Archives West Finding Aid

This oral history interview with Norm Costa was conducted by Stephanie Munly and Ruben Reynaga from November 13-20, 2000. Munly and Reynaga conducted the interview for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest as part of Professor Ann Mussey's senior capstone class on LGBTQ history at Portland State University. The interview was conducted in two sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on November 13, 2000, Costa discusses coming to Portland, Oregon, from California in 1958. He talks about his experiences as an out gay man during that time, about his relationships, and about his career as a hairdresser. He discusses raising his niece, and his relationship with his mother. He talks about gay bars and clubs in Portland; discusses his work for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases; and talks about his work advocating for gay rights. He also briefly talks about racism within the gay community. He speaks at length about his work with AIDS/HIV patients, and talks about the history of public policy toward the disease. He talks about social conditions for young LGBTQ people from when he first came out as gay in 1947 to the time of the interview in 2000; describes the history of policing in the gay community; and talks about serving on the board of the Sexual Minorities Roundtable.

In the second interview session, conducted on November 20, 2000, Costa continues discussing his service on the board of the Sexual Minorities Roundtable. He talks about Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker, the No on Measure 9 campaign, and his other political and advocacy work. He shares a story about being arrested in California in the late 1940s and serving time in San Quentin State Prison. He closes the interview by discussing issues facing the LGBTQ community in the 21st century.