Oral History with Katherine Allen, October 23, 2014

Creator:
Keith, Laura and Allen, Katherine
Scope and content:

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. The interview was conducted on October 23, 2014 in Wallace Hall on the Virginia Tech campus. Laura Keith was the interviewer and Sara Evenson was the technical assistant.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Material specific details:

00:27:53

The master recording consists of two .wav files. These files were combined into one .mp3 access file.

Location of originals:

Oral History with Katherine Allen, October 23, 2014.

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
Newman Library
Virginia Tech
P.O. Box 90001
560 Drillfield Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Fax: (540) 231-3694
Terms of access:

Permission to publish material from the Virginia Tech LGBTQ Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Parent restrictions:
Collection is open for research. One interview in this collection is only available on-site as a transcript by request.
Parent terms of access:
Permission to publish material from the Virginia Tech LGBTQ Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.