Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections

Daughters of Bilitis Video Project, 1987-1993

Title

Description

This collection includes videos created as part of the Daughters of Bilitis Video Project collection. The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was a social and activist group founded in 1955. The video project began in 1987 with the purpose of conducting interviews with the DOB founders and former members documenting their critical role in the gay and lesbian liberation and Civil Rights movement. The interviews focus on the formation and impact of the many DOB chapters around the country. Some of the issues discussed are whether the DOB was primarily a social or activist group, attitudes regarding assimilation, and the "theft" of the DOB publication The Ladder.

Individual interviewees discuss their childhoods, sexual awakenings, personal relationships as well as their first encounters with the DOB and their perspectives on the organization.

Morgan Gwenwald suggested the project, founding DOB member Sara Yager videotaped all the interviews, and founding DOB member Manuela Soares researched and conducted all of the interviews.

The videos gathered here have been digitized from VHS tapes by students at the Pratt Institute’s Library and Information Science Program. This is a comprehensive collection of the interviews gathered for the Daughters of Bilitis Video Project. The original materials are held in off-site storage by the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

Transcriptions of many of the videotaped interviews are available, thanks to Ruth Helmich, Kelly Anderson, Trista Sordillo, Manuela Soares, and others.

Links to the the individual interviews are at the bottom of the page. Some longer interviews will be collated in subgroups of the collection tree.

For more on the DOB, see:

Gallo, M. (2007). Different daughters: A history of the Daughters of Bilitis and the rise of the lesbian civil rights movement. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press.

The Journal of Homosexuality, “The Purloined Ladder,” Volume 34, Numbers 3/4, 1998.

Collection Items

Marion Zimmer Bradley Interview, October 17, 1988

Marion Zimmer Bradley talks about her experience growing up, her marriage and children, being a woman writer in science fiction, writing for The Ladder, and discrimination in publishing. She also touches upon her struggles as a lesbian mother.

Tags Manuela Soares
Shirley Willer Interview, July 11, 1987

Shirley Willer talks about becoming aware of her true sexuality, being a lesbian nurse, the DOB, her view on motherhood, and her experience as an activist. On tape 2, she discusses her National Presidency of DOB, the break up of DOB in 1970 and the end of the Ladder in 1972. She also touches on the 1968 convention and her relationship with Marion.

Tags Employment, Identity, Lesbian, Manuela Soares, Shirley WIller, Work
Pat Walker Interview, October 18, 1988

Pat Walker talks about her mother's reaction to her sexuality, her first girlfriend, living with blindness, and her experiences with the DOB and its members.

Tags Manuela Soares
Pat Turner Interview, December 31, 1987

Pat Turner describes early experiences as a lesbian growing up in the south, conflicts with her enthusiasm for religion as a young person, and her family’s reaction to her sexual orientation. She talks about the relative lack of gay social life in Tennessee, despite the existence of certain bars in Nashville. Discusses how her first letter to The Ladder became an article, and the response from readers. Describes working on The Ladder, and later experiences after the Stonewall.

Tags Catholic Lesbians, Catholic school, Childhood, Christianity, Daughters of Bilitis, Gay Bars, Identity, Mailing Lists, Pat Turner, Poetry, The Ladder
Judith Schwarz Interview, 1992

Tags Judith Schwarz
Deborah Edel, Joan Nestle & Judith Schwarz Interview

Deborah Edel, Joan Nestle, and Judith Schwarz discuss the formation of the Lesbian Herstory Archives in the 1970s. They detail how the Archives grew out of a consciousness raising group through the Gay Academic Union in 1973. They talk about the mission of the archives, to ensure that lesbian voices and culture were heard and preserved. They also talk about the growth of their collections through donations of books, papers, and photographs from the lesbian community.

Tags Consciousness Raising, Deborah Edel, Joan Nestle, Judith Schwarz, Lesbian Herstory Archives, Lesbian Studies
P.D. Griffin Interview, May 13, 1987

P.D. Griffin discusses her role in the Daughters of Bilitis and her relationship to the lesbian community. She also discusses her interests, which include softball and ukulele.

