Bshh 406 - Sexuality and Development Interview with Karen King

SEXUALITY AND DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEW WITH KAREN KING

BSHH/406

June 27, 2016

Abstract

On the following pages, I will be discussing my interview with Karen King.  She is a forty-five years old woman who identifies as a lesbian and is married to her high-school sweetheart, Sandi Smith.  They live in Los Angeles with their two sons, John, and Steven, and are the primary caretaker for her aging grandmother, Lola.  We will discuss how her sexuality affected her development and what, if any, challenges she faced when coming out as a lesbian teenager, what challenges she faced as a young adult and what challenges she may still face today.

SEXUALITY AND DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEW WITH KAREN KING

I was very fortunate to have an opportunity to interview through facetime with two women I used to go to high school with.  Their names are Karen King and Sandy Smith.  As the conversation evolved, I wound up with some great one on one time with Karen, so she is the one that was primarily answering the questions and with whom I focused this paper around.

Self-identity

Both Karen and Sandy identify as lesbian.  When asked when they first knew they were lesbian, both said they just always knew.  Karen said she could remember as a young girl having crushes on other female classmates.  As she grew up and girls started to make the shift from "boys are gross" to "what boy do you like?", she said she just focused on who her friends liked and just kept her thoughts about who she liked to herself.  Sandy, on the other hand, said she remembers making that shift with the other girls to liking boys too, but when she realized girls liked boys for reasons other than great conversation, she knew something was different about her.

Coming Out

It wasn’t until high school for both of these ladies that they realized there were plenty of other people like them.  While they were both raised in the greater Los Angeles area, where gays were somewhat accepted - or maybe tolerated - in the mid to late 80’s, they were both being raised in Jewish families and coming out was a bit scary for each of them.

Friends.  During freshman year of high school, both girls auditioned for and were accepted into the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, or LACHSA, as drama majors.  They both started attending their sophomore year and continued through graduation.  It was here that they realized they could be themselves and not be judged for being true to their feelings.  Not just as lesbians, but everyone could be whoever they were, and everyone got along, respected differences and encouraged one another to try things they wouldn't normally do.

Family. Once there was a comfortable feeling at school and with friends, it made talking with family much easier.  Both were surprised at the love and support that they received.  Karen’s family did ask she not discuss it with the older generation until the time was right, but they did after a couple months talk with the grandmother together and the grandmother said that while she may not understand her desires, if they were hers she was OK with it and nothing would change their relationship.  

Societies Perception