Looking Back:
Lesbian Life in Springfield, IL
in the 1920s and 1930s
(continued)
I always went to church to pick my women, because I always figure they were better than the rest of the women.
I didn't go around telling people I was gay. Some people can see it. They can just tell, just by looking at you. We didn't use the word gay. We didn't have any word. I don't believe -just woman lover.
I wasn't in what you call the closet. Never! Well, my mother she died early in life so I didn't have to worry about that. I had three brothers. My brothers, they all knew I was gay, but I was accepted anyway. I never heard anything from my family concerning me being gay. Except one night. My girlfriend and I made a little too much noise. My Dad told me, "Next time you girls make that much noise. I'm going to put you out!" Now that is the only thing he ever said, the only thing.
I think my father was kind of glad in a way, because he told me once, you come up with a baby you have to leave. You know back in those days, you were ostracized if you had a child without being married. Yeah, so, I think he was kind of glad that I didn't take up with the boys to much.
So I've had it pretty easy being a lesbian. Pretty easy. I have never been subjected to anything cruel. If people talked about me, they didn't talk about me to my face, so it didn't hurt me. So, I haven't had any trouble at all about being gay. All through my life I've treated people the way I want them to treat me. [<<back to part 1]
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