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Kathy Clay

Kathy Clay, born circa 1947, was a lesbian from Beverly who lived in Lynn and who went to the Light House and Fran’s Place. She attended St. Mary’s, Memorial Junior High, and Beverly High. She worked as an auto mechanic and house cleaner. Kathy Clay was interviewed by Patricia Gozemba on November 27, 1983, about lesbian life in the 1960s at the Light House and, more recently, at Fran’s Place. She speaks about being locked in Danvers State Mental Hospital at age 15 and a nurse who recognized she was lesbian and steered her towards Fran's on her release. She talks about violence and being kidnapped at the bar, police harassment, rape, family, leather, looking like a guy, butch-femme behavior, and relationships.

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Kathy Clay

Duration

3:02:06

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He's the one that destroyed Fran's.

Kathy Clay

Mother protector? Forget it!

Kathy Clay

You want to be a guy? Okay, let's fight.

Kathy Clay

Finding each others.

Kathy Clay

I married a fag, just to prove I wasn't homosexual.

Kathy Clay

I was so in love with the nuns.

Kathy Clay

Vice would come in at least once every weekend.

Kathy Clay

I'd go in ladies' rooms.

Kathy Clay

She'd definitely be out of a job.

Kathy Clay

What if we march by my office?

Kathy Clay

They died from suicide or hormones.

Kathy Clay

Weekend lesbians.

Kathy Clay

They were both basically women's bars.

Kathy Clay

My drinking days are over.

Kathy Clay

People would stick with each other.

Kathy Clay

One mean mother cop beat me up.

Kathy Clay

Bouncer tried to rape me.

Kathy Clay

My mother knew all along.

Kathy Clay

Afraid my father was going to kill me.

Kathy Clay

Your husband can get you out.

Kathy Clay

Constantly arresting the gays.

Kathy Clay

Motorcycle group held us hostage.

Kathy Clay

I wanted the same freedoms men had.

Kathy Clay

Mother Brown became a woman.

Kathy Clay

I know a place.

Kathy Clay

Older generation at the bar.

Kathy Clay

I've heard two things about Fran.

Kathy Clay

Jan and the car thieves

Kathy Clay

Nobody knew about gays, fags, anything.

Kathy Clay

At that time they locked up homosexuals.

Kathy Clay

Buy more dresses!

Kathy Clay

Thank God. I'm not crazy.

Kathy Clay

Knocked me out cold.

Kathy Clay

GE does no longer discriminate.

Kathy Clay

She'd definitely be out of a job.

Kathy Clay

The whole preppy thing at Somewhere.

Kathy Clay

It's nothing like it was.

Kathy Clay

Your lover has to be in the closet.

Kathy Clay

All the guys had skirts on.

Kathy Clay

Two sides of the bar.

Kathy Clay

One mean mother cop beat me up.

Kathy Clay

Key figures that would come through.

Kathy Clay

Rape and the police.

Kathy Clay

It was a sickness and they locked you up.

Kathy Clay

I understand what you are going through.

Kathy Clay

They didn't feel that homosexuality was a sickness.

Kathy Clay

It was total bravery.

Kathy Clay

Drag queens at Dominic's.

Kathy Clay

I was born gay.

Kathy Clay

I know a place.

Kathy Clay

Femmes did not do it to butches.

Kathy Clay

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