0000005924 00000 n >> By the time the 1968 convention was held in Denver, less than two dozen women attended. [18], In 1961 the largest raid on a gay bar in San Francisco resulted in the arrests of 100 people, and the police forced women arrested in another raid in Chicago to disrobe to prove they were not wearing men's underwear, bringing a call in The Ladder to be more active. They knew that...without support to develop the self-confidence necessary to advocate for one's rights, no social change would be possible for lesbians," wrote historian Marcia Gallo. <> The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955, was conceived as a social alternative to lesbian bars, which were subject to raids and police harassment. Willer pointed out the problems specific to lesbians were job security and advancement, and family relationships (child custody and visitation). "[12] There were only two copies of the subscription list of The Ladder, a deliberate attempt to discourage its getting into the hands of anyone who might use it against the subscribers. ÿØÿà JFIF H H ÿÛ C "S.F. However, as the social club gained popularity in the San Francisco area, it quickly began to turn its focus toward more political interests in the homophile movement. By 1960, the DOB had spread throughout the United States, and the organization’s first national convention, publicized by the DOB as “Ten Days in August,” took place at the Wickham Hotel in San Francisco, and was deemed a success by members of the organization. [51], There were only two copies of the subscription list. /L 16235 /Linearized 1.0 You don't have to give me your real name, not even your real first name."[13]. She reported the first DOB chapter in Australia in 1969 and attempts to form chapters in New Zealand and Scandinavia.

The gay couple introduced Martin and Lyon to another lesbian couple, one of whom suggested they create a social club. When Martin and Lyon were invited by a friend of a friend to join a small, secret lesbian social club, they jumped at the opportunity.

[35] But twenty-five of the most prominent lawyers in San Francisco joined the defense team for the four lawyers, and the judge directed the jury to find the four not guilty before the defense had even had a chance to begin their argumentation when the case came to court. Two things happened in 1963 that changed the course of the organization. As early as 1955 a rule was made that women who attended meetings, if wearing pants, should be wearing women's slacks. startxref Younger members didn't share the concerns with older members; they were more moved by revolutionary tactics. "S.F. By the mid-1960s, the political culture around homosexuality and protest was changing; the homophile movement and its call for assimilation gave way to the activism and celebration of identity of the pride movement. /Annots 24 0 R [5] In October 1955, eight women - four couples - met to provide each other with a social outlet. endobj 23 0 obj From the start they had a clear focus to educate other women about lesbians, and reduce their self-loathing brought on by the socially repressive times. "What Concrete Steps Can Be taken to Further the Homophile movement? When Barbara Gittings took over as editor of The Ladder, some members of the DOB criticized Gittings for her active incorporation of gay male contributors to The Ladder, feeling she was beginning to stray from The Ladder’s intents as a magazine with specific lesbian interest. Gittings made significant changes to the magazine, putting an emphasis on being more visible. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 34, No. >(f`�dàæQøÁã~PWá¨ØƆ‚Ö‡@ •3Æ It arose in the midst of militant struggles against racism and for women’s liberation. "[12], By 1959 there were chapters of the DOB in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Rhode Island along with the original chapter in San Francisco. "[13] When the club realized they weren't allowed to advertise their meetings in the newspaper, Lyon and Martin, who both had background in journalism, began to print a newsletter to distribute to as many women as the women in the group knew. The Daughters of Bilitis / bɪˈliːtɪs /, also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. As a national organization, the Daughters of Bilitis folded in 1970, although some local chapters continued for many years after. 04 June 2015. 0000006015 00000 n [17], In 1961 the largest raid on a gay bar in San Francisco resulted in the arrests of 100 people, and the police forced women arrested in another raid in Chicago to disrobe to prove they weren't wearing men's underwear, bringing a call in The Ladder to be more active. [51] Because LaPorte took the list over state lines, pursuing it would have been a federal matter, and the Daughters did not have the resources to see it through. 14 18 Bilitis is the name given to a fictional lesbian contemporary of Sappho by the French poet Pierre Louÿs in his 1894 work The Songs of Bilitis,[8] in which Bilitis lived on the Isle of Lesbos alongside Sappho. In 1955, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon had been together as lovers for three years when they complained to a gay male couple that they didn't know any other lesbians. Grier had high aspirations for The Ladder. Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), one of the first lesbian organizations to be established. [17], This was reflected in ongoing debate over the propriety of butch and femme dress and role play among its members. They're the female counterparts of the Mattachine Society - and one of the convention highlights will be an address by Atty.

stream In October 1956 it became The Ladder, the first nationally distributed lesbian publication in the U.S. and one of the first to publish statistics on lesbians, when they mailed surveys to their readers in 1958 and 1964. 3/4, 1998, pp. In 1960, letters from readers in The Ladder appeared that expressed exasperation with the emphasis on conformity in the DOB. Some readers responded positively to Kameny, some were put off by the political tone, and some were angered by Kameny, as a man, suggesting to them what they do. /E 7964 “It wasn’t like we had a community,” Martin said in an interview with Nan Boyd, author of Wide Open Town. Historian Lillian Faderman declared, "Its very establishment in the midst of witch-hunts and police harassment was an act of courage, since members always had to fear that they were under attack, not because of what they did, but merely because of who they were. Equality Forum, n.d. The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was the first lesbian-centered organization founded in the United States established in San Francisco in 1955. (I assume that it's at least close to reality in that respect, anyway. The Daughters of Bilitis began when lesbian couple Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin started meeting with several other female couples to discuss lesbian issues. Lesbian History. Among the founding members of DOB were Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, who would become well-known lesbian rights activists.

[46][47][48] The result was 35 to 28 against the inclusion of Elliott, or any trans women, in the DOB. a comment that was met with applause.[30].