Oral history interview with Ben Baader (01h 00mm 57ss), conducted by Misha Falk in 2019.

Ben Baader (he/him) states that he had done a previous life story interview in 2015 with Oriol Poveda. Baader talks about coming to Winnipeg and getting a job at the University of Manitoba. Baader describes his experience of being trans as being “in-between” or “not-settled” but also “rich.” He describes his experience of being Jewish from Germany and his father surviving the Shoah as also contributing to this feeling of, “not being fully at home.” Baader describes how his ideas of identity and the gender spectrum have changed over time. He describes himself as “genderqueer,” but is comfortable not to categorize himself. Baader talks about the challenges of connecting with the trans community in Winnipeg as an older adult and his connections with the Orthodox Jewish trans community, as well as “Eshel,” an Orthodox LGBTQ+ organization. Baader references his experiences with transgender groups in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Indianapolis, as well as a German-Jewish lesbian group in Berlin. Baader talks about transphobia in the lesbian community. Baader talks about his experience with the health care system. Baader talks about trying to mentor the younger trans community and how things have changed for the newer generation.

Oral history interview with Lara Rae (02h 13mmm 13ss), conducted by Misha Falk in 2019.

Lara Rae (she/her) begins the interview discussing her family and childhood. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Rae’s family moved to Toronto, Canada in 1972. Rae talks about hiding her identity from her parents and their attitudes towards transgender persons. Rae discusses her early days in comedy and her involvement with the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Rae speaks at length about her struggle with gender dysphoria; although she was aware she was transgender at an early age she was apprehensive about transitioning. Rae came out as transgender in 2016 and began transitioning at a late age. Rae talks about only feeling comfortable with dating men following her transition and surgery. She describes previously having anxiety about gay men stemming from the trauma experienced from a sexual assault when she was nineteen. Rae talks about her time as a comedian in the 1980s and her departure from the comedy scene. Rae talks about her trans rights activism and talks at length about the financial, organizational and emotional challenges of transitioning. Rae discusses the complexities of navigating the gender spectrum. Rae talks about her relationship with younger trans people and the broader 2SLGBTQ+ community. Rae discusses her experiences with the Manitoba healthcare system. Rae also talks about art that was important to her in relation to her transition.

Oral history interview with Jarvis Brownlie (02h 08mmm 10ss), conducted by Misha Falk in 2019.

Jarvis Brownlie (he/him) begins the interview by stating that he identifies as a queer man who is “fully transitioned.” He discusses his childhood, growing up, and his family at length, including how his mother is still in denial of his transition. Brownlie discusses coming out as a lesbian in 1984, the nineties, and different terminology concerning 2SLGBTQ+ identity and gender roles. Brownlie discusses his long-term relationship and the support he received from his partner when he came out as trans in the late-nineties as being rather rare amongst lesbian relationships. Brownlie discusses his own experiences with homophobia. He talks about his work experience in academia and living in Winnipeg. Brownlie discusses his frustration with taking testosterone, navigating the medical system, and critiques the gender binary system. Brownlie discusses at length what trans means to him and discusses trans activism, literature, organizations, workshops, and more. Brownlie talks about 2SLGBTQ+ spaces in Winnipeg, Pride, and the drag community. He also discusses the AIDS crisis and government policy towards trans persons.

Oral history interview with Mateo Llanillos (02h 00mmm 49ss), conducted by Misha Falk in 2019.

Mateo Llanillos (he/him) begins the interview with a conversation about his birth in Masaya, Nicaragua and subsequent immigration to Winnipeg, Canada. He talks about his family and their relationship as well as his childhood. Throughout the interview Llanillos discusses many topics including: gender identity, gender dysphoria, gendered privilege, gender-based violence, and restrictions to transitioning. He talks about coming out to his family, the death of his father, and the relationship with his mother. Llanillos converses at length about what trans means to him. Llanillos also discusses his interactions with Rainbow Resource Centre, the wider 2SLGBTQ+ community, and the importance of having older trans members mentor trans youth. Llanillos talks about his experiences with the healthcare system as a trans person. Towards the end of the interview Llanillos discusses trans authors, art, literature, and a Winnipeg-based trans zine.

Oral history interview with Brandy Pollard (0h 56mm 40ss), conducted by Misha Falk in 2019.

Brandy Pollard (she/her) begins the interview by discussing her early childhood and adolescence. Pollard reflects on being bullied in school leading to her quitting in grade ten despite having good marks. Pollard moves on to discuss her difficult marriage, struggle with her identity, and suicide attempt. She discusses seeking counseling and coming out to her sister, which leads to her coming out to her wife and children. Pollard talks about her transition and coming out at work which leads to an increasingly hostile work environment. Pollard moves on to talk about her identity and her relationship with other trans persons and the broader 2SLGBTQ+ community. She discusses negative experiences engaging in the healthcare system as a trans person. Pollard ends the conversation talking about her poetry and art.

This collection contains 5 interviews in total (8hh19mm49ss), conducted by Misha Falk in 2019.

