Lessons from my friend Sue Davis: Preserving an Okie queer’s legacy of resilience, resistance, and returning home
Abstract
This paper examines the life and legacy of Queer Okie Sue Davis. Utilizing oral history interviews and autoethnography methods, Clementine highlights the history of one Oklahoma Lesbian who grew up in post-World War II America, organized for the Gay Liberation Movement in San Francisco in the 1970s, and came back home to recover from multiple traumatic events that she experienced due to homophobia and other forms of violence against her body. While Davis is the main narrative in this body of work, Davis’ story is used to example the ways Queer Okies survive and thrive and makes room to understand the larger scope of Queer Okie legacy. Told in three parts, Part One works to discuss trauma perpetuated by state-sanctioned, regional, religious, familial, and intercommunal violence. In Part Two, the ways Okie Queers survive is centered through conversations including: Lesbian visibility, familial support, Queer love and longing, leaning into failure, creativity in communication, freedom of expression, and the formation of Queer Elder constellations that guide us. Part Three discusses the impact and importance of this work and leaves space to explore ways to expand the narrative around growing up Queer in Oklahoma and the impact Queer Okies have had on the movement overall. Lessons from my Friend Sue Davis offers readers a deeper understanding of resilience, resistance, and communal impact of intergenerational Okie Queer connections and utilizes Queer Theory and resources to showcase the cultural importance of connecting with Queer cultural methods when telling our stories.
Collections
- OSU Theses [15752]