Sisters : v.5:no.5(1974:Jan.)
- Title
- Sisters : v.5:no.5(1974:Jan.)
- Description
- Sisters was "a magazine by and for gay women" published by the San Francisco chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). It contained original art, poetry, articles, news, and photography and served as an alternative to DOB's main publication, The Ladder.
- Date Issued
- 1974-01
- Relation
- Sisters
- Rights
- Contact UCO Chambers Library's Digital Initiatives Working Group at diwg@uco.edu for the permission policy on the use, reproduction or distribution of this material.
- Creator
- Brown, Rita Mae
- Contributor
- Daughters of Bilitis
- Date
- 2025-04-28T15:46:31Z
- Date Available
- 2025-04-28T15:46:31Z
- Subject
- Lesbian art
- Lesbian
- Type
- Periodical
- extracted text
-
JANUARY
1
1974
SAN FRANCISCO DAOO·fTERS- OF BILITIS
Sta~ement of Purpose
••• a women's organization to aid the Lesbibi in
discovering her place-in societg and to educate
societg to understand and accept her, without
prejudice; ancf ~.. •••
1. To encourage and support the Lesbian in
her search for her social, economic, personal,
interpersonal and vocational identity within
socie~y-by maintaining and building~ library
on ·the themes of homosexuality and women; py
providing social functions where she ,can communicate with othe~~ and expand her ~Qcial w~rld out~
side the bar scene, and by providing an org~ize(;l
--structure through which she cart work to . change
society's limitat·ions upon h~t lifestyles, by -"·.
providing a forum for the: interchange of ideas •
and c~nstr.uctive:·solutions
-·tq
women's
probl~ms.
. .
.
'
.
·2. To educ"ate the public -td accept and .
unaerstand the_ .Lesbian ~~- an,:Jndividual, -~reby
leadil!g to the breakdown of_ taboos, prejudices,· -_
and limitations on her life.style by sponsoring '..:..__
•:pul:>lic discussion's·, by · providing individuals as
speakers and participants in various forums designed to educate the public, by disseminating
educational and rational literature on the Lesbian.
.....
,t..
3. To encour ag~, support a.11d particiP,a.t:~ in
responsible rese~rch dealing with ~omosexua.l-i~y.
. . ·, 4. To investigate
the penal
.
~·· code and t6- pro~·,· ,
mote · changes, in order to provid~ equitable handling:~of cases involving homosexuals, with d'U,!!
process of law ~and without pre)udice..
_( ,;,. ·•'-
•
';
'•:: •· I
~
'
TO SAY AND
SAN
fRANC~~co
,
IlfLIE VE. ,THAT
DAUGHTERS
OF
GAY : IS GOOD
BIL-ITIS ,· AN
AFFILtATP:. oi
SAN AWiClSCO WOM:N' S-'' CEN"fERS
1026 MASONIC STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
94117
&ilW '1f .,,/ (,or fitty
o•,c;, .. ,.._ ••' flJOUC'f.
.u,ut\, .. aw,.
l'MOTO.&A. . . 'f
President . • • •
Vice-President.
Correspondence.
Treasurer • • • • •
Speakers' Bureau.
Secretary . . • •
Art Coordinator.
I S5 00
1l •\Su« s
• • • Liane
. . .. .• .• .• Millie
Pat
Lois
• Melinda
B.
. . . . •. Linda
Paula
. . . . • • Laura
&
CCNTENTS
'°'1:N'S ART GAU.ERV
Women's Art Gallery••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••3
Alternatives to Mongogamous Couples••••••••••••••S
POETRY SECTION••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••lO
Join the SISTERS COLLECTIVE ••••••••••••••••••••• 13
CALENDAR••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••l6
The Lesbian and God-The-Father••••••••••••••••••l9
I Am Woman, I Am Artist•••••••••••••••••••••••••23
Fan Fumbles ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 25
LOCAL LESBIAN NEWS••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••27
VOL.Uf"E V,
SISTERS MAGAZINE
NLM3ER FIVE
0
January, 1974
by ·Daughters of Bilitis, San Francisco
Reproduction by permission of SF DOB Staff
Members.
by Laura .Wilensky
Have you noticed anything different at DOB lately?
If you haven't, look again - the newly-created
Women's Revolving Art Gallery has moved inside
DOB's main meeting room to surround us upon all
four walls. 'rtle Gallery will feature art work of
individual women or group showings and will ' be
changed on a monthly basis.
FOr January we have photographic work of Cathy Cade,
an East Bay photographer. Her pictures exquisitely
reflect her lesbian/feminist consciousness and~
believe she has been very successful at capturtng
womanpride and joyful images. I think she portrays
lesbian mothers and their children with sensitivity.
In looking at her country women you can almost
share their feelings of what it muqt be like to
build a home and achieve the 'countfy lifestyle.
I ~ove her _nudes .running in ·carefree abandon, open
and joyful. I enjoyed 'seeing pi°ctures of lesbian
couples in th~ realm of love. Finally, you can
feel the resolution within the women shown in another photograph as they march for lesbian rights.
If you haven't seen this display, by all means
feel free to walk axound and get a close look at
them all - or buy them.
If anyone is interested in participating in the
Gallery, please contact me either through DOB
or phone 648-9340.
Help us to develop the latent image of lesbian
art and get it out of the closets and onto the
walls!
Laura Wilensky
Art Coordinator
5.
ALTERNATIVES TO MONOGAMOUS COUPLES
4.
Entitled •woMAN BIR'l'H,• designed by Marcia Aslo
Rizzi. You can order this Beautiful poster in
black & tan. 17 x 22 inches $1.00 onlg·for more
information turn to page 32
I AM A WOMAN
GIVING BIRTH
TO MYSELF
Monogamy 3. Zool. The habit of living in pairs, or
having only one mate.
Monogamous 2. Zool. Pairing with onlv one male or female, for the breeding season or for life.
