The title of this recording is "Snapshot 2000 - Edward". It is described as: Edward talks about coming out and first sexual experience. It was recorded in Vancouver, Canada on the 26th February 2000. The duration of the recording is 6 minutes, but this may not reflect the actual length of the event. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. A brief description of the recording is: In this podcast Edward talks about coming out and first sexual experience. The content in the recording covers the 1970s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: The podcast "Snapshot 2000 - Edward" captures a personal narrative centered on the theme of coming out and the experiences of sexual discovery from the perspective of the speaker, originally from a small town who eventually moved to Vancouver, Canada. The recording, made on February 26, 2000, and spanning approximately six minutes, delves into the decade of the 1970s, a time marked with challenges and societal shifts surrounding sexual identity. During the podcast, the speaker shares the story of growing up as an only child, who had a close bond with their mother and felt disconnected from traditional male activities such as sports. A period of hardship ensued when the speaker's mother fell ill, leading to a temporary stay with their father and ultimately living independently at a young age. This separation from family and a sense of otherness fostered a period in which the speaker began to explore their identity more freely, using their mother's belongings such as their hair products and clothes as a source of comfort or self-discovery. This journey towards self-recognition, however, was not without its complexities. By adolescence, the individual had come to terms with their attraction towards the same sex. This realization led to a pivotal moment at age 15 when they openly embraced their sexual orientation by coming out and making the bold decision to move out of the stepmother's home, a woman who did not approve of homosexuals. Once on their own, the speaker began to explore the gay community, which included entering gay bars underage, and frequenting bathhouses. They placed personal ads, albeit with a misrepresented age, seeking connections with other gay individuals, which led to a mix of experiences, some difficult and exploitative given their youth and appeal to older men. Despite the adversities, the speaker reflects on the profound growth that came from those challenges. Support from friends was essential, as they stood by the speaker even amidst derogatory slurs from others. Those friends, who defended the speaker from bullies before coming out, continued to show acceptance and support post-declaration, embodying true allyship that extended beyond the need to protect their reputation. Throughout the narrative, the speaker addresses the impact on familial relationships, noting that while their biological relatives were more empathetic, their education level made it difficult for them to fully understand the situation. The stepmother, once a source of discomfort for the speaker due to their views, eventually became a supportive force in the speaker's life, embodying a change that reflects a broader societal shift toward acceptance over the ensuing years. However, the speaker's relationship with their father suffered irreparable damage upon the latter learning of the speaker's sexual orientation. The podcast encapsulates not only the speaker's personal growth and resilience in navigating their sexual identity but also the broader societal changes concerning acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. As the speaker has matured, so too has the relationship with their stepmother, highlighting the potential for change and understanding in family dynamics, in contrast to the unfortunate estrangement from their father, exemplifying the varied personal outcomes within family frameworks due to differing views on sexual orientation. In summary, "Snapshot 2000 - Edward" offers a deeply personal glimpse into the complexities and triumphs associated with coming out in the 1970s. The podcast encompasses themes of family dynamics, friendship, personal discovery, and societal attitudes towards the gay community during this time, providing a poignant reflection on a crucial period in the speaker's life as well as societal progress. The full transcription of the recording follows.  It includes timestamps every thirty seconds in the format [HH:MM:SS].  The transcription begins:  I was an only child, uh, an only boy and the oldest in my family, uh, out of all the other cousins and so on. And, uh, I was really close to my mom, and I guess, um, you know, and I was always a bit odd. I always, uh it, I guess a little bit effeminate, or people just didn't quite know what was going on. And, uh, you know, I didn't like hanging out with guys very often, uh, playing sports and all that stuff. Um, so it's a long a long story [00:00:30] in the sense that, um, I ended up being separated from my mom. She became ill, and, uh, my father ended up looking after me for a short while, and that didn't work out. So I was alone for a little while when I was about, I don't know, about 10 through 12, fending for myself, and then I moved in with a next door neighbour, Uh, a nice lady. I guess she was about 50 at the time. She was also a single mother and had an older son who was, uh, older than me. He was about 25 [00:01:00] and, um, Well, I you know, around the age of 10, you start realising what you like and what you're attracted to, and, ah, it's a difficult time for me anyway, being separated from my mom and I just not necessarily took on her persona. But I, uh II I guess I ended up acting more feminine and like using her whatever was left of her hair products and some of her clothes and that kind of thing