Interview with Greg Bourke, December 11, 2017

Interview Summary

Greg Bourke and his husband Michael DeLeon were the plaintiffs in the Kentucky same-sex marriage case Bourke v. Beshear which later went to the Supreme Court as part of the Obergefell v. Hodges case which ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.

In this interview, Greg Bourke discusses his experience of coming out as a gay man in Kentucky, and talks about places in Lexington, Kentucky that were welcoming and those that were not. He discusses his conflict with the Boy Scouts of America due to their policy against LGBTQ members. He talks about meeting his husband Michael DeLeon and their involvement in the same-sex marriage cases Bourke v. Beshear and Obergefell v. Hodges. He discusses the role of religion in his life, his involvement in activism, and his family.

Interview Keyword

Obergefell v. Hodges Marriage equality Same-sex marriages Bourke v. Beshear University of Louisville Homophobia. Coming out (Sexual orientation) Louisville (Ky.)

Interview LC Subject

Gay men--Identity Sexual minorities--Identity Sexual orientation Gays--Family relationships Boy Scouts of America Lexington (Ky.) Sexual minorities' families University of Kentucky Gay community Homosexuality--Religious aspects Homosexuality--Social aspects Discrimination Religion Churches Gay couples Gay men--Relations with heterosexuals Gays--United States--Social conditions

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.