The Transgender Oral History Project emerged out of a recognition that there were significant gaps in queer histories of the prairies, one of which being a tendency to overlook transgender experiences. By recording oral interviews with trans people, this project aims to help historians and community members gain a richer understanding of the lives and work of trans individuals in the region. Since labels for understanding diverse experiences of gender such as “transgender” have changed significantly in recent history and will likely continue to do so, these interviews focus heavily on personal understandings of gender identity.

A video (31mm 32ss) created by Nolan Reilly (with technical assistance from the Oral History Centre) for Roz Usiskin’s memorial service held on October 16, 2023. The video is created using clips of the 7 interview sessions in this collection.

Oral history interview session (51mm 32ss) with Roz Usiskin, conducted by Nolan Reilly, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2018. Interview is indexed and transcribed in full.

Nolan Reilly, the interviewer, outlines the objectives and procedures for the interview with Roseline (Roz) Usiskin. Usiskin agrees to be recorded. Usiskin begins with a description of personal changes she confronted in the early 1960s with the death of her parents and several other individuals to whom she was close. Her children were more independent by this time and all these changes led her to consider what she might do going forward in her life. She decided to return to school and continue onto university. Her husband supported this decision. The small business they owned was doing well, which meant they could afford Usiskin’s desire to attend university. She describes in detail her experience at university, including the lifelong friends she made there among the students and professors. Usiskin did exceptionally well in her undergraduate years at the University of Winnipeg. She next describes the completion of her MA degree in Sociology at the University of Manitoba. Her research that she describes here focused on the history of the political, religious, and cultural diversity of Winnipeg’s Jewish community, a subject she continues to work on to this day. Usiskin provides a detailed description of being a married woman of thirty-nine with three children attending university with students much younger than herself. The feminist debates of the time led her to reflect on her view of the world. Her generation was politically radical but conventional in their personal lives. Discussions of gender and sexuality, for example, she explains introduced her to new and exciting perspectives. She concludes with a lengthy reflection on the fact that progressive changes are being made on issues of gender and sexuality but they made not be as radical as some think them to be.

Oral history interview session (01hh 14mm 22ss) with Roz Usiskin, conducted by Nolan Reilly, Winnipeg Manitoba, 2018. Interview is indexed and transcribed in full.

Nolan Reilly, the interviewer, outlines the objectives and procedures for the interview with Roseline (Roz) Usiskin. Usiskin agrees to be recorded. Usiskin begins the session with a description of Sid Bagel, her brother in law, being forced to abandon a doctoral programme in the United States during the Cold War, because Usiskin’s best friend whom he was marrying was associated with the Communist movement. They instead moved to Vancouver where he completed a doctoral programme at the University of British Columbia. Usiskin then provides a detailed description of her marriage to Larry Usiskin. The wedding was small with the ceremony held at the rabbi’s home and the reception at her family home. They initially resided in the home of her parents but moved after several years to a newer house in West Kildonan. Their son Michael was born in 1951. They would have two other boys in the next few years. Roz Usiskin’s father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1950 and suffered greatly until his death in 1965. He was a great letter writer and conversationalist who grew increasingly frustrated with his declining ability to do either because of the disease. Usiskin describes the impact this had upon their family. Her mother died in 1966 from cancer. Usiskin continues the interview with her recollections of raising three boys in a busy household amidst the expectations of their extended families and the society of that era. She describes how her community activities involved many evening meetings, but her husband happily spent time with the children. The interview session closes with Usiskin reflecting on their hopes and expectations for their children as they grew to adulthood.

Oral history interview session (01hh 41mm 08ss) with Roz Usiskin, conducted by Nolan Reilly, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2018. Interview is indexed and transcribed in full.

Nolan Reilly, the interviewer, outlines the objectives and procedures for the interview with Roseline (Roz) Usiskin. Usiskin agrees to be recorded. She describes how in 1946 she and her community of friends continued to feel the aftereffects of the war. Learning about the Holocaust, she explains, made her grow up faster. She explores how the emerging Cold War significantly affected her life. The UJPO supported the Soviet Union and some of the organization’s members joined the Communist Party of Canada, although she never did. Usiskin describes details of a very difficult period for her and her community. Phones were wiretapped, police informants attended their meetings, and some of their events were disrupted. Family discussions, especially with her aunt now living in New York, became very guarded and circumspect. She declares that the Cold War was a terror for her and others and that she continues to experience the effects of the period. Usiskin describes beginning of the decline of the UJPO and the Jewish left due to the pressure of the Cold War and the actions of the Soviet Union, including the revelations about Stalin, the invasion of Hungary and Czechoslovakia, its treatment of Jews. The decline of Yiddish is another topic explored by Usiskin which she experienced within her second generation of Jewish immigrants. This is attributed to living in an English speaking society but also to the emphasis on Hebrew considered the biblical language of Jews with the rise of the new state of Israel.

Usiskin speaks next about meeting Larry Usiskin, her future husband, through the UJPO. A detailed description of the history of Usiskin’s extended family is provided. Larry Usiskin's family in Winnipeg was very poor and much more radicalized than Roz Usiskin’s family. Their interest in one another focused on a shared interest in books, music, travel, and politics. Both families were happy with the marriage. Roz Usiskin’s family were progressive and secular (except for her mother who was somewhat more conservative).