Browse Items (18 total)
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Ladder Workshop/Wendy Hayes, 1970s (Part 2)
About the First Lesbian Convention in San Francisco. A discussion of early scientific studies of sexuality (a couple of attendees and host talk about shock therapy). Trigger Warning: Discussion of shock therapy and suicide. -
Jean Ko Stewart, 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. -
Alma Routsong, January 20, 1990 (Tape 1)
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. -
Alma Routsong, January 20, 1990 (Tape 2)
Alma Routsong is interviewed in New York in 1990. She discusses DOB groups and events, as well as the demise of DOB. -
Anne MacKay, 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. -
Julie Lee, 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. -
Astraea
Short clips of several interviews with various members of the Daughters of Bilitis about their experiences with the group and being a lesbian in the 1950s and thereafter. -
Karen Ryer Anderson
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. -
Nikki Nichols, May 14, 1987 (Tape 1)
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. -
Pat Turner, December 31, 1987 (Tape 1)
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. -
Nikki Nichols, May 14, 1987 (Tape 2)
Nikki Nichols 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. -
Lesbian Nation, December 26, 1972
Interview with Julie Lee, an important member of the Daughters of Bilitis, about the New Jersey National Organization for Women (N.O.W.) and her struggles to create a chapter of NOW dedicated to "doubly-oppressed" women (which included lesbians, POC women and improvished women in the community). -
Lesbian Nation, January 30, 1973
Interview with Jane Kogan about Daughters of Bilitis and why she gave up painting and her life as an activist and artist [The Lady’s Not for Sale by Kris Kristofferson plays] . -
Lesbian Nation, August 25, 1972
An interview with Julie Lee about her background, work and ongoings with New York City & New Jersey branches of Daughters of Bilitis. This recording also includes a discussion of the book “Lesbian Woman” by Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon, the topics it addresses and Julie Lee’s efforts on east coast distribution of the book. -
Lesbian Nation, July 28, 1972
Martha Shelley interviews Gene Damon aka Barbara Grier, founder of the lesbian magazine The Ladder (1956-1972). They discuss the beginnings of The Ladder and how it evolved from a smaller publication within the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) into an independent publication. Grier discusses the shift in content as well once the magazine became independent of the Daughters of Bilitis. Grier felt that under DOB they were focused on presenting a clean public image of lesbians to society at large and that this was reflected in what was published in older versions of The Ladder. Once Grier became the editor, she felt it was important to address topics like sexuality, saying “we began running material that deals with sex honestly and forthrightly.”Tags Barbara Grier, Coming Out, Daughters of Bilitis, Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), Interviews, Lesbian Musician, Lesbian Nation, Lesbian Writer, Literature, Martha Shelley, Music, Publications, Sex, Sexual Relationships, Sexuality, The Ladder, Women's Lesbian Liberation Committee, Women's Liberation Movement, Writing -
Ladder Workshop/Wendy Hayes, 1970s (Part 1)
Wendy Hayes elaborates her coming out in San Francisco and joining the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). The Daughters of Bilitis started as a group of women trying to find an alternative to the bar scene in San Francisco. -
Ladder Workshop/Wendy Hayes, 1970s (Part 3)
Creating local Lesbian chapters and national communication through publications: The Ladder, Focus, Sisters, and Lesbian Tide.