--Oxford English Dictionary
I've chosen this definition because I can't relate
to the other denotations pertaining to marriage and
spouses. I think marriage is an anachronistic institution in this society. There is no legal, traditional marriage or divorce for homosexuals. I think that's
sufficient reason for us to completely reject that oppressive institution.
On the other hand, long-enduring one-to-one relationships are something gay people have always been denied,
not so much by their peers, but by the society in
which we all live. Monogamy is supposedly what we've
been taught (with a little adultery thrown in on the
side) .
I'm not here to wave a flag of sexual liberation
and scream, "Smash monogamy!" Monogamy, provided it
is intelligently, reasonably, and willingly chosen,
can be a valid lifestyle. The kind of monogamy I reject
is the grasping, clutching, smothering monogamy pursued by basically weak, insecure people who wear its
banner as if it were "the red badge of courage." Loyalty and faithfulness can be valuable traits, but
strangulation is not, nor can it ever be. I believe,
as Valerie Solanas said in The s.c.u.M. Manifesto,
that "love can only exist between two groovy,. secure,
free-wheeling female females."
I want to say at the outset that I do not relate
to such terms as adultery, fornication, faithfulness,
"cheating," wife, husband, marriage, divorce, extramarital sex, pre-marital sex, etc. Perhaps I don't
accept these concepts and the precepts that engendered
them because I've heard these terms used for so long
in the context of heterosexuality and religion, both
of which I totally reject.
7.
lo.
. I 've experienced several monogamous relationships
since I came out of my closet 3 years ago, and I've always had some sort of sexual dalliance on the side
when I'v~ had~ lover, because I like variety. Or
maybe I Just like tasting supposedly forbidden fruit.
In any case, I stopped looking long ago for the "right
woman" to satisfy all my needs. I'm really not that
dema~ding, but I am gregarious, and having once built
my life around one person, I'm not about to make the
same mistake again.
A lot of people ~ust sort of fall into monogamy,
rather than choose it. To many, it seems to be a natural pattern. No definitive parallel can be found in
other ~nimals. Even among apes, our closest relatives,
there is no pattern. The incidence of monogamy or polygamy varies from species to species. I do not bel~eve monogamy is the purported "natural" pattern of
~ife for homo sapiens. Many of you may remember that
.1 t has been argued from a religious bias that homosexuality is also "unnatural."
Coupling seems to be the easiest thing to do in
this society, but I believe that we have the capabilities to transcend monogamy. Monogamy is also easier
to fall into if you're emotionally and physically exhausted from competing for lovers.
When most people find another person they can love
they automati cally close themselves off to loving o- •
ther ~e ople, falsely believing that monogamy equals
security. The concept of monogamy perpetuates the
illusion that love will last forever. Of course, it
pever does. Those involved in exclusively monogamous
relationships don't look towards the future. When
love has flown, they wonder why there's such a vacuwn
in their lives.
We al l have our pe r iodic droughts when we can't
even see a possibility of a new love affair, and after
a l ong dry spell, it' s ve r y t empting to latch onto
your new l ove affair as if i t we re t he only th i ng that
existed i n the world. It ' s easy t o become lazy , to
s top reaching out, once you f igure you have t he whole
world in your hands.
I've accepted the fact that my whole life will be
an endless cycle of beginning a love affair, breaking
up, and beginning a new affair again, ad infinitum.
In an age of "Future Shock", when we will have more
love affairs, but of shorter duration, doesn ' t i t make
sense to consider having simultaneous sensuous relationships with many people instead of just one person?
Anot her name for this is polymorphous perve r s ity, which
means relating , to many different peopl e on multiple
level s .
I've always wanted to develop my potential t o t he
fullest extent humanly possible, to be a ll I can be,
and rigid monogamy does not satisfy my crav i ng to
squeeze all I can out of myself.
Kate Millett once said, "I'm so damn tire d of this
serial monogamy, where you're with one pe r son fo r a
while, then you leave them, and you're with someone
else for a while, and so on. Why can't we just love
everyone at once?"
I thought that was a question worth ponde ring.
which brings us to the method of expanding into simultaneous sensuous relationships. Monogamy i s very easy
to pursue; true polygamy is difficult i f not impossible to achieve. I don't really like the word pol ygamy, perhaps because I cannot conceive of mysel f completely loving and fully giving myself to two or more
women at once. I can only expend so much of my physical, mental, and emotional resources until I am
completely exhausted from the output.
The alternatives to monogamy are many. Celibacy is
one, but not a very satisfying lifestyle, unless it
is chosen voluntarily. I see no reason why I should
be celibate when I am in between lovers, although this
is what many lesbians do until they find a lover.
It is also possible to live a basically solitary
life and pick up tricks occasionally, but this kind
of impersonal, alienated "James Bond" lifestyle
leaves a lot to be desired for most lesbians. We
all need to be loved more than we need infrequent
alienated sex.
q_
8.
I have friends that I can relate to on many different levels, and I truly believe that variety is the
best alternative to monogamy. We can mindfuck each
other, or we can just lie around and feel each other's
bodies, and perhaps make love if we're in the mood.
While all this takes place without a sense of strangeness and alienation, neither is it colored by the emotional hysteria of a love affair. It's very mellow
and completely natural. This is what I mean by simultaneous sensuous relationships.
Many lesbians, when they begin a love affair, become
very dependent upon their lovers and close themselves
off to the possibility of relating to other people on
polymorphous levels. This is what I'm determined not
to do, whether I am in love, or out of love.
I remember hearing gossip in the past about who's
lover was stepping out on her, and with whom she was
doing the stepping, and thinking, "how silly!" It
just seemed like one great big game to me. And I
asked myself, "If I love someone, why shouldn't I feel
free to touch somebody else whom I like? Why shouldn't
I make love to them if I feel like it?" The love I
give to others is never lost. These ideas are all incorporated into my concept of simultaneous sensuous
relationships.
