Drag queen Scarlet Margo Rita (1996-) is interviewed by Sarah Steiner as a part of the Gender and Sexuality Oral History project. Rita is a cisgender, gay male who does comedic drag. Rita came out to some people during high school, but didn’t start…
Sara Rivera is a graduate student at Western Carolina University studying biology, specifically fireflies. Rivera talks about growing up in the Bible Belt and how that affected the way she viewed the world. She shares how she came to the realization…
In this October 2, 1986 column in the Western Carolinian, Barbara Rosenthal discusses the fact that a South Carolinian read and negatively responded to the Western Carolinian's September 18 interview with the founder of Lavender Bridges. Lavender…
Travis Rountree was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. Rountree discusses his time in western North Carolina, his coming out journey, and academic work. Rountree is heavily involved in the local Jackson County community as he planned Sylva’s…
Lauren Stogner, stage name Ren Rum, is interviewed by Sarah Steiner as a part of the Gender and Sexuality Oral History project. Stogner is a pansexual female who does horror and cosplay drag as a king and has been dressing up, wearing wigs and…
Tyler Melvin, stage name Skylar Shay, is interviewed by Sarah Steiner as a part of the Gender and Sexuality Oral History project. Melvin identifies as gender fluid and performs emotional drag with a fluid persona. Growing up in a rural Southern…
Lyd Shelley is bisexual and uses he, she, they pronouns interchangeably. She grew up in Asheville and coming to Western soon after the 2016 election felt more conservative to her than her high school experience. Shelly discusses her time at Western…
Sierra Jo Kimberlin, stage name Channing Taint, is interviewed by Sarah Steiner as a part of the Gender and Sexuality Oral History project. Taint identifies as a female lesbian and uses drag as an artistic outlet, performing gender fuck drag and as a…
Abby Tennant is from Wallburg, North Carolina. She discusses her relationship with her family after being forced to come out as a lesbian and her struggles as a result. Tennant also explains why she does not think Jackson County is inclusive to the…
Kassie Troy is from Clayton, North Carolina, and now lives in western North Carolina for college. She discusses coming out to her family in high school as a transgender female. Troy explains how much more inclusive Jackson County is compared to…