Collection

Tauriac, Albert Oral History Interview

Span Dates: 2013
Bulk Dates:
Volume: 1 digital audio file (55 minutes); Transcript (19 leaves); Abstract (2 leaves)

Description

In his interview, Tauriac discussed when he realized he was attracted to men, and how he dealt with religious pressure to be straight. A majority of this interview focuses on his involvement in the civil rights movement and his emulsion into Boston's gay community. Tauriac describes his experience with northern and southern racism, and how he navigated a professional setting as a black man. He speaks of his struggle with his sexuality, and how he mitigated the societal pressure. Tauriac also discusses coming out to his family, and how his life changed afterward. This includes his acceptance of his sexuality, his life with his long-term partner, being diagnosed with HIV, and his relationship with religion.

Hist/Bio Note

Albert Tauriac was born on November 17, 1941, in Liberty, Texas. As a young child, Tauriac's family moved to Patoutville, Louisiana, where he lived until he graduated high school. Tauriac attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, and participated in multiple civil rights demonstrations across the city. When Southern University temporarily closed in 1962 due to an increase of demonstrations, Tauriac moved to Boston to attend the IBM school. In Boston, he began his career at Gillette, married his wife, started a family, and explored the gay culture of the area. Following a divorce from his wife, Tauriac met his long-term partner and remained together until his death. After thirty years, Tauriac retired from his management position and spent the rest of his years living between Lafayette and Boston. In December of 2016, Tauriac died at the age of 75.

Finding Aid

An abstract of the oral history interview is available online.
https://lib.lsu.edu/sites/all/files/oralhistory/abstracts/lgbtqlafayette/Tauriac_Albert_T4497_abs.pdf

Location

Louisiana State University Special Collections Baton Rouge, Louisiana
https://www.lib.lsu.edu/special

Tags

Black | Catholic (Roman) | Boston | Louisiana | Massachusetts | Baton Rouge