5ut with this concept we must keep in mind that we
are treading, for the most part, on unbroken ground.
We cannot ignore the feelings of those we love and who
love us in our quest for liberation, or in the name of
liberation. To label feelings such as jealousy, insecurity, or inadequacy as counterrevolutionary or
incorrect is not liberation; it is oppression. Such
labeling is also a refusal to deal with such real
feelings in an honest, humane, compassionate manner.
If, for example, I am living with a lover, and I
go out with someone else for fun and games, and my
lover becomes jealous or feels insecure, that is
something she and I should discuss, instead of my
telling her that her jealousy is wrong, and sweeping
the problem under the carpet. Real feelings must be
dealt with in real ways. Until every member of the
lesbian liberation movement realizes this, we will
not make any internal progress, nor will we build an
army of lovers. Pursuing a lifestyle of simultaneous
sensuous relationships requires a great deal of trust
from our lovers, and it also requires constant reassurances of our love.
Your lover must trust you enough to believe that
wherever and with whomever you go, you will still come
back to her and continue to love her because she is
the woman she is--not because she can be replaced by
someone else. This trust must be the product of her
own security and self-confidence. A groovy, secure,
free-wheeling female has the ability to trust you,
whereas a weak, insecure, dependent female can hardly
trust you, because she can't even trust herself.
Nevertheless, it certainly is not abnormal for your
lover to have feelings of insecurity, inadequacy,
and jealousy when she knows you are seeing another
woman. It is perfectly natural to have these feelings.
This is where the idea of reassurance comes in. You
must reassure your lover that you care for her, (even
though she may not be the only one) to help her trust
in you to grow. Frankly, l believe a little jealousy
is a good thing. At least it helps you reali%e that
the other person still cares.
The obvious source for the interaction that I've
been talking about is plain, simple honesty. I believe NO ONE but a very honest woman can successfully
engage in simultaneous sensuous relationships. It is
the absence of immature game/role playing that makes
these relationships work. They cannot work without
complete honesty on the part of all persons involved.
Honesty also implies honesty within yourself, and
the resultant willingness to recognize your own feelings and to deal with them openly.
To me, a non-monogamous lifestyle implies touching
many people at once, literally as well as figuratively. There is a great feeling of freedom in polymorphous sensuousness.
Roberta Oil 1
fl,
JO
PUFFING AND MUNCHTNG TOGETHF.R
Ry D0ry nurphy
Saturday night
OUT
Struttinq our stuff ...
--------
JI
0
~prinq children
Lullaby together ...
e
t
Berkeley woman dance
Bare chesting to the music
Ploppinq our breasts ...
Fecitin~ our p0etry
To rc1ch other :
"v.roman, call rr1e LestJian,
Tt foes~•t rhyrr1e with rnan" ...
Strollin0 Teleqraph Avenue
In our gangster costumes
Puffing cigar smokr.
Tnto startled faces ...
':'his morning
Fearinq v('lu coo
"'hP. cat to sl eep ...
Displaying our split tails
Digging our hips toqether ...
holfing hands, cpiating,
Munching popcorn
At the picture shoH ...
Ticklinq each other's toes
~lurping our honey sideways
~iggling our greeting to the dRwn.
An Equation
Hy life is measured
by the women I hurt trying to recover from you.
Hy sins are measured.
I take my pain and give it
to women who love me.
But the math is wrong -
One large hurt divided by
three women
doesn't equal one-third the pain.
sand,;
T
/3
JOIN TI-IE SISTERS a:x..L.ECTIVE
Come to the Collective meeting--the second
Monday of each month--and help choose the articles,
poetry and art work to be printed in Sisters the
following month,
OR
Fill out the questionnaire below and give the
women who come to the Collective meetings an idea
of what you'd like to see appear in the magazine,
£0..,.,.~IE.
Le-sb«,.. n /.f"e.,,.,... ;,...;st,
P\J8l-J ~tt6D SY:
C0/'-41'-:UNtly Of' WOl'-lffl\J
3s,
E fo8 'ST.
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• A ~r<;, s~".Y .,... ...., .. :z.,rie·
AND
Submit your own work for consideration, just
mail your article - short story - poem - drawing
- puzzle - news story - or? - to 00B to arrive by
the second Monday of the month (late arrivals
will be held for the next issue).
ea.-,.nde.- Jo."e
/vf. -1111sr ME.r A
f1A~tl£,l,tJUS MA/IJ.
rAu HAND!Ol1~
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ff
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Please, let us know what you'd like in Sisters
by checking one each of the following,
1
Pt/ OTOGAAPH Y
LAURA
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More
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Poetry
Fiction
Cartoons/other humor
Art/'Photoqraphy
Book reviews
Local lesbian news
Coming out/personal
encounter stories
Feminist issues
Lesbian mother news
Gay organization news
Ads & personal
co111nercial
Other categories or suggestions,
1
Keer, As Is
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J.5.
J'/-.
HOM:>SEXUAL.ITY IN LITERA~
Please send me SISTERS for__year or years at
$5.00 per year . . . $7.00 for Canada and $10.00
for overseas, effective as of September 1973.
FIRST gay book catalog ever publishedt Over 700
items of scarce and out of print novels, nonfiction and biographical works. $2.00 deductable
from first order.
Elysian Fields
Booksellers
81-13N Broadway
Elmhurst, N.Y. 11373
NAME.,.._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _"I
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Phone hours: 3 to
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Mon. through Fri.
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THURSDAY
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~
1974
(fA} 01:ADUNE
~ARflu-ESroE-
i'
hr~~~
JANUARY
13
SATURDAY
15
22
29
* For more Calendar information turn to Local Lesbian News - Pages 27-32
19
/ '1.
lHE U:SBIAN AND OOD-lHE-FAlHER
OR
ALL lHE rnUROi NEEDS IS A OOOD l.AY--O'I ITS SIDE
by Sally Gearhart
(This is a continuation from page 23 of the
December 1973 issue of SISTERS magazine. Copyright
1973, by Sally Gearhart.)