Tags Adoption, Books, Social Life, Sports, Women
Billye Talmadge Interview, 1987

Billye Talmadge discusses her early experiences as she came to understand her own preferences and sexuality, and the support she received from her college dean, classmate, and mother. She describes her role in the Daughters of Bilitis and the responsibilities and liabilities of being an officer in the group. She elaborates on the social and political climate of the times, and how she endeavored to help people overcome their fear of harassment and discrimination through providing education and supportive counseling and resources.

Tags Activism, Billye Talmadge, Conferences, Counseling, Discrimination, Police Harassment, Political Movements, Psychology, Religion, The Ladder, Voting, Well of Loneliness
Helen Ruvelas Interview, May 10, 1987

Helen Ruvelas discusses her involvement with the Daughters of Bilitis during the 1970’s and the strong friendships she developed with some of the women in the group. She also talks about her eventual drift away from the group and its dissolution.

Tags Social Life, Women, Women's Political Organizations
Nikki Nichols Interview, May 14, 1987

Nikki Nichols describes her coming out process, and experiences with older lesbian women as a teenager. Discusses changing views on butch/fem issue. Laments the lack of lesbian groups in Sacramento, as well as describing issues with and fears of gay bars. Talks about how the discovery of DOB saved her life – socially and otherwise. Describes first DOB convention in 1960. Discusses her research into Native American attitudes towards homosexuality, as well as Native American rights movement.

On tape 2, she talks about The Ladder and its role in lesbian history, and gives her thoughts about which leaders loomed large in the DOB. She brings up the Act or Teach “controversy” of the early 60s. She mentions problems with drug culture in San Francisco during the 60s. She also talks about her enthusiasm for active protest/picketing, and the difficulties of getting gay activists and rallies in California outside of San Francisco.

Tags Bars, Butch and Femme, California, Childhood, Colleges and Universities, Coming Out, Conferences, Daughters of Bilitis, Demonstrations, Drugs, Intergenerational Relationships, Nikki Nichols, Police Harassment
Rose Jordan Interview, May 23, 1993

Rose Jordan discusses her involvement with women’s political organizations, including the New York chapter of of the Daughters of Bilitis, and feminist groups along with the schism that existed between 2 generations of lesbian women.

Accompanied by an abridged version highlighting Rose Jordan's discussion of political organizations and feminist groups.

Tags Demonstrations, Rose Jordan, Social Life, Women, Women's Political Organizations
Arcus Flynn Interview, November 1, 1987

Arcus Flynn discusses her early life and her struggle with isolation and depression, her eventual discovery of the Daughters of Bilitis meetings and the community and friendships she found there. Arcus talks about the early importance of roles assumed by lesbians in the community (butch/femme), her involvement with the Women’s Rights movement, her evolution from Catholicism to born-again pagan spirituality (the Irish triad: truth, knowledge, and nature), and her discovery of herbology and natural healing.

Tags Bars, Butch and Femme, Catholic Lesbians, Demonstrations, Feminism, Healing, Health Care, Irish American Lesbians, Museums, Nuns, Police Harassment, Social Life, Spirituality, Stonewall, Suicide
Lois Beeby Interview, May 9, 1987

Lois Beeby discusses her early experiences and confusion as to recognizing she was a lesbian. She speaks about her role as a member and officer in the Daughters of Bilitis, and the eventual unrest and split in the group, leading to her leaving DOB. She speaks of unrest between gay men and lesbians and the desire for the two to join together as a united front.

Tags Butch and Femme, Clubs, Counseling, Friendship, Gay Men, Lois Beeby, Police Harassment, Sailing, Social Life, Support Groups, The Ladder
Karen Anderson Ryer Interview, 1987

Karen Anderson Ryer discusses her coming out process, and the acceptance of her parents. She talks about butch vs. fem, and changing generational attitudes. Discusses importance of feminism to lesbianism specifically, and differences from gay men’s movement. She details the split of “The Ladder” from the San Francisco chapter from DOB, and how she left to start a new magazine. Also mentions the integration of different lesbian communities – Oakland vs. San Francisco, and the impact of AIDS on the lesbian community.

