UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM

Interview #1280
NOLL, MAIA 

NOLL, MAIA 
organized high school GSA; daughter of lesbians

Interviewed: 	2012
Interviewer: 	Tiffany Schroeder
Index by: 	Kara Bissen
Length: 	1 hour, 2 minutes (total)
Series:		LaCrosse's LGBT Community, 1960s to present

Abstract:
Maia Noll is the child of two lesbians and is a recent graduate from Logan High School. She speaks of her experience in the LGBTQ community as a child of lesbians.  She also speaks of the experience of being in the LGBTQ community in the education system.  She went to the private Waldorf school where her mother worked and found that to be a very supportive environment.  After eighth grade, Maia went to Logan High School. At Logan, she helped organize the Gay Straight Alliance.  The GSA is three years old and organizes different events and resources, including Day of Silence.  Maia provides a young perspective on the LGBTQ community in LaCrosse.

Key Words: LaCrosse, Logan, Waldorf, Adoption, Lesbians,Gay Straight Alliance, Day of Silence, Education, School District of LaCrosse, Pride, Unitarian Universalists,

Interview Session 1 (June 05, 2012): Digital File

Time	Keywords
00:00:00	Start of Interview/Interviewer’s Introduction. 

00:00:18	Question: How long have you been in LaCrosse. Answer:Maia has lived in LaCrosse her whole life. 

00:0:34	Question:What is your association with the LGBTQ community? Answer: Maia was raised by two lesbian mothers.

00:00:47	Question: What was that like growing up? Answer:Maia never thought of her familial situation to be odd.  She was raised in a supportive community that included many lesbians. She attended a private Waldorf school and considered the school to be open and accepting. She first noticed that her family was different in middle school.

00:02:20	Question: What happened in middle school that brought upon a change? Answer: Growing up, Maia did not watch television but in middle school, she began to have more media exposure in middle school. During that age, Maia also became involved with programs outside of her school, like 4H.  She says that this exposed her to different lifestyles.

00:03:31	Question: In high school, did you see any hesitancy in acceptance of your family? Answer: Maia says that overall, there was no hesitancy.  She spoke of how she was careful handling the subject around people she thought would have some troubles with it.  She remembers when she was little, she was friends with the neighbor children who had conservative, Christian parents.  The Christian parents did not allow for Maia to play with their children.  Maia remembers her mother crying after she was verbally abused the mother.

00:06:07	Question: How do you think your parents, being two lesbians, changed the way they raised you?  Answer: Maia thinks that her parents tried to surround her and her sister by supportive and opened-minded people.The people who were around Maia growing up were diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender ability. Her mothers intentionally raised Maia with the values of kindness and openness. 

00:07:47	Question: How would you describe the LGBTQ community in LaCrosse? Answer: Maia says that she does not identify with the larger community but understands the community of 10-15 people that her parents' friends.  She describes them to be "everyday people."  She says that they are informed, politically active and "good citizens." Her parents would go to events and would march in rallies.

00:08:52	Question:What were those rallies?  Answer:On the big blue bridge downtown, there would be a silent march holding posters.  Maia marched in that twice. She is also pretty sure that she marched in a parade when she was younger. 

00:09:29	Question: What did the posters say? Answer: Maia made signs about accepting all types of family.  She made posters around what the idea of a family should be about: respect and love. 

00:10:05	Question: You said your mothers' friends war politically active--around what issues? Answer: They are active in campaigning, canvassing, phone banking and Get Out The Vote. 

00:10:41	Question:Earlier, GALAXY was mentioned. What is that?  Answer: It is an organization for anyone in the LGBTQ community.  It provides teen resources and a safe place to get informed. They provide information about conferences.  Maia knows teenagers who go there to hang out and people who have worked there. Maia thinks that people appreciate having that in LaCrosse.

00:11:55	Question: Are you aware of any other resources in LaCrosse.  Answer: No, not that Maia is aware of.

