Interview with Julie Smoak

Partial Transcript: And to start us off, how about you tell me a little bit about yourself, just the basics.

Segment Synopsis: Smoak gives basic information about herself such as her place of employment (Toyota) and where she grew up.

Keywords: Employment; Hometown; Moving

Subjects: Childhood; Parents; Toyota automobiles

Partial Transcript: Tell me about the earlier portion . . . like being a kid in Lexington.

Segment Synopsis: Smoak discusses growing up in Lexington. She talks about how it was easier and safer to be a kid then. Smoak talks about how she felt when Black students joined her school and her first exposure to racism as a result. She also talks about her family's relationship with religion.

Keywords: Family; School integration

Subjects: African Americans; Blacks; Childhood; Lexington (Ky.); Neighborhoods; Racism; Religion

Partial Transcript: . . . You have this--um--coming up on this like pretty transition period over into Florida. --Um--tell me about the area that you lived in there, maybe the school there, your perception of what it was like. Was it very different from--to--Lexington, was it similar?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. She talks about taking care of herself and making friends through her activities. She mentions that she has a clarity of self thanks to her father and that she was very involved in sports.

Keywords: Moving; Transition

Subjects: Father; Florida; Fort Walton Beach (Fla.); Friendship; Sports

Partial Transcript: Second question is, you mentioned that it didn't really bother you and you didn't really let it bother you that people maybe would make teasing remarks--um--about your appearance, but I am curious about like the--the culture that was sort of surrounding you . . . what was it that prompted these comments . . .

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about the teasing she endured from her peers regarding the way she looked. She also talks about a picture of her at four wearing a cowboy outfit that she had insisted on.

Keywords: Attitudes; Clothing; Cowboy hats; Physical appearance

Subjects: Culture; Gender Expression; Teasing; Teenagers

Partial Transcript: Did you having any awareness growing up of lesbians or other gay people or just people who are different in general existing?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about how she realized she was a lesbian. This includes discussing a babysitter, her third grade teacher, and looking up the word in a dictionary after her grandmother had mentioned it.

Keywords: LGBTQ; Realization

Subjects: Babysitters; Dictionaries; Gays; Grandmothers; Identity; Lesbians; Sexuality; Teachers

Partial Transcript: Once I got into tenth grade was when I had my first sexual girlfriend . . .

Segment Synopsis: Smoak discusses her first girlfriends. She also talks about how they had to write notes and sneak out of the house to be discreet so that they would not get in a lot of trouble.

Keywords: Discreet; Girlfriends; Hidden; Relationships

Subjects: High school; Notes; Parents; Punishment

Partial Transcript: Tell me about that transition from Florida and then you--you come back to Lexington . . .

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about how her grandmother intercepted letters from her girlfriend and she was brought back to Kentucky for being gay.

Keywords: LGBTQ; Moving; Outed

Subjects: Florida; Fort Walton Beach (Fla.); Gays; Grandmothers; Kentucky; Lesbians; Letters; Lexington (Ky.); Suspicion

Partial Transcript: And was it as you were finishing high school that you stumbled across The Country or was it once you graduated?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about how she found The Country while it was still being built.

Keywords: Bar; Established; LGBTQ; Secret

Subjects: Gays; Lesbian bars; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What were--do you remember the businesses next door to The Country . . . just tell me about sort of like the surrounding area?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak describes the surrounding area and the businesses around The Country. She also talks about how The Country had no signs and was not easy to find. Smoak mentions running into a teacher there.

Keywords: Businesses; Hidden; LGBTQ; Secret; Surroundings

Subjects: Gays; Lesbian bars; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.); Teachers

Partial Transcript: Was there ever any police presence?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak describes the police presence at The Country. Smoak recalls that she would hide in the bathroom when police would come by to check the IDs of patrons.

Subjects: Police

Partial Transcript: What were--sort of the activities people did at The Country . . .

