Beginning in January 2022, the Collaboratory invited UVic undergraduate Amanda Thomson to participate in a 4-week volunteer internship with the Pussy Palace Oral History Project, supporting the team in preparing oral history interviews for coding in NVivo and experimenting with the software by coding a few interviews herself. Here are her reflections on the experience. 

I have been volunteering with the LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory’s Pussy Palace Oral History Project (PPOHP) since early January 2022. Prior to this opportunity, I did not know about the Pussy Palace bathhouse events. I was both enlightened and saddened to learn about the police raid of the September 2000 event and its effect on patrons and organizers. 

Working closely with resident interview coder, Emily Mastragostino, my first task was to read the transcripts and format them in preparation for coding with NVivo, a software I had not used previously. Learning from Emily has been fantastic. She has taught me the ins and outs of working with NVivo and has provided me with the opportunity to dialogue about her MA and PhD studies in Counselling and Clinical Psychology, a pathway I hope to pursue when I have completed my undergrad. As an assistant coder, I have been able to put into practice many skills I have honed throughout my undergraduate degree, such as paying attention to detail, time management, and working collaboratively. 

While coding for the PPOHP, I became interested in themes surrounding identity. In the interviews, narrators not only conceptualized their identities during the time period when the Pussy Palace bathhouse events were happening (c. early 2000s) but also expressed how this earlier self-perception might stand in contrast with their current view of self. It was interesting to see the evolution of self-concept over the last twenty-two years. For instance, one patron highlights a change in spirituality over the decades and new insight about the unpredictability of life since attending the Pussy Palace. Another patron noted that, in 2021, they feel more like a “whole” person, as the feelings of sadness and happiness surrounding their identity have achieved an equilibrium. The work this narrator did as a volunteer is considered a highlight of her life, as the space offered a sense of community and stability. She mentions how she misses having these safe spaces.  

Overall, I have had a fantastic time working with the Pussy Palace Oral History Project team members. I am shocked that I did not know about this event and am curious if the raid would have happened if the event took place in 2022. I am grateful to learn about and become intimate with the oral testimony of those who were present. I hope that this event sparked conversation surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, as members of the community worked hard to promote insight into the injustices present during the raid.