00:12:09	 Question: You said your mother was your principle at your middle school. Answer: It was not a middle school, Maia went to a Waldorf school from K-12. A group of parents, including her two parents, established the school in around 1992. Maia's mother did not like be called a principal but served a role similar to that in the school.  At Waldorf, everyone in interconnected and served many roles.

00:13:31	Question: Was everyone in the Waldorf community educated that your parents were lesbians?  Answer:It was important for for her mothers to not have to hide that.  Maia's other mother works in the School District of LaCrosse and she is not as open.  She has told people close to her but she has had issues with parents in the past so stays more quiet.

00:14:42	Question: Where do you think the difference come from? Answer: The Waldorf curriculum stresses individuality and Maia thinks that the parents in the community take that to heart.  Maia thinks that parents prefer to not be ignorant.  LaCrosse is not completely liberal, it is a mixture.  In the LaCrosse School District, parents to do not value the same things as Maia's parents did but in the Waldorf community, it was more like-minded in that sense. 

00:15:59	Question: How did working in the school district impact your mother?  Answer: Maia thinks it taught her to accept different view points. It might hurt her to be the subject of someone's ignorance but I think she has accepted that not everyone values what she does.  It has made her stronger.  Maia thinks this value in reflected in her and her sister.

00:17:22	Question: You said that there has been incidents with your mother at the school district…Answer: Her mother has not said anything in particular but Maia knows there has been some difficult parents.  Other people has had to speak to parents who were uncomfortable but the message was always that Maia's mother was just trying to teach their kids.

00:18:42	Question:How would you describe the relationship between the straight and LGBTQ community?  Answer:From what Maia knows, there is no large barrier between the two communities.  She thinks that the LaCrosse is pretty progressive, especially in the youth. She does not think there is segregation. 

00:20:06	Question: Does LaCrosse have a Pride? Answer: Yes, it is at the South Side Oktoberfest Grounds.  Maia always thought it was fun and knows a lot of people would go.

00:20:36	Question: What events does it have? Answer: There was musicians, a drag show, raffle items, speakers and food. 

00:20:55	Question:Do you know of any other events in LaCrosse?  Answer: No.
00:21:04	Question: How was Waldorf and Logan High School, the school you went to, towards the LGBTQ community?  Answer: Waldorf was like a large family.  There was a couple families with same sex parents. There was very little issue of acceptance.  Maia thinks that the students and staff at Logan are progressing. Three years ago, the first Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) was established. Maia thinks the staff was a supportive. Teachers have safe-zone stickers, or equality stickers.  Maia is proud of what Logan represents as a school.

00:24:00	Question: Can you expand on your involvement in the GSA?  Answer: In her freshman year, a few of her friends talked about establishing a GSA but it never happened.  In her sophomore year, there was a guidance counselor her friends knew wanted to start a GSA.  There were five people at Logan who started it.  They joined the state GSA network. They went to Bangor, a smaller, more conservative school, and had a panel.  They spoke with staff and students. The GSA participated in the Day of Silence.  There were around 20 people involved this year.  It is awesome the young people getting involved. Maia thinks the organization will continue to grow. The staff has been very supportive and the GSA has spoken at staff meetings.

00:26:35	Question: What other resources are offered for someone who wants to become more informed? Answer: The meetings are open. There is a big effort made that it is open to everyone.  The GSA also has other resources: they may recommend someone to another group, they have stickers, and they are available just to be someone's friend.

00:27:30	Question: How was Day of Silence?  Answer: The GSA has participated for two years.   Students would wear a piece of tape on their mouth or displayed somewhere. There was a table set up at lunch with more information about the day and resources.  The school was supportive.

00:28:38	Question: What information was on the brochures?  Answer: The brochures provided information about the Day of Silence--giving voice to those who could not.  The message was to advocate for kindness. There was information on resources available and information about the GSA.