AMAZON QUARTERLY
A JOURNAL OF LESBIAN - FEMINISM
72 Pages of:
VISUAL ART
FICTION
POETRY
REVIEWS
EXPLORATION
$4 per year (inside u.s.)
$5 per year (plai n brown wrapper , outside u.s.)
$1 for sampl e issue
Ama~on Quart er l y, 554 V~l l e Vi sta, Oakland , Calif orni a , 94610
I am weary of the timid reassurances that "things
are changing," or that "our congregation/pastor/
district/seminary is different," or that you have
to play the system's game to get into a power position so you can do some good. I mistrust with all
my woman-heart the motive that keeps women committed to church renewal, i.e., "The church needs me."
I am tired of hearing liberal churchpeople(bc>th
women and men) lay out transforming radical ideas
in private and then collapse into meek submission
in public when the chips are down. But I do understand why it happens, I know how important in this
society it is to get a pay check.
I long to hear voices in public church gatherings
insisting not only upon the death of the institutional church but upon specific ways of carrying
out that goal. In other words, I want to hear
voices (so bold in private) insisting in public
upon programs that affirm plural relationship,
collective and communal living, same-sex love relationships, childhood sexuality, masturbating,
and self-love. I want loud voices protesting sexrole socialization, that is, our practice of brainwashing people with outside plumbing to assume the
role of strong-dominant-active-intelligent-conquering
HE-MAN and those with inside plumbing to assume that
of weak-submissive-receptive-dumb-conquered-GIRL.
Of course if such voices are heard, they are not
likely to be heard again very often under the rafters
of the institutional church. Such speakers have to
be prepared to be ousted--and that, after all, may
be the real point.
What is devastating and dehumanizing about the
church is not its foundation of love, but the
superstructure of patriarchal, theological claptrap that has been hoisted on that foundation.
The superstructure shivers and quakes whenever
~e sanctity of the nuclear family or the tradi•
t1.onal concepts of sexuality are called into
question--and well it might shake, for it is these
two concepts that are the bricks and mortar of
the church.
The structure of the church ( God over man, man
over woman, f~ther over family, clergy over laity,
power over powerlessness) is vertical hierarchical
The church's very identity depends on 1 that hier•
archy. This identity is dependent upon standards
o~ success.and failure, on authority, on competi•
tion: It.is dependent upon who has power over whom.
The idea is that God is at the top with power over
all, and I as woman am at the bottom of the heap
Together with children my passivity is sanctifie~
It will do no good to "renew" this church
If•
~e gospel is to live, then the vertical st~cture
will have to be laid on its side--horizontalized-and that, to me, means the death of the institutional
church.
Women who are being reborn these days do not want
a man to step down from the pulpit so that a woman
can step into it. They would do away with the pulpit
altogether--do away with the physical setting apart
~f any person for purposes of "preaching" or "teaching."
Women of high consciousness do not want an equalization of the number of women and men on church
cowicils. They would do away with cowicils them•
selves, with any body of people that is anything
but voluntary and open to anyone concerned.
Women who are really getting it together don't
want to be national presidents or bishops or pope.
They don't wan~ presidents, bishops, popes, and
the like to exist at all, for the very definition
of their office puts them above some and below
others.
Woman-identified women don't want the Bible rewritten to talk about God-the-Mother or Jesus the
Savioress. The women I have in mind believe that
each person creates herself out of her own experience
and that we must all work out in coJlllllunity our salvation from the repressive system we've grown up
with.
Women who think of a revolution don't want just
to have "ladies' Sunday" in the local congregation,
where women run the show. They want to do away with
the show altogether, because as it presentlJ exists,
it is just that: a performance and not a participation. They do not want traditional worship, because
that calls for craning their necks to look up or for
bowing their heads in subjugation. They are only
now ~earning what it means to look with love eyeballto-eyeball with equals.
What can it mean to individuals in the church
that they must begin to conduct the church's funeral,
that they must themselves be agents of the church's
death? It must mean at least risks never taken
before. It might mean, on an action level, throwing
out the phallic pulpit that sets one person higher
than and apart from another. Or it might mean tearing out puritanical pews and putting in comfortable
chairs and pillows for being-with rather than beingunder. Then the otherwise unused building can become a crash-pad or a refuge for transients--surely
the church should be in use every hour of every week
in the shelter and care of human beings.
It might be a good thing to use a generic "she"
and "woman" or "womankind" in all our conversations
for a decade or two instead of the masculine generic
so men can begin to understand what it feels like
to be made invisible.
You pastors can refuse to preach anymore, refuse
to be the enlightened shepherds of a blind flock.
You can also suggest some primitive Christianity
in the form of pooled salaries and resources in your
congregation--which would be divided according to
need. All of this, of course, is with full knowledge that if you try any of it you're likely to be
spewed out of the mouth of the church (ironically,
because you are not lukewarm). Then perhaps you
can come into thestreets and ghettos of the secular
world where the gospel is being discovered and lived.
But to make such changes--if you should succeed-is still to treat only the symptoms. We don't
really get anywhere toward toppling the church
structure until we articulate loud and clear some
fundamental assumptions.
1. That traditional Christian teaching is antilifeJ it is antithetical to any liberation ideology,
its enfleshment, Christian practice, is not enfleshment at all but one of the Western world's most
eloquent expressions of the fascist mind-set.
2. That traditional Christian concepts are the
constructs of male thinking and depend for their
perpetuation upon the myth of male superiority.
3. That because the submission of women is
absolutely essential to the church's functioning,
the church has a vested interest (economic and
psychological) in perpetuating the institutions
that most oppress womens the nuclear family and the
sex-role socialization of children.
