Second Oral History Interview with Frederick Sproule (1984)
oral history, Toronto, World War I, gay culture, relationships
Trigger warning for use of racist and sexist language in this interview.
This is John Grube's second interview with Frederick Sproule for Foolscap. The oral history begins with Grube and Sproule looking through a series of photos, and Sproule explaining the context of and characters in each photo. Lionel Collier and Eddie Fortune also make the occasional appearance, asking Sproule questions and discussing dinner. Sproule discusses major Toronto landmarks, and the gay scene from 1920s onward. Sproule expresses his hatred of effeminate men and lesbians in this interview.
John Grube
The LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory
1984-12-23
CLGA
PDF, WAV
English
Sound, text
2016-034
1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1980s, Toronto
Oral History Interview with Frederick Sproule (1983)
oral history, relationships, gay culture, Frederick Sproule, WWI, coming out, army, cruising, work, interior design, WWII, Toronto, drag, bars, gay liberation
In this oral history interview Frederick Sproule, 88 years old, discusses his life as a gay man in Toronto from the early twentieth century onwards. The interview begins with Sproule describing his coming out experience when he was 18 and lived in New York. He then narrates his life during World War I, his time in service, sexual experiences, relationships, cruising practices, and his attendance to gay parties. Other topics discussed in the interview include Sproule’s relation with his family, his social circle, his career as an interior designer, the changes in Toronto after WWII, drag practices of people he knew, his political stance, his rather pessimistic opinion about the gay liberation movement, the bar culture in the city, and his relationships with women when he was younger.
Foolscap Oral History Project
1983-08-16
John Grube, LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory (Elspeth Brown, PI), Zohar Freeman
CLGA
PDF, WAV
English
Sound, text
2016-034
Toronto 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s; New York 1910s, 1920s.