Segment Synopsis: Smoak describes what they would do at the bar such as play pool. She also talks about the music that played.

Keywords: Activities; The Country (Lexington, Ky.)

Subjects: Music; Pool; Lexington (Ky.); Lesbians; Lesbian bars; Gays

Partial Transcript: What was sort of the--the bar clientele like? I'm imagining this is all women, but tell me if there were ever exceptions?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about the type of people that came to the Country. She mentions their age, clothing, relationship status, etc.

Keywords: Clientele; The Country (Lexington, Ky.)

Subjects: Culture; Lesbian bars; Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians

Partial Transcript: So, sometime during my senior year--um--dad found some more evidence of gayness and--uh--decided to send me to a psychiatrist to talk about it.

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about when her father sent her to therapy. She also talks about the first time she brought a girlfriend home and how she ended up having a very honest relationship with her father.

Subjects: Psychiatrists; Therapy; Honesty; Father; Lesbians; Gays

Partial Transcript: How about the rest of your family in terms of, you know, you being lesbian and whatnot . . .

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about how her parents and sister formed a "Devil's Triangle". She also talks about how her extended family reacted to her being a lesbian.

Keywords: Coming Out; Family; Reactions

Subjects: Lesbians; Gays

Partial Transcript: How about, during this time period when you were at The Country . . . like in terms of work, did you--have to do anything for work or were your finances sort of covered somehow?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about the three most common lesbian jobs at the time she was going to The Country: Domino's Pizza, UPS, or Toyota.

Keywords: Dress Codes; UPS

Subjects: Lesbians; Gays; Work; Careers; Domino's Pizza (Firm); Lexington (Ky.); Toyota automobiles

Partial Transcript: Some of the other interviewees have mentioned the--at the time of like the late 70s, earl y 80s, the Women's Lib Movement . . . what is your recollection of that . . .

Segment Synopsis: Smoak describes the Women's Lib Movement, but was not very involved from a personal standpoint.

Keywords: Women's Lib Movement

Subjects: Women's rights

Partial Transcript: . . . Tell me more about the--the cliques and stuff.

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks more about what kind of people went to The Country. Smoak mostly discusses the racial and class composition of bar patrons. She also talks about the capacity of the bar and the biggest nights.

Keywords: The Country (Lexington, Ky.)

Subjects: Cliques (Sociology); People; Lexington (Ky.); Lesbians; Gays; Lesbian bars; People; Fire marshals; Race; Social class; Work

Partial Transcript: . . . How did people find the place . . . have you ever heard of the Lesbian Connection?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about the Lesbian Connection newsletters. She also talks about the guides that were available at The Country.

Keywords: Discovery; Lesbian Connection; The Country (Lexington, Ky.)

Subjects: Lesbians; Lesbian bars; Gays; Lexington (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: --Um--was this related to the Valkyries or some other softball teams in the area?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about the softball leagues in Lexington and the demographics of the teams.

Keywords: LGBTQ

Subjects: Softball; Sports; Gays; Lesbians; Softball teams

Partial Transcript: Would they go there alone or with friends or with the girlfriends, say?

Segment Synopsis: Smoak talks about going to The Country after work. Smoak was not living in Lexington when The Country closed, she had moved to Bowling Green.

Keywords: Closing; The Country (Lexington, Ky.); LGBTQ; Moving

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Lesbians; Gays; Lesbian bars; Bowling Green (Ky.); Work

Partial Transcript: During that time period, were there any other women's bars or spaces that you went to? It sounds like to me that The Country was kind of like the only women's bar.

Segment Synopsis: Smoak mentions that there was not really another women's bar like The Country in Lexington. Smoak explains that she did not feel welcome in other bars except for Cafe LMNOP.

Keywords: Welcoming; Bars; The Country (Lexington, Ky.); Cafe LMNOP (Lexington, Ky.); LGBTQ

Subjects: Counterculture; Gays; Lesbians; Lesbian bars; Lexington (Ky.)