The Stage

1950s-1960s: Homophile Movement (cont’d)

Women in the Homophile Movement

Some women were involved in Mattachine and other homophile organizations, and in 1955 women in San Francisco formed the Daughters of Bilitis, the first homophile organization exclusively for lesbians. While the initial goal of the Daughters of Bilitis was to provide social gatherings removed from bar culture, the organization soon adopted the educational and civil rights focus of other homophile groups. It began publishing The Ladder in 1956.

“Because I am a homosexual woman, MUST I BE DIFFERENT?” in Mattachine Review, Issue 4, July/Aug. 1955, p. 20. Human Sexuality Collection.
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The Ladder. July 1957. Human Sexuality Collection.
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