Capturing our History
Disabled lesbians have accomplished an impressive amount in the span of 40 years. We spearheaded activism about issues of disability in the women’s community. We were founders of major disability organizations and were at the forefront of activism around federal access legislation. We pioneered special needs services at Gay Pride Day, AXIS Dance Company, Wry Crips Reader’s Theater, and two local women’s wheelchair basketball teams. It has been a remarkable cohort of women and lesbians with disabilities who all converged to create social change and promote creativity.
To capture this rich history, we wanted to use various forms of storytelling to open up access to creative expression for people with a wide variety of disabilities. We are telling our stories through voice, image, film, traditional arts and digital media.
Video-taped Oral Histories: Living Histories Preserved Forever
L to R: Jill Lessing, Fabled Asp Co-Founder, and Meja Tyehimba, Fabled Asp Production Manager.
The Fabled ASP team conducts interviews of prominent disabled lesbian activists using cutting-edge digital documentary filmmaking techniques. We partner with Berkeley Community Media, Diverse Disability Media, Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project, and other filmmakers to bring these stories to life. Our film crews span 3 generations of disabled lesbians from diverse backgrounds.
Coming Out Video
Poster image for Video. “10 Questions About Lesbians.” Informational poster displayed at the Beijing International Women’s Conference, 1995. Collection of Cathy Cade. As displayed at the San Francisco Public Library.
Photo © Sharie Cohen Photography
Being Disabled Video
Poster image for video by
© Sharie Cohen Photography
Community TV Show: Fabled: Stories of Disabled Lesbians
Community TV Show: Fabled: Stories of Disabled Lesbians
Our collaboration with Berkeley Community Media, also produces a television show of these living histories, which is broadcast through BE-TV, the City of Berkeley’s public access channel, and also streamed through the internet.
Digital Storytelling: Documenting our lives through participatory media production
Fabled ASP partnered with The Center for Digital Storytelling to have disabled lesbians, partners, and allies design and produce a 3-5 minute movie combining storytelling techniques with personal photos, video or music.
The Joy Taylor Story
Click video to see and hear Joy Taylor’s story
Listen to additional stories here
StoryCorps: Honoring One Another’s Lives Through Listening
We partner with StoryCorps, one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, to record audio-taped conversations. They have been heard on NPR, and are archived with the Library of Congress and through the Smithsonian Griot Project. Excerpts of this work have also been used for other radio programs, including “Pushing Limits,” hosted by Adrienne Lauby on KPFA.
Laura Bock
To listen to an audio excerpt of Laura Bock speaking about her experience of “driving while blind.” Click play.
Click here for interview transcript pdf.
L to R: Morningstar Vancil and Marion Abdullah in San Francisco’s Dolores Park, at the opening festivities for the 2010 Dyke March. 6/26/10. (Photo © Cathy Cade)
Morningstar Vancil
To listen to an audio excerpt for of a conversation between Marion Abdullah and Morningstar Vancil click play.
Click here for a conversation between Marion Abdullah and Morningstar Vancil on KPFA Radio.
Click here for the Morningstar Vancil interview transcript pdf.
