David Anderson, 2015

These access restrictions may apply:

From the series: Oral Histories, 2015-2016

Series contains electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.

:

More about accessing and using these materials...

Containers:

Digital-materials UA01150016-SET-0001

Extent:

Approximately 1.3 gigabytes

Physical description:

12 computer files

Scope and content:

David Anderson was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended Duke between 1985 and 1989 as an Angier B. Duke (AB) Scholar. He co-founded the reconstituted Duke Gay and Lesbian Association (DGLA, later Duke Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Association, Gothic Queers, Alliance of Queer Undergraduates [AQUADuke], and Blue Devils United). He also participated in Hoof 'n' Horn and Duke Chapel Choir. He currently runs a music business in Raleigh. Anderson is interviewed twice by different interviewers. In multiple interviews, Anderson talks about his family background. Anderson also discusses discovering his sexuality during his first year at Duke, and the prolonged process of coming out. Of note is his discussion about his isolation and the lack of resources for gay students at Duke at the time. Although the DGLA existed at the time, Anderson discusses its secretive nature during his first years at Duke and how this and other events factored into making rechartering the organization as an open and visible presence in 1988. He further describes the fears around openness and some of DGLA's public activities. He describes casual homophobia he experienced at Duke. Also discussed are the differences between Duke and Durham's environment for LGBTQ people, the importance of mentorship to LGBTQ young people in the late 1980s, and how the Duke community reacted to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Also included are a formal paper by Anderson describing his experience at the first Blue Jeans Day in 1988 as well as his personal notes created in preparation for the oral history interview.

Using These Materials