Interview with Mel Lesch, July 6, 2018

Partial Transcript: This is Adriana Sisko here in the Nunn Center.

Segment Synopsis: Mel Lesch is introduced. She talks about why her family moved around the country often during her childhood. She talks about her parents, and her older brother who had Down syndrome and a heart condition. She talks about her early interests, including reading a creative writing, and talks about how she attended an arts school for creative writing. She talks about why she believes she was a high achiever and a people pleaser as a child.

Keywords: Art schools; Blood transfusions; Books; Bored; Brothers; Consistency; Creative writing; Dating; Down syndrome; Dualistic; Elementary schools; Experiences; Family; Fantasy; Fathers; Friends; Grades; Heart conditions; Helping out; Hepatitis C; High achieving; Institutionalized; Jobs; Michigan; Mothers; Moving; Needs; People-pleasers; Reading; School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA); School for the Creative and Performing Arts at Bluegrass (SCAPA); Siblings; Speaking; Surgery; Teachers; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Families.; Lexington (Ky.).

Partial Transcript: So moving forward a couple years once you get more into your teenage years, so late middle school, early high school...

Segment Synopsis: Lesch continues describing her attitude as a child and young adult. She talks about feeling different in school, her dating life, and her friends.

Keywords: 'Golden child'; Art schools; Avoidance; Avoiding; Boys; Dating; Different; Friends; High schools; Lafayette High School; Middle schools; Popularity; School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA); School for the Creative and Performing Arts at Bluegrass (SCAPA); Social life; Swim teams; Teenagers

Subjects: Childhood; Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Education; Friendship.; Interpersonal relations; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs

Partial Transcript: And so during this time period, um, when you're on swim team, you know, doing these SCAPA classes, doing all these things--

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about whether she was aware of the existence of LGBTQ people during her childhood and young adulthood. She talks about her tendency to avoid anything to do with sexuality.

Keywords: Avoidance; Avoiding; Awareness; Boys; Computers; Connections; Friends; High schools; Internet; LGBTQ community; Mothers; Peers; Pornography; Sexual experiences; Sexual feelings; Sexuality; Teenagers; Teens; Television

Subjects: Childhood; Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Education; Friendship.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority community.; Sexual orientation.

Partial Transcript: So you graduate high school.

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about her feelings when entering college, both in general and in regard to her sexuality. She talks about studying abroad in France and why it was a life-changing experience for her. She talks more about her relationships with her friends. She discusses incidents of homophobia and rape. She talks about her coming out experience.

Keywords: 2003; Anger; Angry; Anti-American sentiment; Awkward; Boyd Hall; Colleges; Emotional relationships; Exploration; Exploring; Eye-opening experiences; Family; Feelings; First kisses; France; Freshman year; Friends; Graduation; Heartbreaking; Homophobia; Jobs; Leaving; Life-changing experiences; Masturbation; Men; Mia's; Middle schools; Rape; Relationships; Ross Ewing; September 11, 2001; Sexual assault; Sexuality; Shock; Sophomore year; Straight; Study abroad; Travel

Subjects: Coming out (Sexual orientation); Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Education; Education, Higher; Families.; Friendship.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual orientation.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: I just realized something else I wanted to ask earlier that it slipped my mind.

Segment Synopsis: Lesch discusses her relationship with religion during her childhood and young adulthood. She talks about being raised Methodist by her mother, becoming very interested in religion for a time, and then drifting away from religion. She talks about clashing with religion on various beliefs. She talks about her current religious beliefs.

Keywords: Agnostic; Attendance; Baptist Student Union (BSU); Beliefs; Bible; Bible study; Brothers; Catholic; Church services; Churches; Confirmed; Context; Down syndrome; Fathers; German Pentecostal; Grandparents; Hell; Jewish; Letters; Methodist; Ministers; Mothers; People; Preaching; Religious spaces; Resident advisor (RA); Scary; Students; Undergraduate education; Unitarian; Upbringing

Subjects: Childhood; Families.; Homosexuality--Religious aspects.; Lexington (Ky.).; Religion

Partial Transcript: So you said--mentioned that after coming out, church service there was this, um, you know, trepidation--

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about her coming out experiences, both positive and negative. She talks about her parents' reactions and briefly attending family counseling. She talks about her experiences with being out in public.

Keywords: Acceptance; Aftermath; Break ups; Breaking up; Brothers; Camp counselors; Community; Down syndrome; Family; Family counseling; Fathers; Freshman year; Friends; Impact; Kissing; Lavender (organization); Mia's; Misinformation; Mothers; Openness; Parents; Perspectives; Public; Reactions; Religious; Sin; Slurs; Strangers; Trepidation; Unlearning

Subjects: Coming out (Sexual orientation); Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Families.; Friendship.; Homosexuality--Religious aspects.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Religion; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual orientation.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And so during undergrad, what was it you majored in?

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about her majors during her undergraduate education, her work on campus in Residence Life, and going to University of Maryland, College Park for a masters in Student Affairs. She talks about why she became interested in working with students.

Keywords: "Queenland"; Assistant hall directors; College majors; Disabilities; Disability; Graduate assistant (GA); Graduation; Helping; Homophobic slurs; Insults; Interests; Keeneland Hall; LGBTQ community; Mentors; Mothers; Outness; Racial slurs; Residence Life; Residence halls; Resident advisor (RA); Scared; Siblings; Undergraduate education

Subjects: College Park (Md.); College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Education; Employment; Families.; Homosexuality.; Lexington (Ky.).; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority community.; Sexual orientation.; Universities and colleges--Employees; University of Maryland, College Park

Partial Transcript: Tell me more about the Maryland era.

