Sherrie Tucker gives us an interesting conundrum to consider as historians here. Within the context of the historical controversy of sexual orientation, she discusses how she handled a situation in which she saw a connection that she wanted to know more about only to be discouraged by the subjects themselves. Of course, these sorts of things don’t just happen in regards to queer issues, they happen in most if not all facets of history. It is vastly important for us as historians to consider what is at stake for our subjects when we write about them. We need to be mindful about the connections we make and the conclusions to which we jump. While it was very obvious to Tucker that many of the women in these all-girl bands were not straight, she had to be mindful not to put a gay-liberation spin on a part of history that acted as more of a closet than a doorkey. Tucker could read between the lines and perhaps mention that some of the women in these groups were in fact lesbian (or otherwise not straight) but it would be inappropriate to make it the focus when it never was.
I think that someone becomes a historical subject by participating, knowingly or unknowingly, in an event that is historically significant. Maybe it’s a one-time thing, maybe they’re living through a longer-term event. We are all historical subjects in the sense that we are all living through a historical moment together. We’re writing about people and events within a larger historical happening, the COVID-19 pandemic. By virtue of existing in the year 2020, we are all witnesses and perpetrators of history. In a sense, maybe the women in Tucker’s case understood what they were. Perhaps they didn’t. Regardless, they are.
In regards to my project, it’s most important for me to think about these athletes as humans. These athletes aren’t much different from the average twenty-something short of their tax bracket status. They have misgivings and flaws just like most people in that age range. I owe them the respect of not seeing them as superhuman who lack flaws.