studied Biology. They found the LGBTA, now HokiePRIDE, early during their time at Virginia Tech. They were involved in Zack Fry's campaign for homecoming king in 2013 and then became the HokiePRIDE representative on the Student Government Association (SGA), working on the university's non-discrimination policy, Policy 1025. They went on to serve as President of HokiePRIDE before shifting their focus to Queer and Trans People of Color at Virginia Tech (QTPOC@VT) where they served as Co-President from 2014 until 2017. They are a prominent voice for lifting up and centering people who have historically been marginalized by the dominance of white gay men in LGBTQ+ spaces.