It either to compensate for the fact that she was gone. Or I'm not sure if it was for that or [00:01:30] if it was for me, uh, to come to terms with myself and eventually some guy friends that I had, uh, when I was growing up, common experience for most guys, you know, fool around when you're younger, uh, seeing if you know you both have the same parts and and how they work. And and except for me, uh, I really enjoyed it. Um, so you know, I? I remained quite unique, and I, you know, well dressed. And I had dyed my hair all the time [00:02:00] and and, you know, did weird stuff with myself. And at a point in time came when my stepmom was actually quite embarrassed by me. Uh, and I knew that she was not, you know, very open to, uh, homosexuals, either. So it was a different, difficult place for me to be in. Um, and eventually one day, I just, uh I guess when I was 15, I came out and said, Yes, I am, Uh I am gay, And, uh, I don't want you to have to deal with this, Um, so I'm going to move out. So I did. I moved [00:02:30] out, and, um, which was probably a good idea for our relationship with me and my step mom. But also, it was quite bad in the sense that I I did a lot of things that I probably shouldn't have. I. I assumed that when I was living on my own that I could just go and do what I please when I want. So I'd, you know, I was getting into gay bars. Quite young, under age. Uh, I learned how to drink way too much and smoke and do all those horrible things way too early. And, [00:03:00] uh ah, you know, I frequented bathhouses. I actually, as soon as I moved out I put an ad in the paper and the local, I guess it would be like the village voice type of thing. Uh, want ad and lied about my age, of course. But, uh, that's why I took on my my first real experiences with other gay men. Um, uh, it was quite traumatic because a lot of them were older. And, uh, you know, they saw me as a real treat because I was young and I was, [00:03:30] you know, I guess cute at the time. And, uh, some of them took advantage of me and so on and so forth. But, uh, from it all, I think I've grown. And, uh, you know, I'm still gay. I moved to Vancouver, and I'm best friends with my step mom. Now she's, you know, she asks a few questions every once in a while, and I'm very blunt with her, and I tell her exactly probably what she doesn't want to hear, and she won't ask any more questions for about another six months. But she's curious, and she's very supportive. [00:04:00] When I was at school, uh, you know, I, I went I lived in a small town, and, uh I stuck out like a sore thumb from other guys. Uh, for a lot of reasons. I just dressed differently and and I was into different things arts and and drama. And, you know, the the token fag type of idea. And everyone else seemed to know before I did, you know, all the all the jerks at school, all the guys would call me fag and everything else. And I had this slew of lady friends that would stick up for me all the time. [00:04:30] And, uh, it was really embarrassing for me at one point in time, because when I finally decided I was going to tell everyone, um, I I felt bad for them because they had defended me for so long, but it turned out just as well because they said it. It shouldn't matter. Anyway. Um, you know, they were calling me a fag to be derogative towards me. Not that being gay was bad. They said, um, but, you know, then when they when you finally do admit to being a fag, then they'll find something else to call you. Um, which [00:05:00] is equally as derogative. So, uh, you know, my friends were pretty supportive. I didn't lose any friends over it, that's for sure. I probably gained more enemies when, you know, people were a bit shocked that I was not only looking like one, but, you know, openly acting like one as well. Not that I'd, you know, run around with Olympus and and a lisp and tight knees. I just, uh you know, if somebody asked, I wouldn't hesitate in saying so. And I had the support of my friends, which was really wonderful. Um, [00:05:30] and that, uh, you know, they were about as curious about it as I was. I mean, half of them were still virgins. Gosh, up until a few years ago, So they were always living vicariously through me and all my strange sexual experiences. So it was a It was a good experience. Um, my actual family family, my my blood family, where my mom's from, Uh, they were, uh, support more supportive than my step mom. Only because they felt sorry for me. And, you know, they're not very educated. [00:06:00] So it was a bit difficult for them to grasp, too. But like everyone else, they got used to it. And as I said, my step. Mom and I are best friends now, and she's, you know, supportive as as much as she can be as much as she understands. And, um, my father didn't take it very well. I hadn't spoken to him in many years, and I guess he found out some way or another and, uh, doesn't want to have anything to do with me, which is, you know, just just as well. Uh, it it, uh it was a tainted relationship even before he knew. [00:06:30] So, uh, it just added to the fire. But that's fine. Uh, other than that I, I don't have any enemies out of it. Let's put it that way. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 1970s ; Canada ; People ; Snapshot 2000 ; Stuff ; Vancouver ; acting ; alcohol and drug abuse ; bars ; blood ; coming out ; fag ; family ; fire ; friends ; gay ; growing up ; hair ; other ; persona ; school ; stereotypes ; support ; time ; treat ; voice ; work. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/snapshot_2000_edward.html. The master recording is also archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.  For more details visit their website https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.1089411. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.