00:29:21	Question:How do you think that the straight students responded to the Day of Silence and the GSA? Answer: Maia thinks that it was well received.  Some students would ask why they should care. The GSA would answer questions and say that they would like people to be more aware. There was no protests.  If people did not like the event, they did not participate. The GSA did not expect everyone to like it.  People did ask questions and the GSA was planning on that. 

00:30:40	Question: Was there any parents involved, positively or negatively?  Answer: Maia says there were not, unless the GSA was not informed of such. 

00:30:56	Question: Can you expand on your adoption process? Answer: Maia was adopted for Paraguay when she was six months old. Her parents had already adopted her sister two years earlier.  Alma did the paperwork and legally adopted Maia.  It was not accepted in Paraguay for both her parents to adopt Maia.  When Maia was six, her other mother legally adopted her. They went to the courthouse and had a "Happy Adoption Day."

00:32:45	Question: Do your parents ever speak to you about the struggles of adoption? Answer: Maia knows it was a lengthy process. They assumed that it would have to be one parent adoption and then hope that later, the other mom could adopt.  It had to be hard, but they knew it would be like that. 

00:33:30	Question: So at six years… Answer: Maia was legally adopted by her other mother at six years old. Her family went to the court house and was legally recognized.

00:33:58	Question:Did you parents go through the civil union? Answer: Maia's parents did not.  They talked about it but Maia thinks that they already felt married and did not need a ceremony.  Her parents were together for around 23 years. Maia's mother passed away last year.  Maia thinks they were content with their relationship and everyone recognized them as together.

00:28:09	Question: What are LGBTQ hang out spots in LaCrosse? Answer:Fue says people hang out at the coffee shops, the parks or the bluffs. There are also a few gay bars in La Crosse.

00:34:58	Question: Did they ever express to you the trials they had to go through being lesbian parents?  Answer: They did not really express anything to Maia. Her mothers' friends had similar values and raised their kids similarly.  Maia knows there was some issues when her mothers' came out to their families but there is no issues with that now.

00:35:55	Question:There was same-sex families at Waldorf?  Answer: Yes, actually there was three kids with two dads and two moms. There were other students whose parents were gay or lesbain but did not have partners at the time. 

00:36:50	Question: How did curriculum in Waldorf  and Logan address LGBT issues?Answer: At Logan the issue is addressed in health class.  It is talked about when talking about relationships. The health teacher at Logan did a good job.  The topic was treated as it was "normal" and Maia thinks that sometimes things don't need to be a big deal. In Waldorf, there was a unit in the eighth grade, human growth and development, and it was addressed. It was common knowledge because people knew Maia's family.

00:38:32	Question: Do you know any incidents of negativity towards the LGBTQ community? Answer:When Maia went to bigger rallies, people would boo but Maia is unaware of any acts of physical violence.  Maia is unsure if there was any events that targeted her fellow students.

00:39:38	Question: Where are safe spaces in LaCrosse to hang out? Answer: UW- LaCrosse has a pride center. GALAXY is there but Maia does not know if people other than teens hang out there.  There are gay bars. Maia thinks this may be a good thing.

00:041:00	Question:You said there were gay bars in LaCrosse? Answer: There is one downtown with a rainbow light.  Maia has never gone but it seems to be crowded when she walks by. 

00:41: 45	Question: How was AIDS education in school? Answer: It was covered in health class. It informed people on how to make safe decisions.

00:42:05	Question:You said your parents were involved in the community--how so? Answer: There is a gala where there is a formal dinner an performances for the LGBTQ community and allies. They go once a year.  

00:42:51	Questions: Being raised by two lesbian mothers, do you think your experience would have been different if you did not go to a Waldorf School?  Answer: Maia thinks going to a Waldorf school made a huge difference.  She thinks she is very lucky to be able to go to a private school. She wonders if she would be more shy and protective of her family if she went to a different school.