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about moving to Maryland for graduate school and the differences between Kentucky and Maryland. She talks about the end of a relationship just before leaving for Maryland, going into debt for college, her brother's health issues, and other struggles she faced during her time in Maryland. She talks about her decision to return to Kentucky.

Keywords: Break ups; Breaking up; Brothers; Crying; Debt; Depression; Differences; Girlfriends; Hepatitis C; Internships; Kentucky; Leaving; Marriage; Medication; Moving; Psychiatrists; Relationships; Struggles; Student affairs; Tears; Therapists; Therapy; University of Kentucky

Subjects: College Park (Md.); College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Education; Employment; Families.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual minority community.; Sexual orientation.; Universities and colleges--Employees; University of Maryland, College Park

Partial Transcript: And I remember too in Maryland trying to find, like, a lesbian crew.

Segment Synopsis: Lesch tells a story about how her interaction with one lesbian in Maryland led to her being ostracized by most of the lesbian community there. She talks about dating a transgender man and how she has experienced no space 'in between' the lesbian community and the straight community for people who identify as queer, bisexual, pansexual, etc.

Keywords: 'In between'; Anti-Kentucky; Bachelorette parties; Bars; Boundaries; Clubs; Crews; Depression; Ex-communicated; Ex-communication; Fitting in; Flirting; LGBTQ community; Marriage; Married; Masculinity; Negotiation; Ostricization; Polyamorous; Retreats; Strip clubs; Talking; Trans men; Transgender men; Washington, D.C.

Subjects: College Park (Md.); Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Gender expression.; Gender identity.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lesbians; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual minority community.; Sexual orientation.; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: So when you come back to Lexington, things are slightly different because you've been away for a bit...

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about the various jobs she worked after returning to Lexington. She talks about taking time off from involvement in queer activism. She talks about beginning to work at the University of Kentucky, earning her masters degree, and teaching high school English for several years. She talks about returning to work for UK.

Keywords: 'In between'; Academic coordinators; Disabilities; Disability; Educational Policy and Evaluation; Friends; Hall directors; High schools; Jobs; Literature; Masters degrees; Masters thesis; Parks and Recreation; Queer activism; Residence Life; Starbucks; Teaching; Trans students; Transgender students

Subjects: College students--Social conditions; Education; Employment; Homosexuality.; Lexington (Ky.).; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual minority community.; Sexual orientation.; Transgender people.; Transgender youth.; Universities and colleges--Employees

Partial Transcript: And how and when did you meet your current partner?

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about her relationship with her current partner, who identifies as a straight, cisgender man. She tells the story of how they met and how many years later they began dating. She talks about people's perceptions of their relationship as a straight couple, her feelings about their assumptions, and how she continues to identify with the queer community. She talks about gender as a spectrum and her own gender identity. She talks more about how she has experienced no space 'in between' the lesbian/gay community and the straight community for people who identify as queer, bisexual, pansexual, etc.

Keywords: 'In between'; Anti-bisexual; Assumptions; Attitudes; Attraction; Awkward; Bands; Cello; Changes; Children; Confusion; Definitions; Erasure; Exes; Fathers; Feelings; Friends; Fringes; Gender fluidity; Gender spectrum; Haircuts; Hairstyles; LGBTQ community; Labels; Lavender (organization); Marriage; Misconceptions; Mothers; Older generations; Parents; Partners; Perceptions; Pride Festival; Queer; Queerness; Reactions; Relationships; Shocked; Shows; Spooky Qs (Band); Straight; Straight-appearing; Straight-seeming; Surprise; Terminology

Subjects: Coming out (Sexual orientation); Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Families.; Friendship.; Gender expression.; Gender identity.; Gender issues; Gender.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.; Transgender identity; Transgender people--Identity.; Transgender people.

Partial Transcript: Um, moving a little more big picture now.

Segment Synopsis: Lesch discusses whether the Lexington LGBTQ community has changed over time.

Keywords: Anti-capitalist; Awareness; Changes; Friends; Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA); LGBTQ community; Mainstream; Pose (Television show); Queer community; Racism; The Bar; The Queer Project

Subjects: Gender expression.; Gender identity.; Gender issues; Gender.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.; Transgender people.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So I've been thinking about your tattoo.

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about how her feelings about Kentucky have changed over the years. She talks about misconceptions about Kentucky. She talks about ways in which Kentucky still needs to make progress, especially in regard to race.

Keywords: 'Black hole'; Anti-Kentucky; Changes; Connections; Conservative; Expectations; Family; Hatred; High schools; Homelessness; Hopes; Intersectionality; Kentucky; Latino population; Leaving; Louisville (Ky.); Maryland; Misconceptions; Moving; People of color; Perceptions; Pride Festival; Stereotypes; White supremacy

Subjects: Childhood; Families.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lexington (Ky.).

Partial Transcript: Speaking of--I almost hesitated to say his name on camera.

Segment Synopsis: Lesch talks about her feelings on the current political administration and her fears for the future. She talks about what gives her hope for the future, including progress for transgender people of color and her work with students. She talks about her mother's influence on her interest in activism. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Activism; Activists; Advocacy; Birth control; Bringing Up Down Syndrome (BUDS); Brothers; Conservative; Donald Trump; Down syndrome; Existence; Future; Hopes; Immigrants; Influences; Marriage equality; Military; Mothers; Political administrations; Presidents; Progress; Social conditions; Students; Supreme Court Justices; Systematically disenfranchised; Trans people of color; Transgender people of color; Young people

Subjects: Families.; Gender expression.; Gender identity.; Gender issues; Gender.; Homosexuality.; Lexington (Ky.).; Politics and government; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.; Social policy.; Social problems.; Transgender identity; Transgender people--Identity.; Transgender people.