Oral History Interview, Chuck Rhodes (2148)

Abstract

In his June 4, 2020, interview with Scott Seyforth, Chuck Rhodes detailed his thoughts and memories of his time at UW-Madison. Rhodes spoke of the time period of the 1960s through the 1980s and his experiences as one of the first black gay men at Virgina Tech, detailing his struggles and achievements. Rhodes also offered his opinions on the political and societal atmosphere of the Virginia Tech and UW-Madison campuses in the 1960s-1980s. Lastly, Rhodes discussed his relationships with women, a divorce he went through, his experience with gay bars in Madison, police involvement with the gay+ community, friends he made in the gay community in Madison, the struggles and status of gays in Madison from the 1970s-1980s, and gays who lived closeted lives. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the LGBTQ+ oral history project in the UW-Madison Archives & Records Management oral history collection.