Interviewed by Madeleine Adolph April 9th, 2022 in Hadley, MA.
Narrator:
Jane Nevinsmith was born on March 7th, 1941 in St Louis, Missouri and grew up on Long Island, New York with her mother, father, and older brother. Since 1979 she has lived in Hadley, MA. She has been with her wife Diane since they met in 1986 and has five children from a previous traditional marriage. She and Diane ran the Tin Roof Bed and Breakfast for lesbians from 1989 to 2006, as well as many other businesses throughout the years such as Jane of All Trades, a rubber stamp business, Stuff-It Storage, and Tin Roof Tree Farm. She attended Northampton Pride during the earlier years and was also one of the founders of the Northampton Area Lesbian and Gay Business Guild. She is very active in the Hadley community, especially the senior community, and her current involvements include volunteering at the Hadley Senior Center and being a member of the Hadley Select Board.
Abstract:
In this interview, Jane Nevinsmith reflects on her life in Hadley, Massachusetts over the past four decades, the culture and history of the lesbian community in the area, and her own journey through LGBT life. She talks about running her many businesses, especially the Tin Roof Bed and Breakfast and Jane of All Trades, and their significance to the lesbian community. We examine her experience of various aspects of lesbian life, such as attending Northampton Pride during the early years, lesbian separatism, butch and femme culture, the lesbian downward mobility movement, same-sex marriage, 1950s gender roles, and leaving a traditional marriage. She also discusses her involvement with the Hadley Senior Center, Hadley Select Board, the general senior community, the LGBT senior community, and her relationships and family.
Interviewer :
Madeleine Adolph (b. 2000) is a member of the Smith College class of 2023. She is a Sociology and Study of Women and Gender double major with an interest in LGBTQ+ history and culture.
Format:
Interview recorded on a Canon Vixia Camcorder.