When we admit these things, then we can commit
ourselves to one of only two pathsa eit.~er toppling
the heirarchy completely (which action would be the
destruction of the church), or packing up whatever
shred of personal worth we've got left and leaving
the church entirely--hopefully in a hell-raising
burst of glory that in itself may educate other
Christians.
so as a woman, as a lesbian, I invite you not
'
. . you
to attempt
reform of the church. I invite
either to destroy it or to desert it. Personal
integrity allows no other alternatives.
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I
Nit wor,w-.i
I AM ARTIST
PORTFOLIO AND EXHIBITION
A Review by Laura Wilensky
An exciting breakthrough for women's art in
San Francisco was seen recently at the exhibition
and presentation of the I Am Woman I Am Artist
portfolio at Scott's open house art event.
This showing was unique in its original
concept and establishes the landmark arrival of
women's art into the women's community (in addition to one prior show by the San Francisco
Women's Art Center). Its major consequence is
that we are now able to give each other recognition for accomplishment and creativity - a major
step toward giving women's art its rightful place
in society.
A second important aspect of the show is that
we were viewing it at Scott's, a lesbian bar
seeking to change traditional bar images and
function. Kate and Scott are acting to facilitate
and integrate cultural elements into the "bar"
sphere which has been a focal point for many
lesbians to date. My praise goes out to them
toward realizing this goal.
The showing was very impressive and well
received. We were able to rap with the artists
who were on hand generating a congenial atmosphere
among the many women who attended. I think most
of us came away with an appreciation for the need
to see more art of, by and for women. Perhaps we
were also made aware of the sad lack of prior
recognition of women as artists in history, where
male domination has reigned and all but denied us
past womanart contribution and works. However,
it is clear this void is being filled with the
revival of past womanart and with contemporary
FAA Fl.M3LES by Dory Murphy
art herstory being born now.
I don't want to comment on each of the artist's
work and merit. I see this portfolio more as a
composite effort representing women's proclamation
of pride in their artistic endeavors. Certainly
there is outstanding individual work, but I would
rather say in totality I found it all to be very
beautiful and sensitive. The reality of which
works are more beautiful depends upon the perception of the individual beholder.
The I Am Woman I Am Artist portfolio sells
for the incredibly low price of $5.00, which I
think is a give away for the amount of labor that
went into it. There are 52 -11 by 14 prints
suitable for wall hanging, and a personal statement
from each artist. In conclusion, I seriously
recommend the portfolio to everyone.
LAVENDER WOMAN
OUR LESBIAN•FEMINIST NEWSPAPER.
SEND
TO
$3.00 for one year subscription
P.O. BOX 60206
Chicago, Ill.
60660
Last night my friend, Fan, phoned me from the
Lesbian Nation (area code 269). Her voice drooled
about her current heart flame. I thought we had a
bad connection. Then I became aware Fan was drawling that the current petal of her love is a bisexual woman.
I became alarmed. Poor Fan fumbling her heart
in misdirections. In our brief conversation I
couldn't voice my reasons for concern. Tomorrow
I will write her a letter detailing the following
objections to her latest foolhardy exploration.
Coincidentally, today from another friend I
received a clipping printed in the s.F. Chronicle.
'!be article describes a straight feminist's indignation when a bisexual woman confronts her.
Conversely, I think the bisexual poses a threat
to the lesbian.
In my opinion, the current hip fad that
bisexuality enjoys stems from the blatant antics
of the English cock rock super stars. Despite
their freaky make-up and costumes, screaming and
prancing, the groups remain male. At face value,
we are viewing dynamic entertainment.
From the fantasy world of show biz the
bisexual has evolved an O.K. stamp, a rap that
can be used as a tool to pigeon-hole either a
straight or gay woman. The bisexual chats her
woman liberation politics believing this lure will
intellectualize her sexual games. This maneuvering is a poor basis for a physical or cerebral
relationship.
By definition the bisexual can be compared
to a malfunctioning pendulum. Her mind fluctuates
from one place to another. Her erratic swinging
has no predictable rhythm. It would be an unwise
lesbian who would attempt to predict where she
will swing to next.
A liberated polygamous lesbian related to
me her unfortunate affair with a bisexual woman.
The lesbian first became wary when the woman
unmasked her bisexuality. She started running
scared w.r m the bi quipped she believed in monogamy
The l~sbi m recognized the irreconcilable terms of •
the bi wa~an
.
very consi- •s rap • The 1esb'ian, being
derate of herself, decided to continue runn ·
De
F
ing.
ar _ M , I trust you will emerge intact from
r?ur pre~E"-nt entanglement in the murky world of
fisexuali~y , _True, we can not prohibit bisexuals
rom• working in the movement • But th a t d oes not
entitle the ~ to a place in our minds or beds.
1~THE
bESBIAN
'IBE~
A VOICE OF THE
LESBIAN/FEMINIST
COMMUNITY
In Hayward, Cali rnia, there is a new Feminist
Bookstore which has r e ce ntly opened. It has nonsexist children's books, an underground press,
posters, buttons, a gallery for women's art,
coffee and easy chairs. It serves as a center
for Feminist literature and information.
The name is :
The Oracle
1024 B St reet
Hayward, Calif. 94541
Phone no. ;
886-1268
Hoursz
Mon.-Fri., 10-6
Saturdays, 10-4
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Words of wisdom from a local Lesbians Gas rationing will begin in March of 1974. Therefore , i t
is advisable to get to your local auto supply store
and purchase a locked gas tank cap.
sisters subscribe now!
S5.00 ,n cal,forn, a
$6.00 elsewhere
$ .50 sample copy
send to: tide collective
LOCAL LESBIAN NEWS BY A
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JOIN THE IN~URGENT MAJORITY ·
Read
1124 ,,, n. ogden
los angeles. ca 90046
bulk rates avad able upon
request
ij, ,,," '. ''•' I 1'1. -,,11,,,,, \ 1 . 11 , 1,.,1,•. ,
• reliable news ol women's cllan- .
