Gaying Up the Place: Lesbian Feminism During the Second Wave
On May 1, 1970, a group of lesbian feminists went to the Second Congress to Unite Women to protest the exclusion of lesbians from the feminist movement. They wore lavender shirts with the words “Lavender Menace” printed on them, a title given to lesbians by Betty Friedan, and ran through the auditorium yelling and urging the audience, “Yes, yes, sisters! I'm tired of being in the closet because of the women's movement. Who wants to join us?”
What is "lesbian feminism"?
History, on the whole, is always told through the lense of the dominant group. Second Wave Feminism is no exception. Feminism during the 1960s and 1970s was often characterized by debates surrounding family, the workplace, and reproductive rights - debates that were only inclusive of straight, white, middle-class women. A significantly overlooked aspect of the time period is its accomplishments in intersectionality brought on by queer women. While mainstream discourse focused primarily on issues experienced by straight women, lesbian activists advocated for both lesbian and straight women's issues. To paint a better picture of lesbian feminism, we should consider the lives and accomplishments of two notable figures: Audre Lorde and Rita Mae Brown.
Audre Lorde: Black, Lesbian, Mother, Warrior, Poet
Audre Lorde's criticism of Second Wave Feminism targets the lack of intersectionality within the movement. Because of her work in introducing intersectionality into mainstream feminist discourse, she is permanently woven to the term "black lesbian feminism."
In Lorde's writings, she presents a "theory of difference" [1]. This theory encourages the celebration of differences in order to create a healthy society. When she refers to variant forms of bigotry, she says, "These forms of human blindness stem from the same root - an inability to recognize difference as a dynamic human force, one which is enriching rather than threatening to the defined self, when there are shared goals" [2]. To recognize difference is to recognize sameness - to recognize struggle. This, she proposes, can be the driving force of the feminist movement.
Her poetry also expresses her sentiments on being part of two groups who are victims of the dominantly white feminist movement: POCs and lesbians. Because of this "double-jeopardy", Lorde never felt as though she belonged to one group. This excerpt from her poem Between Ourselves reflects on her feelings of isolation from the Black community because of her sexual orientation:
"Once when I walked into a room
my eyes would seek out the one or
two black faces
for contact or reassurance or a signI was not alone
now walking into rooms full ofblack faces
that would destroy me for anydifference
where shall my eyes look?
Once it was easy to know who weremy people" [3]
Lorde saw the need for intersectionality within the feminist movement because women's lives are not singular or static, but are multi-faceted. All of those facets deserve recognition in a movement that is meant to empower women. Feminism must have the capacity to address the issues that impact women with multiple victimized identities. In her own words, "There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not lead single-issue lives" [4].
One research article proves the impact of Audre Lorde initiating intersectional dialogues by assessing the "organizational missions, visions, values and practices" of five different women's organizations [5]. The organizations that were examined include: National Organization for Women (NOW), Grand Valley State University Women’s Center, Ms. Foundation, Third Wave Foundation, and Guerilla Girls. Their analysis reveals that all five organizations address and consider intersectionality. Therefore, it can be said that Lorde's introduction of intersectionality during the Second Wave has had lasting impacts on the feminism we see today. Further, it is noteworthy that NOW, an organization that has a history of excluding POCs and queer women during the Second Wave, has been responsive to Lorde's critiques and includes intersectional issues in its agenda today.
"Those of us who stand outside the circle of this society's definition of acceptable women; those of us who have been forged in the crucibles of difference -- those of us who are poor, who are lesbians, who are Black, who are older -- know that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths. For the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." (Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde) [6]
Rita Mae Brown: the Original Lavender Menace
The charasmatic firecracker of Second Wave lesbian feminism, Rita Mae Brown never failed to speak her mind in spaces where she was being silenced. As Karla Jay reflects, "One thing you were not going to tell Rita was to 'shut up'" [7].
Brown started out in an administrative position within NOW. Following remarks from Betty Friedan about lesbians in the movement, she soon left the organization - not without making herself heard, however. Recounting her departure from NOW, Brown says:
"I was in NOW, and as NOW went on I called them on the carpet about class, I called them on the carpet about race, and then I called them on the carpet about lesbianism. I said, you are treating women the way men treat you, and those women are lesbians. Well, my God, you would have thought I unleashed an elephant in the middle of the room. They couldn’t bustle me out of that organization fast enough. I was thrown out." [8]
After leaving NOW, Brown joined other feminist groups where she continued to demand that lesbian issues be addressed. In her memoir, she reveals that she gave a warning to her former colleagues who were still a part of NOW: "I took to calling NOW by a new name: NOW WHAT? I also warned Ivy Bottini and the other lesbians that they would be purged. Depend on it. They didn’t believe me. Within six months they were erased from the books." [9]
"Why are we reviled by what should be our own people?" (Rita Mae Brown) [10]
In 1973, Rita Mae Brown published her debut novel, Rubyfruit Jungle [11]. The novel was an immediate hit, and its content concerning lesbianism was remarkable for the time period. The protagonist, who is fierce in her identity as a lesbian from a young age, narrates her experiences being different from those around her. Although Brown does not see Rubyfruit Jungle as revolutionary, it is evident that readers then and now alike resonate with the stories of her main character and feel some sort of representation.
Similarly to Audre Lorde, Rita Mae Brown's incessant outspokenness eventually led to the inclusion of lesbian issues in the agenda of feminist organizations, including NOW. The fact that she persevered through suppression is a testament to the resilience of lesbian feminists. Her determination became motivation for lesbians across the United States to push for intersectional feminism, and to never settle for less.
Where do we stand today?
The lives and legacies of Audre Lorde and Rita Mae Brown have undoubtedly influenced and, in some ways, forced feminist organizations to address intersectionality. Audre Lorde's work encouraged the open sharing of differences as a driving force for the feminist movement. Rita Mae Brown's direct, frank critiques of specific organization's lack of inclusion of lesbian women eventually pushed those same organizations to rethink the lesbian issue. In modern feminism, it is now routine to discuss queer women's issues. We can attribute this to the work of both Lorde and Brown, but also countless others who took inspiration from them and put their ideas in motion. However, there is always more work to be done. For example, targeting the unique struggles faced by women with multiple identities. There is even a small minority of feminists who disagree with including trans-women in their agendas. It is no longer possible for feminism to remain solely dedicated to straight, white, middle-class women's issues. The continued fight for equality must constantly consider new troubles facing women as a result of modernity, especially in our world that is changing at an increasingly rapid pace.
References
[1] Dudley, Rachel A. (2006) "Confronting the Concept of Intersectionality: The Legacy of Audre Lorde and Contemporary Feminist Organizations," McNair Scholars Journal: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 5.
[2] Lorde, A. (2019). Sister outsider. London: Penguin Books.
[3] Lorde, Audre (1997). The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company Inc.
[4] Lorde, A. (2019). Sister outsider. London: Penguin Books.
[5] Dudley, Rachel A. (2006) "Confronting the Concept of Intersectionality: The Legacy of Audre Lorde and Contemporary Feminist Organizations," McNair Scholars Journal: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 5.
[6] Lorde, A. (2019). Sister outsider. London: Penguin Books.
[7] She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry (2014). Directed by Mary Dore, Cinema Guild.
[8] She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry (2014). Directed by Mary Dore, Cinema Guild.
[9] Brown, R. M. (1999). Rita Will: Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser. New York: Bantam Books.
[10] She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry (2014). Directed by Mary Dore, Cinema Guild.
[11] Brown, R. M. (1973). Rubyfruit Jungle. United States: Daughters, Incorporated.