Tags Activism, Coming Out, Dating, Daughters of Bilitis, Film, Gay Men, Karen Anderson Ryer, Lesbian Writer, Mailing Lists, Separatism, The Ladder
Pamela Oline Interview, [date unknown]

Pamela Oline is interviewed. She is heterosexual and talks about her path to and experience of being a member of DOB and campaigning for gay and lesbian rights. She describes her childhood growing up in England, moving to America when she was 14 and changing career from a mathematician and to a psychotherapist. Recognizing the psychological issues of the time, she decided to understand the lesbian community from the inside. She talks about DOB meetings, lesbian and feminism issues, radical and conventional activism, marriage, and GAU (Gay Academic Union) meetings, panel discussions, etc.

Accompanied by an edited collection of clips, featuring Oline talking about being a Lesbian, the DOB and its eventual fractioning, and the debate of whether the lesbian's movement should be separate from the women's movement.

Tags Activism, Feminism, Heterosexuality, Manuela Soares, Marriage, New York City Lesbians & Gays, Pamela Oline, Therapy
Martha Shelley Interview, June 24, 1989

Martha Shelley is interviewed in New York in 1989. She talks about being a lesbian in New York from the 1960s, the negative views of lesbians portrayed by psychologists, the bar scene, roles and her use of a pseudonym. She talks about finding DOB, the meetings and discussions that took place, and her contributions to the Ladder. She talks about Jean Powers and other members of DOB and describes the members as mixed race, working class, couples and singles. She also talks about her political activism in terms of DOB, peace, civil rights and the Stonewall Riots, including the marches she was involved in and the speeches she made.

Tags Activism, Martha Shelley, New York City Lesbians & Gays, Roles, Stonewall, The Ladder
Linda Lopez Interview, October 22, 1988

Linda Lopez is interviewed in 1988. She talks about growing up in the South and how she fared as a lesbian living in a conservative community. She discusses the Dallas DOB and how the membership consisted of a number of women who had been married, divorced and had kids (including herself). She talks about the custody battle she had with her parents over her son and how many women faced similar battles but with their spouses. She also talks about how she and a number of women lost their jobs when it was discovered that they were lesbians. She discusses the Dallas DOB's events.

On tape 2, she talks about the impact of the Dallas DOB in Dallas and beyond, how it inspired activism and other organizations. She talks about Rob [Shivers]' leadership and its role in DOB's strength. She discusses Dallas and the South in General - how lesbians were treated and how they lived. She talks about the need for job security, the roles and expectations of women.

Tags Children, Gender Roles, Identity, Job Discrimination, Linda Lopez, Marriage, Relationships, Republican Party, Roles
Kay O'Hara and Gerrie Morrison Interview, October 20, 1988

Kay O'Hara and Gerrie Morrison are interviewed in 1988. They both talk about their family lives, when they realized they were lesbians, coming out, their relationship, and previous relationships. Kay mentions her engagement and marriage before she accepted she was a lesbian. They talk about the San Francisco DOB from the 1950s and the meeting's events that were held, as well as butch and femme roles. They talk about literature that was available, including the Ladder and the contributions they made to its design and distribution. On tape 2, they comment on a series of slides and photographs of members of DOB.

Tags Butch and Femme, Colleges and Universities, Coming Out, Families, Fashion, Friendship, Gerrie Morrison, Images, Kay O'Hara, Literature, The Ladder
Ruth Simpson and Ellen Povill Interview, October 8, 1989

Ruth Simpson and Ellen Povill are interviewed in Woodstock, New York. Ruth talks about her past experience dating men and falling in love. She discusses coming out and realizing her sexual orientation when she was doing theater in college. On tape 2, she and Ellen Povill talk about various movements, including civil rights, feminism and gay and lesbian rights. They describe the day a group of feminists were arrested at a demonstration and the police brutality they experienced and later on, examples of FBI interception. Ruth discusses DOB and her leadership of the New York chapter and Ellen talks about her activities on the action committee.

Tags Activism, Coming Out, Discrimination, Feminism, Police Harassment, Relationships, Ruth Simpson, Theater
Renee Shapiro Interview, April 1, 1989

Renee Shapiro is interviewed April 1, 1989. She discusses joining the Daughters of Bilitis and the various group activities they did. Renee talks about her hands on experience with putting together plays and different group events.

