Harrison, Dick

Interviewer

Johnna Ossie

Files

Description

Dick Harrison is a 68-year-old gay man who uses he/him/his pronouns. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he moved to Van Buren, ME as a young adult to pursue work as an art teacher. He soon set to work connecting with other LGBTQ+ folks in northern Maine and just over the border in Canada, an effort that culminated in the founding of Northern Lambda Nord. NLN published a newsletter, organized dances, conferences, and social events, and operated a resource center and hotline for LGBTQ+ people for more than 20 years, providing a crucial lifeline for queer and trans Mainers in some of the state’s most rural regions through the HIV/AIDS crisis and beyond.

In addition to his trailblazing work as an activist in northern Maine, Dick enjoyed a successful career as a graphic designer, working for Loring Air Force Base and the University of Maine at Presque Isle until his retirement. Today, he lives in Portland, ME and continues his work as an advocate and activist for LGBTQ+ equality with SAGE Maine.

Citation

Please cite as: Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+ Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries.

For more information about the Querying the Past: Maine LGBTQ Oral History Project, please contact Dr. Wendy Chapkis.

Publication Date

3-9-2018

City

Portland, Maine

Keywords

Coming out, Boston, Northern Lambda Nord, Caribou, Presque Isle, Equality Center, Maine Gay Symposium, Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance, SAGE, Gay Men Together, Blackstone’s

Disciplines

History of Gender | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Oral History | Women's Studies

Recommended Citation

Ossie, Johnna, "Harrison, Dick" (2018). Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection. 66.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/querying_ohproject/66