00:44:10	Question: You have used the words "coming out" to describe telling people about your family.  Answer: Maia thinks that it is like a coming out process.  Maia thinks everyone knows.  With people who do not know, she will casually mention she has two moms. If she does not think she will see someone again, she might not tell them, but if it is someone who will be in her life she will tell them. Maia makes it as casual as she can and hopes that they are okay with it. 

00:45:45	Question: How do you figure out who and how to come out? Answer: Maia sees who is nice but even then that is not always telling.  It is also risk-taking.

00:47:02	Question: Have you had anyone react negatively Answer: One of Maia's friend is a conservative Catholic and Maia knew that it would be difficult.  Maia has seen how he has grown and become more comfortable and open.  He said that it is her family and he doesn't agree but he likes her as a person. Maia has accepted the fact that he has his opinion. 

00:48:39	Question: You just graduated, correct? How do you feel like your childhood and immersion in the LGBT community affected where you chose to go to school? Answer: Maia is going to the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities.  It is a larger school and she thinks she will be able to find what she needs to there. There are so many people there with different beliefs so Maia thinks that she can find accepting people there. She chose the school because of its size and diversity. 

00:49:58	Question:Do you plan on getting involved with the community in college?  Answer: Maia would like to be involved and active.

00:50:24	Question: How have you seen the community change? Answer: Maia feels like it is getting bigger.  People are more confident and outspoken.

00:51:09	Question: Can you explain the politics today and how that affects LGBTQ community?  Answer: Today there is a vote to recall Governor Walker and to vote in Democratic Tom Barrett.  Governor Walker's values do not support the LGBTQ community.

00:52:00	Question: What do you think needs to change in Wisconsin? Answer: Maia thinks it's an issue that needs to address not hush LGBTQ issues. Maia does not think that Scott Walker supports everyone.

00:52:55	Question: Are there openly trans* people in the community here?  Answer: Through the Universal Unitarians, Maia was involved in a program Our Whole Lives, and they had a panel about sexuality and healthy relationships.  Through the panel, Maia met Will, who transitioned. At Logan, Maia has a classmate who is biologically male and dresses as a woman.  In the beginning of the school year he did not dress as such but as the school year processed, he started to more.  The school has been supportive. 

00:54:35	Question: How was Will and your classmate, Austin, received? Answer: Will is well-liked and well-known.  He is involved with the UW-LaCrosse Pride Center and his church.  Her classmate has been well-received too.  He seems confident.  Maia makes sure to compliment Austin's clothing and let him know he looks good.

00:55:42	Question: What was your involvement with the Unitarian Universalist Church and The Our Whole Lives Program? Are they open? Answer: Maia thinks the Unitarian Universalist Church is very open and accepting.

00:56:35	Question: How do other churches and religions in the LaCrosse area respond? Answer: There are some churches that are open and accepting to LGBTQ families. Maia knows that some churches are not that way.  It is a mixture, she says, in the LaCrosse community. 

00:57:05	Question: How would you like to see things change?  Answer:Maia wants people to become more educated and aware and that decisions are not made on ignorance and fear but based on what they know. I hope the community continues to grow for everyone to feel appreciated. 

00:58:12	Question:If you are comfortable talking about your mother's passing, was there any political issues with the passing? If you don't mind saying what happened.  Answer: There was no political issues.  In October of last year, she fell, hit her head and died on impact. The family had one day with her. 

00:59:11	Question: How did your mother's death affect your family? Answer:Maia says that they are still recovering.  They have continued to keep growing and Maia is proud of who they are.  They are the same family with the same values. 

01:00:05	Question: Was this the mother who was a principal? Answer: Yes. Maia speaks of issues her family had with the death certificate. Her mother was not able to sign the death certificate so her sister had to sign it.  Her sister was 18 and Maia was 16.  When Maia's mom was cremated, her sister had to do all the paperwork.  That was troubling.  In the hospital, her mother was able to visit. 

01:01:42	End of Interview Session

End of Oral History #1002