Tags Coming Out, Communities, Theater
Marilyn Lamkay Interview, April 8, 1987

Marliyn Lamkay is interviewed in New York City in 1987 (it seems to continue from a previous video and is perhaps continued in another video). She talks about being a lesbian in New York and coming out to her family and professionally, her relationships and religious beliefs. She discusses lesbian roles and how she didn't fit into any of the existing roles, even in the DOB community. She discusses community building and CR groups when she was younger and how she went on to hold workshops about resources for gay and lesbian New Yorkers at Bronx Community College. She mentions New YorkDOB meetings and the influence that DOB had in the creation of subsequent lesbian groups and communities.

Tags Butch and Femme, Coming Out, Jewish Lesbians, New York City Lesbians & Gays, Roles
Julie Lee Interview, 1989

Julie Lee and her partner [Ginny] are interviewed in 1989. They discuss relationships, lesbian communities, activism and the civil rights movement. Julie talks about her role as secretary of the New York chapter of DOB and her roles in United Sisters, ACLU, etc. They both talk about police harassment and how 'out' lesbians lost their jobs. Julie also mentions her pseudonym.

Tags Activism, Anti-Semitism, Coming Out, Daughters of Bilitis, Discrimination, Job Discrimination, Julie Lee, Police Harassment, Relationships
Jean Ko Stewart Interview, April 11, 1989

Jean Ko Stewart is interviewed in Boston in 1989. She discusses her early relationships with women and coming out. She speaks about her role as the Vice President of the Boston chapter, which involved organizing dances and concerts and a focus on providing a community space for lesbians. She compares the political and social climate of California and Boston, and considers Boston’s racial climate at the time. Jean explains that she moved to California because she heard that women wore slacks to work, which was considered unacceptable in Boston in the 1960s.

Accompanied by an abridged version where Jean Ko Stewart speaks about meeting with the Daughters of Bilitis community.

Tags California, Daughters of Bilitis, Jean Ko Stewart, Manuela Soares, Race Relations, Spirituality
Barbara Sang Interview, April 22, 1989

Barbara Sang is interveiwed in 1989. She talks about how she went through psychotherapy and attempted to live as a heterosexual woman. She discusses her role in the New York chapter of DOB as the Education Chair and the programs and events she organized as well as finding as much information as she could about gays and lesbians. She also talks about DOB in the 1960s and the privacy it afforded its members, not insisting that they come out, which was criticized by more radical movements.

Tags Marriage, Psychology, Radical Lesbians, Roles, Therapy
Barbara Emmerth Interview, February 21, 1988

Barbara Emmerth is interviewed in New York City in 1988. She discusses the uniqueness of coming out on West Virginia in the 1950s where there was little stigma attached to homosexuality because there was so little understanding or awareness of it. She speaks about her relationships, moving to New York City in the 1960s and her involvement with DOB (including a brief stint as the VP of the New York chapter) and with SAGE (Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders).

Tags Coming Out, New York City Lesbians & Gays, Older Lesbians, Roles, Small Towns
Anne MacKay Interview, April 24, 1988

Anne MacKay is interviewed in Orient Point, New York in 1988. She discusses the early days of the DOB, lesbian conventions, coming out to her family, socializing, theatrical productions to help fund the Lesbian Herstory Archives, and relationships between lesbians.

Tags Coming Out, Daughters of Bilitis, Lesbian Herstory Archives, Relationships, The Ladder, Theater
Alma Routsong Interview, January 20, 1990

Alma Routsong is interviewed in New York in 1990. She discusses her early experiences of being a lesbian and coming out. She explains how lesbian literature of the time informed her about DOB and influenced her to leave her husband and move to New York with her lover. Alma also discusses her writing career and use of a pseudonym. In tape 2 she discusses DOB groups and events, as well as the demise of DOB.

Tags Alma Routsong, Coming Out, Daughters of Bilitis, Femininity & Masculinity, Isabel Miller, Lesbian Literature, Lesbian Writer, Military, New York City Lesbians & Gays, Relationships, The Ladder
Jeanne Cordova Interview, October 27, 1988

Jeanne Cordova discusses how the Daughters of Bilitis inspired her to change her career path and passions in life from aspirations of playing soft ball, to becoming highly involved in activism.

