Tommy Chesbro 04/24/2019
Description
Tommy Chesbro, a 1982 graduate from Oklahoma State University (OSU), talks about growing up in Stillwater to a well-known wrestling and farming family. He describes his experience attending OSU and talks about dating both men and women as he struggled with accepting his sexuality. After graduating with a degree in animal science, Chesbro discusses working as a performer and sexual health educator as well as the impact of testing positive for HIV. He describes his initial decision to keep his diagnosis a secret before being motivated to speak publicly about it and his sexuality to combat the discrimination and prejudice that was prevalent in the early 1990s. After going back to school to earn a master's degree in human relations, Chesbro talks about becoming a sociology professor at Tulsa Community College and shares some of his extensive advocacy work regarding HIV/AIDS research and prevention.
| Date(s) | 4/24/2019 |
| Call Number | DSG_021 |
| Subjects | HIV education, LGBTQA+ community, Campus inclusivity, Teaching, Sexual health education AIDS education, College students, College teachers, Coming out (Sexual orientation), Gay community, HIV (Viruses), HIV-positive persons, HIV/AIDS, Interviews, LGBTQ+ discrimination, Social integration, Universities and colleges--alumni and alumnae, Wrestling |
| Interviewee(s) | Tommy Chesbro |
| Interviewer(s) | Ryan Dyer |