Lesbian Feminism: 1955- 1980’s
Lily Coryell April 26, 2013
Main Goals of the Movement:
 An end to patriarchy and men’s control over women’s lives

Recognition of lesbianism as a feminist issue

The creation of a separate lesbian/ feminist collective identity and culture
Chronology:
Phase 1: Lesbian Feminist Activism and SMO's 1955- 1970's
 1955- Establishment of a secret society for lesbians in San Francisco, called the
Daughters of Bilitis, with Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon as its leaders. They publish The
Ladder, the first periodical devoted specifically to lesbian issues. The Daughters of
Bilitis eventually became an official, public non-profit in 1957.
 June 28, 1969: The New York Police raid the Stonewall Inn, touching off the beginning
of the Gay rights movement. Early gay rights activism was mostly male dominated, and
lesbians who joined these groups often left soon afterwards.
 1967- 1969: Lesbians join feminist groups, such as NOW, however they were often
silenced or purged from the ranks of these groups for fear that lesbian issues will
discredit the women’s rights movement. Betty Friedan, president of NOW, calls lesbians
the “lavender menace.”
 1970: The Radicalesbians form in New York City with members such as Rita Mae
Brown, Louis Hart, and Ellen Shumsky. The group framed lesbianism as a political
choice which allowed women to truly integrate their emotional, sexual, and political
lives.
 May 1970: NOW's 2nd Congress to Unite Women. The Radicalesbians, wearing shirts
with the phrase “lavender menace” on them, take the microphone and begin talks about
lesbian issues. They distribute the Woman- Identified- Woman, a pamphlet outlining the
ideas of the Radicalesbians. It said that the only way to end male oppression is to truly
free women of their ties to men, along with outlining other ideas.
 1971: Creation of The Furies Collective by Charlotte Bunch and Rita Mae Brown, they
decide to withdraw from straight feminist politics and to develop a separatist strategy.
They publication “Lesbians in Revolt,” which also defined lesbianism as a political
choice which could bring about the end of male supremacy.
Phase 2: The Creation of a Lesbian Feminist Identity and Culture
 1973: Publication of Lesbian Nation: The Feminist Solution by Jill Johnston. This book
spoke of the separate space which lesbians had succeeded in creating in New York City.
The book also gave a definition of lesbianism which said that lesbians were women
united in the struggle to end the institution of marriage.
 1976: The Michigan Womyn Festival begins as a separate space for lesbians to enjoy the
music of other lesbians and to enjoy the company of other lesbians. The festival
continues to this day.
 1980: Publication of "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" by Adrienne
Rich, an article which reviewed other pieces of feminist scholarship which dealt with
lesbian issues and also speculated that if American culture did not assume and require
everyone to be heterosexual that many more women would chose to love other women.
Important people:
 Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon- these women were the founders of the Daughters of Bilitis.
There were also the first same sex couple to be married in the state of California in 2007.
 Rita Mae Brown- leader of the Radicalesbians in New York City and one of the founders
of the Furies Collective. She is now a novelist.
 Charlotte Bunch- founder of the Furies Collective. After the end of the Furies she went
on to publish Quest: A Feminist Quarterly, which dealt with lesbian issue which the
Furies had begun to analyze.
 Jill Johnston- writer for the Village Voice and author of Lesbian Nation: The Feminist
Solution.
 Adrienne Rich- poet and author of “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence.”
Key Organizations
 Daughters of Bilitis: Founded in 1955 as a secret organization of women who wanted to
be able to meet and socialized with other lesbians in San Francisco. They published The
Ladder a magazine which dealt with lesbian issues and they attempted to raise awareness
and understanding about homosexuality.
 Radicalesbians: This group was founded in 1970 and while it only lasted about a year it
began to articulate the ideas about lesbian feminism in the “Woman- IdentifiedWomen.”
 The Furies Collective: This group was formed in 1971 by Charlotte Bunch and Rita Mae
Brown, also with the purpose of developing a lesbian feminist analysis of women’s lives.
Sources:
Bunch, Charlotte. Passionate Politics: essays, 1968-1986: Feminist theory in action/ Charlotte
Bunch. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1987.
Chenier, Elise. “Lesbian Feminism.” GLBTQ. 2011.
http://ezpro.cc.gettysburg.edu:2058/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=70697157&sit
e=eds-live.
Rapp, Linda. “Radicalesbians,” GLBTQ. 2004.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=70697271&site=edslive.
Rosen, Ruth. The World Split Open: How the Modern Women’s Movement Changed America.
New York: Penguin Books, 2001.