1Jn1 status • full and fair cover••• Of le•lnist events e Hposes
or Hahm in 111111 places • humor
• lrr~verant reviews • calendar
Send S3 lo, 12 ,ssues to: Maiorit.y
74 Grnve St., NYC 10014
Report,
Due to an over-sight on the part of one of the
members of the SISTERS COLLECTIVE , the name of
the ar tist who did last month's cover for SISTERS
was not mentioned. Her name is Arienne Creight on.
Thank you for the love l y Chris tmas des ign for las t
month ' s cover,and s orry for the over-sight . Ar ienne .
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In case you hadn ' t noticed,Scott is undergoing a
facel i ft. Not Scott herself,but her bar named
Scott's. The two must not be confuaed. Scott's
is looking better and better all the time. If
you haven't been there in awhile, I would advise
you to check it out.
L,L, NEWS (CXJrrINlED)
You have proably noticed that we (DOB) does not have
open Business Meetings any more like we used to
have, because we no longer feel they are necessary
since no one used to come. If you would like to
attend our Board meetings, approach Liane and she
will talk to you.
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LAVENDER u. is a free university by and for gay
women.and gay men. The first catalog includes
courses beginning in January and February. A partial list of courses taught by women I Care and
Cures for House and Garden Plants, Handwriting
Analysis, Female-Identified Metaphysics, Impromptu
Theatre, Discussion for Women Poets, Wildnerness
Survival, Women's Weekend Workshops. Lavender u.
is in its beginnings but can become a viable educational, cultural and social medium for gay women
in the Bay Area. If you are interested in teaching or taking a course, write toa 121 Leavenworth,
San Francisco, CA 941021 or call our answering
service #864-8205 ext. 29. Look for catalogs in
gay places!
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Berkeley Women's Music Collective We are a group
of Lesbian feminist who are getting a band together and are in need of women who paly the
electric bass and saxophone to join with us.
Contact Nancy at 549-0233
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Thanks Katie & Scott of Scott's for giving us a
nice rap on December 12th. We appreciate their
many fine efforts for the Women's Movement.
~B plans on having Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon
back for another rap in February after such good
feedback and vibes when we had them here on the
28th of November. Since some of you couldn't
make it 1 then you'll have another chance next month
to meet and talk to two wonderful women who have
contributed so much to our Movement.
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Women's Press Collective will present at Scott's
a POETY READING Tuesday, January 8, 8100-10100 pm.
Celebrate the publication of Pat Parker's second
book, "Pit Stop". A donation of $1.00 is asked to
help WPC print it's book, "Anthology1 Lesbians
Speak Out".
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When is a bar not a bar? When it's COFFEE HOUSE
NITE at Scott's. Join them for a quiet interlude
after a hectic weekend. Enjoy soft music over a
game of checkers, chess, or maybe even bridge.
They will have Irish, Venetian, Mocha1or other
exotic coffees. And if coffee's not your bag,
the bar will be open as usual. Relax at Scott's
every Monday evening during the month of January.
A bar that offers more than just a place to drink.
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Robe•ta Dill's article on page #5, "Alternatives
to Monogamous Couples; was~ speech delivered at
a Symposium sponsored by Council on Religion and
the Homosexual on November 10, 1973 at Glide
Church in San Francisco.
L, L, NEWS (coo1NtED)
GROWTH
&
DISCOVERY in the NEW YEAR
Sue
&
Jill
This weekend workshop will give women a chance
to experience their power, individual and collective, and offer each woman the opportunity to
explore new directions. We will work together to
find alternative ways of experiencing joy as well
as pain.
WEEKEND OF January 4 ,5, & 6
Contact Jill at 864-8205, ext. 29
WOMEN'S WEEKEND WORKSHOP
Jill
&
Sue
Focus of this weekend . will be on sharing and
exploring ourselves and each other as women within
a safe and caring group setting. Time will be
provided for women to work individually within
the group setting on feelings of anger, fear, pain
or whatever. Jill Gribin and Sue Alexandre have
-~eir Mas~efs degrees in Humanistic Psychology
with a clinical emphasis. They have co-led weekend
workshops together for a year.
MEETING January 25,26, & 27
Contact Jill n~ 864•8205 1 ext. 29
LAVENDER u. needs more input from women on aany
lavels of involvement . (i.e., teachers, organizers,
distributors). Bring your energy and ideas to a
meeting of the women's collective on Sat. Jan. 12
at 7pm (please arrive between 7 and 7115) at
1743•8th Ave., s. F. For information, please call
Marley at 566•3531. The meeting will evolve into
a party, so bring your own •••
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When Liane the Lesbian called the Women's Health
Collective to get information for the DOB Calendar. She was told they were going to have
meetings on alternatives for the pill. She said,
"I don't think I'll relate that to our calendar."
When asked why, she replied, "because we have our
own alternatives."
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January 23rd, Wednesday will be the FIRST Meeting
of the new N.0.W Chapter in San Francisco! It's
called Golden Gate N.o.w., the meeting will be
held at Glide Church at 330 Ellis St. at 8a00pm.
They will have a sexuality and Lesbian Task Force.
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Lesbian Air Collective, We have been producing the
Lesbian Air program since last May. We began with
numerous levels of experience. Women who want to
join us need not have any previous experience or
knowledge. Lesbian Air is on twice a month and we
have weekly meetings. Contact Mady at 647-4391
$3,439.00
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Sisters Magazine desparately needs a Circulation
Manager. Her job , would be to see that loca:i. and
distant book stores have a supply of Sisters each
month to sell. If you can help, call 861-8689.
