Lesbian feminism grew directly out of two movements that began in the 1960s: feminism and gay liberation. Though premised on essentialist notions of “woman,” the lesbian feminist movement was an important corrective to the displacement lesbians suffered in the feminist movement, (where they’d been dubbed the “lavender menace”) and in the gay liberation movement (which was overwhelming male). Lesbian feminists created a unique culture that flourished throughout the 1970s and well into the ‘80s and, for many young lesbians, served as a crucial base for their development.
Lillian Faderman is an internationally known scholar of lesbian history and literature, as well as ethnic history and literature. Her new book, THE GAY REVOLUTION, is a New York Times Editors’ Choice.
Cosponsored by the Department of Women’s Studies, Department of English, Department of History, and the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies.
Rise and Fall of Lesbian Nation: A Brief History of Lesbian Feminism and What it Accomplished
Lillian Faderman, Professor Emerita of English, Fresno State University
Keywords: lgqri