Shelby Chestnut Oral History

Shelby Chestnut describes their childhood and adolescence between Montana and Minnesota, discussing friendships and family, bullying and acceptance, mixed-race (Native American and white) identity, queer identity, and learning disabilities. After two sudden deaths of loved ones, Shelby left for college in Ohio, spent a year in Seattle, moved back to live with her family in Montana, checked into rehab, and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico before eventually moving to Crown Heights in New York City and beginning anti-violence organizing with the LGBT community. Their narrative includes discussions of small towns and big cities, addiction and recovery, race and intergenerational trauma, arts, and finding and building community. (Summary by Jourdan Sayers.)

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View At: https://nyctransoralhistory.org/interview/shelby-chestnut/
Citation: Cite

Item Information:

Identifier: 1g05fb95j
Collection: Oral Histories with People of Color
Institution: NYC Trans Oral History Project
Creator(s): Awad, Nadia
Chestnut, Shelby
Contributor(s): Sayers, Jourdan
Publisher: New York Public Library
Date Created: May 14, 2017
Dates Covered: 1981 to 2017
Genre: Oral Histories
Subject(s): Janet Mock
Places: Ohio
Washington > King County > City of Seattle > Seattle
Minnesota
Montana
New Mexico > Santa Fe County > Santa Fe
New York > Dutchess County > Town of Poughkeepsie > Crown Heights
Topic(s): Addictions
Arts
Butches
Clothing
Coming out
Depression
Ethnic groups
Gender diversity
Gender identity
Health care
HIV/AIDS
Housing
Identity
Indian reservations--Montana
Learning difficulties
LGBTI community
LGBTQ+ relationships
Native americans
Representation
Schools
Sexuality
Soft butches
Suburbs
Transgender rights
Violence
Youth
Resource Type: Audio
Digital Format: Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes 17 seconds
Language: English
Rights: Copyright undetermined
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