The following pages listed below include questions to Dr. Andrea Eckelman, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Montevallo, Ms. Elaine Stephens, a member of the Montevallo Acceptance Project Steering Committee and community member, and Erin Green, a student at the University of Montevallo and the President of Spectrum, the University’s LGBTQIA+ group. Alongside each interview is a photo of the interviewee and information regarding their place in the community and their role in the creation, discussion, and passage of the non-discrimination ordinance. It is important to note that we reached out to members of the Montevallo community who were in the opposition of the NDO, but we were unable to receive any interest or responses from those we contacted.
Although we were unable to have audio for each interview, Dr. Andrea Eckelman’s interview does include audio. If you would like to listen to the interview, it will be listed alongside her transcript.
To view the transcript or listen to an audio recording of Dr. Andrea Eckelman’s interview, click here.
To view the transcript of Ms. Elaine Stephens’ interview, click here.
To view the transcript of Erin Green’s interview, click here.
For transparency, we have included the interview questions below. We asked each participant to answer these questions openly and honestly, and to answer to the best of their knowledge. The content of some interviews has been redacted due to sensitive information.
Interview Questions
- Tell us about yourself. What is your name? How do you self-identify? What are your pronouns? What is your connection to the City of Montevallo or the University of Montevallo?
- What does the community of Montevallo mean to you? How would you describe it?
- What is your role in the community?
- When did you first learn of the proposal for a non-discrimination ordinance?
- What was your initial perception of the non-discrimination ordinance?
- How was your role in the community crucial to your participation in forums, panels, and/or community discussions regarding the non-discrimination ordinance?
- What was your most memorable moment during the process of the creation, debate, or passage of the non-discrimination ordinance?
- Did your personal beliefs or identities influence your advocacy for or against the non-discrimination ordinance?
- Did you have any experiences prior to the creation of the non-discrimination ordinance which prompted your advocacy for or against the non-discrimination ordinance?
- Do you feel that the city government involvement in moderating forums, panels, and discussions among the community provided everyone an equal opportunity to express their opinions or beliefs?
- How do you feel that the community has been impacted by the passage of the non-discrimination ordinance?
- Where do you see the City of Montevallo in the next five to ten years in regards to the enactment of the non-discrimination ordinance?