~~-
DAUGilERS OF BILITIS
L,L, NEWS (CCNTINlE))
• WOMAN BIRTH a celebration of the most difficult
and rewarding of experiences. If you would like
to purchase this poster send $1.00 to
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Books for Women
A Fe-Mail Order House
23 Seventh Street s.E.
Washington, o.c. 20003
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lHE "THINKER
*
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- DOB San Francisco
1005 Market Street, #402
San Francisco, Califomia
(415) 861-8689
-
Boston
419 Boylston Street, #406
Boston, Massachusetts
(617) 262-1592
94103
DOB
02116
- DOB New Jerseg
P.O. Box 62
07023
Fanwood, Ne~: Jersey
(20i) 233-3848/ _IF NO ANSWER,
CALL 674-1111 & leave message
- . DOB . Dallas>
c/o 'Rob Shivers
P.O. Box 5944
Da_l las , Texas
75222
- Occupa,nt
P.O. Box ~137 ...
Northwoo~r New llampshire
O3261
(This is really DOB New Hampshire,
but they must remain anonymous
locally.)
tttttttt
Membership in San Francisco DOB
Single membership, $7.00 ($9.00 Canada/foreign)
Couple membership, $10.00 ($12.00 Canada/foreign)
Membership includes half-price to social
functions, library privileges and one year
subscription to Sisters magazine.
The opinions expressed in SISTERS are those of the
individual writers and not necessarily those of
the SISTERS COLLECTIVE or the SF DOB staff.
-
JANUARY
1
1974
SAN FRANCISCO DAOO·fTERS- OF BILITIS
Sta~ement of Purpose
••• a women's organization to aid the Lesbibi in
discovering her place-in societg and to educate
societg to understand and accept her, without
prejudice; ancf ~.. •••
1. To encourage and support the Lesbian in
her search for her social, economic, personal,
interpersonal and vocational identity within
socie~y-by maintaining and building~ library
on ·the themes of homosexuality and women; py
providing social functions where she ,can communicate with othe~~ and expand her ~Qcial w~rld out~
side the bar scene, and by providing an org~ize(;l
--structure through which she cart work to . change
society's limitat·ions upon h~t lifestyles, by -"·.
providing a forum for the: interchange of ideas •
and c~nstr.uctive:·solutions
-·tq
women's
probl~ms.
. .
.
'
.
·2. To educ"ate the public -td accept and .
unaerstand the_ .Lesbian ~~- an,:Jndividual, -~reby
leadil!g to the breakdown of_ taboos, prejudices,· -_
and limitations on her life.style by sponsoring '..:..__
•:pul:>lic discussion's·, by · providing individuals as
speakers and participants in various forums designed to educate the public, by disseminating
educational and rational literature on the Lesbian.
.....
,t..
3. To encour ag~, support a.11d particiP,a.t:~ in
responsible rese~rch dealing with ~omosexua.l-i~y.
. . ·, 4. To investigate
the penal
.
~·· code and t6- pro~·,· ,
mote · changes, in order to provid~ equitable handling:~of cases involving homosexuals, with d'U,!!
process of law ~and without pre)udice..
_( ,;,. ·•'-
•
';
'•:: •· I
~
'
TO SAY AND
SAN
fRANC~~co
,
IlfLIE VE. ,THAT
DAUGHTERS
OF
GAY : IS GOOD
BIL-ITIS ,· AN
AFFILtATP:. oi
SAN AWiClSCO WOM:N' S-'' CEN"fERS
1026 MASONIC STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
94117
&ilW '1f .,,/ (,or fitty
o•,c;, .. ,.._ ••' flJOUC'f.
.u,ut\, .. aw,.
l'MOTO.&A. . . 'f
President . • • •
Vice-President.
Correspondence.
Treasurer • • • • •
Speakers' Bureau.
Secretary . . • •
Art Coordinator.
I S5 00
1l •\Su« s
• • • Liane
. . .. .• .• .• Millie
Pat
Lois
• Melinda
B.
. . . . •. Linda
Paula
. . . . • • Laura
&
CCNTENTS
'°'1:N'S ART GAU.ERV
Women's Art Gallery••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••3
Alternatives to Mongogamous Couples••••••••••••••S
POETRY SECTION••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••lO
Join the SISTERS COLLECTIVE ••••••••••••••••••••• 13
CALENDAR••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••l6
The Lesbian and God-The-Father••••••••••••••••••l9
I Am Woman, I Am Artist•••••••••••••••••••••••••23
Fan Fumbles ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 25
LOCAL LESBIAN NEWS••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••27
VOL.Uf"E V,
SISTERS MAGAZINE
NLM3ER FIVE
0
January, 1974
by ·Daughters of Bilitis, San Francisco
Reproduction by permission of SF DOB Staff
Members.
by Laura .Wilensky
Have you noticed anything different at DOB lately?
If you haven't, look again - the newly-created
Women's Revolving Art Gallery has moved inside
DOB's main meeting room to surround us upon all
four walls. 'rtle Gallery will feature art work of
individual women or group showings and will ' be
changed on a monthly basis.
FOr January we have photographic work of Cathy Cade,
an East Bay photographer. Her pictures exquisitely
reflect her lesbian/feminist consciousness and~
believe she has been very successful at capturtng
womanpride and joyful images. I think she portrays
lesbian mothers and their children with sensitivity.
In looking at her country women you can almost
share their feelings of what it muqt be like to
build a home and achieve the 'countfy lifestyle.
I ~ove her _nudes .running in ·carefree abandon, open
and joyful. I enjoyed 'seeing pi°ctures of lesbian
couples in th~ realm of love. Finally, you can
feel the resolution within the women shown in another photograph as they march for lesbian rights.
If you haven't seen this display, by all means
feel free to walk axound and get a close look at
them all - or buy them.
If anyone is interested in participating in the
Gallery, please contact me either through DOB
or phone 648-9340.
Help us to develop the latent image of lesbian
art and get it out of the closets and onto the
walls!
Laura Wilensky
Art Coordinator
5.
ALTERNATIVES TO MONOGAMOUS COUPLES
4.
Entitled •woMAN BIR'l'H,• designed by Marcia Aslo
Rizzi. You can order this Beautiful poster in
black & tan. 17 x 22 inches $1.00 onlg·for more
information turn to page 32
I AM A WOMAN
GIVING BIRTH
TO MYSELF
Monogamy 3. Zool. The habit of living in pairs, or
having only one mate.
