Interview with Tuesday Meadows, December 11, 2017

Interview Summary

Tuesday Meadows is a transgender woman from Kentucky. In this interview she discusses her childhood growing up in Kentucky, why she waited until late in her life to come out and transition, and some of the challenges she faced, including rejection by her religious community. Meadows talks about her first interaction with the University of Kentucky, as a high school student participating in the Vietnam War protests on campus. She talks about being put on probation for various reasons, and her eventual success at UK. She talks about her long career with the Kroger Company.

Meadows discusses the community of Lexington in the 1970s, which she says was 'wild.' She talks about the 'cocaine scene' and the bar scene which facilitated the intermingling between the LGBTQ and straight populations. She talks about why she thinks that began to change in the 1980s, at least in part due to the AIDS epidemic and the police crackdown on drugs. She talks about some of the ways the Lexington community was an accepting place, including the University of Kentucky performing gender-confirming surgeries. Meadows talks about her role as an LGBTQ advocate and activist, and how the lack of transgender role models led her to decide to become a role model herself. She discusses one of the major current issues for trans people, bathroom bills, and talks about some of her personal experiences with this issue.

Interview Keyword

Transgender children. Coming out experiences Bathroom bills Religion Anti-war demonstrations Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements Drugs, Nonprescription--Utilization Kroger Company. Louisville (Ky.)--Social conditions Transgender youth.

Interview LC Subject

Transgender people--Identity. Sexual minorities' families. Gender identity. Discrimination. University of Kentucky College students--Social conditions Lexington (Ky.). Gay community Gays--United States--Social conditions. Homosexuality--Social aspects. Lexington (Ky.)--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.