Lesbians get no credit, only scorn, for starting the Feminist Revolution
Time for women everywhere to say thanks for the bravery of LGBTQ women, who stormed the beaches of patriarchy
Published Spring 2009
In the early 1970s, lesbian activism became a powerful social force as women drew strength from both the gay rights and feminist movements. Throughout the next four decades, lesbian and queer activists tackled a broad range of issues: sexual identity and sex itself, pop culture, race, class, violence, and many others. From early activists who advocated complete lesbian separatism to modern queer organizers who work in partnership with multiple identity groups, the "lesbian activist" movement has generated a huge variety of social formations and political ideologies. This exhibit, drawing from BCRW's extensive collection of LGBT-related materials, showcases just a few documents from this long history of struggle and social change. The following articles, photographs, zines, and pamphlets shed light on the many transformations and incarnations of lesbian activism over the past 40 years.
http://bcrw.barnard.edu/archive/lesbian.htm
JudyM
(29,270 posts)Miigwech
(3,741 posts)pnwmom
(108,990 posts)and she was one of the co-founders of NOW in 1966. Friedan, in turn, had been influenced by Simone deBeauvoir.
And Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pittman Hughes founded Ms. Magazine in 1971.
So I'm not sure what you mean about lesbians "starting" the Feminist revolution in the early 1970's, but it feels like you're erasing the efforts of the women leaders of the 60's.
And who is scorning the contributions of lesbian women in the movement?
but lesbians were front and center in organizing at the grass roots ... forming 'Woman's Centers' , marching in the streets. Much different from writing a book. Then they were sidelined because the visual didn't suit the movement.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)old enough to remember.
https://now.org/about/history/history-of-marches-and-mass-actions/
In perhaps the first picket ever by NOW members, activists in August 1967 dressed in vintage clothing to protest the old-fashioned policies of The New York Times, which then segregated help-wanted ads by gender. In December of the same year, NOW held its first national day of demonstrations in five cities, targeting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for issuing guidelines approving of the ads.
In September 1968, New York NOW members and other womens liberation activists picketed the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and though no bras were actually burned that day (some were thrown into a trash can), this is the event from which the myth of the bra burners evolved.
On August 26, 1970, on the 50th anniversary of womens suffrage, NOW activists organized a Womens Strike for Equality. Approximately 50,000 women marched in New York and another 100,000 women participated in demonstrations and rallies in 90 cities, 42 states.
but many early members were lesbian. BTW I am old enough to remember as well.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)and decades earlier, in the suffragette movement.
It didn't all start with lesbians in the 70's.
Miigwech
(3,741 posts)lesbians were not large in numbers, some, maybe not so much 'out' at the time but, hey, they were the also the push warriors. Then, we must agree, they were scorned because they somehow polluted the movement because of political optics. Truth.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)I also remember that most gay men and women, like my father, didn't tend to be out in the 60's -- in any venue. The Stonewall riots in 1969 are thought to be the beginning of the modern movement for gay and lesbian rights.
I do recall Ti-Grace Atkinson as a high-profile lesbian in the feminist movement.
Behind the Aegis
(53,979 posts)Of course, this will piss off some because, as any minority person knows, anytime we speak up and out, the majority realizes how "put upon" they actually are and how their contributions are going to be erased.
MuseRider
(34,115 posts)any women who ever participated and for ALL who organized. I don't care who was earliest I just know we need each other so desperately. Exclude no woman who is working for our equality. Maybe one day we will have the luxuries of sorting this all out but if we have to, have we really learned anything about equality? It makes me sad that some women feel left out, it should never ever been that way but it has been. Credit to all now, we have at least learned that much I hope. Thank you lesbian women and thank you for this post. I had never heard this.
Thank you lesbian women, thank you women of color, thank you to ALL women. I remember the excitement of the beginnings of the movement. You are all my heros.
gay texan
(2,470 posts)Thank you!!!!