Tags Activism, Manuela Soares, Social Work
Carole Morton Interview, October 21, 1988

Carole Morton discusses her discovery of Daughters of Bilitis and her activism on behalf of lesbian mothers.

Tags Homophile Movement, Lesbian Mothers, Manuela Soares, Marriage
Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Interview, 1988

Barbara Gittings talks about her life and her history with the Daughters of Bilitis. She served as the National Corresponding Secretary for DOB and helped run the NYC chapter when she was living in Philadelphia. Despite that, she frequently criticizes DOB positions and found herself to be more radical in her approach to activism. She speaks about concerns of being infiltrated by the FBI, and heists of the publication "The Ladder". The interview closes with Gittings speaking about organizing for conferences and workshops, including creating exhibits for the 1971 American Psychiatry Conference in San Francisco.

Tags Activism, Barbara Gittings, Butch and Femme, Kay Tobin, Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, Manuela Soares, Police Harassment
Judith Schwarz and Joan Nestle Interview, November 14, 1992

The interview begins with Judith Schwarz and her recollections of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and how she knew of women who were hesitant to join Daughters of Bilitis, as they simply wanted to meet women at the bar, and feared their names appearing with labels publicly. She also discusses how women were hesitant to receive mail from Daughters of Bilitis for the same reason. She also talks about her first woman lover, and the circumstances that led to that.

Accompanied by an edited version where Judith Schwarz talks about the significance of DOB, the secrecy of membership, new member experience, social events, and harassment. Joan Nestle talks about the perception of the DOB as a threat during the McCarthy Era, the complexity of the organization, and her own perceptions of DOB.

Tags Abortion, Bars, Joan Nestle, Judith Schwarz, Lesbian Studies, Mailing Lists, Manuela Soares
Pat Helin and Barbara Deming Interview, May 10, 1987

Pat Helin and Barbara Deming discuss their childhood in Iowa, relationships with their familes, their involvement with the Daughters of Bilitis in San Francisco and their friendship with Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.

On tape 2, they elaborate on their early days in San Francisco, Pat’s previous marriage, political affiliations, jobs, dancing in gay bars, and why they ultimately left the DOB.

Tags AIDS, Barbara Deming, Bars, Coming Out, Consciousness Raising, Del Martin, Feminism, Gay Men, Homophile Movement, Manuela Soares, Marriage, Mothers, Pat Helin, Phyllis Lyon, Republican Party, Small Towns, Unions
Edythe D. Eyde aka Lisa Ben Interview, October 25, 1988

Edith Eyde talks about her life growing up in rural southern California, moving to Los Angelos and discovering the lesbian culture there. She discusses publishing Vice Versa, one of the first lesbian magazines, and her music career.

On the second tape, she continues to discuss her experiences in California, interacting with others who were vested in the same interests surrounding lesbian culture, and being proactive in literature and the arts.

Tags Edith Eyde, Lesbians, Literature, Manuela Soares, Music
Lois Johnson and Sheri Barden Interview, April 1, 1989

The interview begins with Lois Johnson, who discusses when she realized that she was a lesbian, which caused her to move out to California and take a job in journalism. It was there that she met a woman who eventually became her lover, and they used to play music together. Sheri Barden talks about her social life after she met Lois Johnson, though she did like to party with her landlord, who was also a lesbian, though these social affairs pretty much came to an end when her relationship began with Lois.

On tape 2, Lois Johnson discusses expressing herself emotionally, and how she repressed her anger initially, unlike Sheri, who would often explode, leading to a lot of crying in the early part of their relationship. However, she continues to believe in love and commitment, and credits Sheri for having a great sense of humor. Sheri Barden also talks about her businesses, including a bed and breakfast that houses many lesbians. The two then reminisce on what they have in common, including their love of cats.

Tags Bars, Housing, Humor, Lois Johnson, Manuela Soares, Music, Relationships, Sheri Barden

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Collection Tree

Audio and Video Collections
- Daughters of Bilitis Video Project, 1987-1993