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Oral history interview with Frodo Okulam

 Collection
Identifier: SR4149

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Frodo Okulam was conducted by Brisa Peters at the offices of SisterSpirit in Portland, Oregon, on November 2, 2000. Peters conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Ann Mussey's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University. The interview transcript includes a written introduction by Peters, as well as a copy of Okulam’s curriculum vitae.

In this interview, Okulam discusses her early life in Southwest Portland, her living situation at the time of the interview in 2000, and the origins of her name. She discusses her gender identity as a child and her experience as a lesbian when she was a teenager in the 1960s. She speaks about what "The Lord of the Rings" meant to her and describes how the story saved her life and influenced her spirituality. She discusses her early relationships and her family’s reaction to her sexuality. She talks about her experience at Portland State University, including her involvement with the Women’s Union. She describes the social life for lesbians in Portland, including bars and coffee shops that she frequented. She talks about practicing Wicca and describes participating in a ceremony during the 1980 solar eclipse. She describes her polyamorous relationship at the time of the interview in 2000, and speaks at length about her involvement in SisterSpirit and the Metropolitan Community Church. She discusses her book, "The Julian Mystique," and closes the interview by talking about teaching women's spirituality at Portland State University, and about some of her activism.

Dates

  • Creation: 2000 November 2

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

Frodo Okulam was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1954. In 1976, she earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Portland State University. In 1981, she earned a music teaching certificate from Lewis and Clark College. In 1995, she earned a master’s degree in theology from Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon. She taught college courses on theology and women’s spirituality at Portland State University and at the Samaritan Institute for Religious Studies. Beginning in 1985, she served as a pastor at SisterSpirit. She also served as chair for the Metropolitan Community Church Northwest District Board of Ordained Ministry. She She wrote a book, "The Julian Mystique," published in 1998, about Julian of Norwich.

Extent

.1 Cubic Feet (2 audiocassettes (2 hr., 2 min., 2 sec.) + transcript (60 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Oral history interview with Frodo Okulam conducted by Brisa Peters on November 2, 2000, for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN). Okulam discusses her experience as a lesbian and her spirituality, particularly her involvement in SisterSpirit and the Metropolitan Community Church.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Pat Young, May 2002 (Lib. Acc. 24728).

General

Forms part of the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN).

Title
Guide to the oral history interview with Frodo Okulam
Status
Completed
Author
Sarah Stroman
Date
2021
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240