Interview with Sam Denney, July 3, 2023

Partial Transcript: Alrighty, today's date is July 3, 2023. I'm Caro Caden and I'm interviewing Sam Denney.

Segment Synopsis: Denney discusses her early understandings of her sexuality and recalls coming out to her parents at 12 years old. She also talks briefly about her experiences of being open about her sexuality in high school and fully embracing her lesbian identity after identifying as bisexual. Additionally, Denney reflects on her parents' attitudes toward her sexuality.

Keywords: Athens, Georgia; Bisexuality; Pop music / Popular music; Schools / High schools; Lesbians / Homosexuality

Partial Transcript: So, my graduating class after four years had about like eighty people in it...So everybody knew everybody's business.

Segment Synopsis: Denney speaks in depth about her high school experience as an openly Queer person and recalls being publicly outed when her girlfriend kissed her in the lunchroom. She also mentions that the only memorable biphobia she experienced came from other Queer people

Keywords: Coming out / Outing; High school; Queer / LGBTQ+ community; Biphobia / Bisexual erasure

Partial Transcript: How did your upbringing influence your Queer identity?

Segment Synopsis: Denney discusses having to navigate her sexuality without any guidance, partly due to a lack of internet or social media. She also discusses her exposure to the LGBTQ+ community through her mother's work with AIDS Athens, and her relationship with her parents in developing an understanding of her sexuality.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Live Forwards / AIDS Athens; Pop music / Shania Twain / Britney Spears; Social media / Internet; Queer / LGBTQ+ representation

Partial Transcript: So, on that note about trying to figure it out, and having to do it yourself: how did you find Queer community over time?

Segment Synopsis: Denney discusses her group of friends in high school, and the support they provided each other in their processes of discovering their Queer identities. She also talks about the intersection of Punk and Queer communities, and how she found Queer community within the Punk scene at Tasty World. She then explains her failed attempt to build an online Queer community.

Keywords: Drag shows / Drag queens; Facebook / Social media; Gay bars; Internet community; Punk rock / Punk scene; Tasty World

Partial Transcript: Again, I stayed within the Punk scene, and the, you know, the Queer scene. So I went to Tasty World a lot, and Tasty World left me very quickly.

Segment Synopsis: Denney talks about the short lifespan of Queer-friendly spaces in Athens, and describes the various bars and venues she frequented. She then elaborates on the solidarity of the Punk and Queer communities, and talks about the feeling of safety she enjoyed in those places. She also discusses the drag culture in Athens and how it has changed since the 2010s.

Keywords: Ball culture / Ballroom drag; Bars / Queer bars / Gay bars; Classic City Queens; Drag shows; Athens night life

Partial Transcript: There was this huge shift. RPM became Engine Room. It changed ownership and became Engine Room.

Segment Synopsis: Denney discusses the decline of the Queer bars she enjoyed, and the effect of social media on younger generations of Queer people. She says that online community removes the necessity of physical community that her generation relied on in the formation of their identities.

Keywords: Gen Z / Generation Z; Queer identities / Queer identity; Sister Louisa's Church; Social media

Partial Transcript: What are major challenges you've experienced in Athens in regard to your sexuality?

Segment Synopsis: Denney talks about the difficulty of making connections as a relatively older person in a college town, and how, for many people, Athens is a temporary place of residence and the effect this has had on Queer community. She then discusses shared discrimination against marginalized groups in Athens and the current lack of Queer-centered establishments.

Keywords: Athens, Georgia; College towns; Intersectionality / Marginalized groups; Permanent residents / Temporary residents

Partial Transcript: How could Athens and organizations in Athens do a better job of supporting Queer people?

Segment Synopsis: Denney explains how symbols of progress such as rainbow crosswalks are insufficient and do not represent significant change. She then talks about how making resources such as Live Forward accessible would do more for the Queer community in Athens, the decline of the Queer community that she remembers in Athens, the SCOTUS case 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, and the importance of having Queer spaces.

Keywords: 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis; Athens Pride Parade; Lesbian Bar Project; Pride flags / Pride symbols; Live Forward / AIDS Athens

Partial Transcript: I feel like Athens is such a temporary landing-spot for a lot of people that it is really hard to say, 'Oh, this person's been here since '82, and has been making these changes for these people.'

Segment Synopsis: Denney discusses the lack of any figure who has made a lasting impact on the Queer community in Athens, and also how no Queer or Queer-friendly businesses have been around long enough to have a lasting impact. She then talks about the reasons for her staying in Athens when so many of her peers have moved away.

Keywords: Athens, Georgia; Canopy Studio / Aerial dance; Queer businesses / Queer business owners; Siblings / Family