Monogamous 2. Zool. Pairing with onlv one male or female, for the breeding season or for life.
--Oxford English Dictionary
I've chosen this definition because I can't relate
to the other denotations pertaining to marriage and
spouses. I think marriage is an anachronistic institution in this society. There is no legal, traditional marriage or divorce for homosexuals. I think that's
sufficient reason for us to completely reject that oppressive institution.
On the other hand, long-enduring one-to-one relationships are something gay people have always been denied,
not so much by their peers, but by the society in
which we all live. Monogamy is supposedly what we've
been taught (with a little adultery thrown in on the
side) .
I'm not here to wave a flag of sexual liberation
and scream, "Smash monogamy!" Monogamy, provided it
is intelligently, reasonably, and willingly chosen,
can be a valid lifestyle. The kind of monogamy I reject
is the grasping, clutching, smothering monogamy pursued by basically weak, insecure people who wear its
banner as if it were "the red badge of courage." Loyalty and faithfulness can be valuable traits, but
strangulation is not, nor can it ever be. I believe,
as Valerie Solanas said in The s.c.u.M. Manifesto,
that "love can only exist between two groovy,. secure,
free-wheeling female females."
I want to say at the outset that I do not relate
to such terms as adultery, fornication, faithfulness,
"cheating," wife, husband, marriage, divorce, extramarital sex, pre-marital sex, etc. Perhaps I don't
accept these concepts and the precepts that engendered
them because I've heard these terms used for so long
in the context of heterosexuality and religion, both
of which I totally reject.
7.
lo.
. I 've experienced several monogamous relationships
since I came out of my closet 3 years ago, and I've always had some sort of sexual dalliance on the side
when I'v~ had~ lover, because I like variety. Or
maybe I Just like tasting supposedly forbidden fruit.
In any case, I stopped looking long ago for the "right
woman" to satisfy all my needs. I'm really not that
dema~ding, but I am gregarious, and having once built
my life around one person, I'm not about to make the
same mistake again.
A lot of people ~ust sort of fall into monogamy,
rather than choose it. To many, it seems to be a natural pattern. No definitive parallel can be found in
other ~nimals. Even among apes, our closest relatives,
there is no pattern. The incidence of monogamy or polygamy varies from species to species. I do not bel~eve monogamy is the purported "natural" pattern of
~ife for homo sapiens. Many of you may remember that
.1 t has been argued from a religious bias that homosexuality is also "unnatural."
Coupling seems to be the easiest thing to do in
this society, but I believe that we have the capabilities to transcend monogamy. Monogamy is also easier
to fall into if you're emotionally and physically exhausted from competing for lovers.
When most people find another person they can love
they automati cally close themselves off to loving o- •
ther ~e ople, falsely believing that monogamy equals
security. The concept of monogamy perpetuates the
illusion that love will last forever. Of course, it
pever does. Those involved in exclusively monogamous
relationships don't look towards the future. When
love has flown, they wonder why there's such a vacuwn
in their lives.
We al l have our pe r iodic droughts when we can't
even see a possibility of a new love affair, and after
a l ong dry spell, it' s ve r y t empting to latch onto
your new l ove affair as if i t we re t he only th i ng that
existed i n the world. It ' s easy t o become lazy , to
s top reaching out, once you f igure you have t he whole
world in your hands.
I've accepted the fact that my whole life will be
an endless cycle of beginning a love affair, breaking
up, and beginning a new affair again, ad infinitum.
In an age of "Future Shock", when we will have more
love affairs, but of shorter duration, doesn ' t i t make
sense to consider having simultaneous sensuous relationships with many people instead of just one person?
Anot her name for this is polymorphous perve r s ity, which
means relating , to many different peopl e on multiple
level s .
I've always wanted to develop my potential t o t he
fullest extent humanly possible, to be a ll I can be,
and rigid monogamy does not satisfy my crav i ng to
squeeze all I can out of myself.
Kate Millett once said, "I'm so damn tire d of this
serial monogamy, where you're with one pe r son fo r a
while, then you leave them, and you're with someone
else for a while, and so on. Why can't we just love
everyone at once?"
I thought that was a question worth ponde ring.
which brings us to the method of expanding into simultaneous sensuous relationships. Monogamy i s very easy
to pursue; true polygamy is difficult i f not impossible to achieve. I don't really like the word pol ygamy, perhaps because I cannot conceive of mysel f completely loving and fully giving myself to two or more
women at once. I can only expend so much of my physical, mental, and emotional resources until I am
completely exhausted from the output.
The alternatives to monogamy are many. Celibacy is
one, but not a very satisfying lifestyle, unless it
is chosen voluntarily. I see no reason why I should
be celibate when I am in between lovers, although this
is what many lesbians do until they find a lover.
It is also possible to live a basically solitary
life and pick up tricks occasionally, but this kind
of impersonal, alienated "James Bond" lifestyle
leaves a lot to be desired for most lesbians. We
all need to be loved more than we need infrequent
alienated sex.
q_
8.
I have friends that I can relate to on many different levels, and I truly believe that variety is the
best alternative to monogamy. We can mindfuck each
other, or we can just lie around and feel each other's
bodies, and perhaps make love if we're in the mood.
While all this takes place without a sense of strangeness and alienation, neither is it colored by the emotional hysteria of a love affair. It's very mellow
and completely natural. This is what I mean by simultaneous sensuous relationships.
Many lesbians, when they begin a love affair, become
very dependent upon their lovers and close themselves
off to the possibility of relating to other people on
polymorphous levels. This is what I'm determined not
to do, whether I am in love, or out of love.
I remember hearing gossip in the past about who's
lover was stepping out on her, and with whom she was
doing the stepping, and thinking, "how silly!" It
just seemed like one great big game to me. And I
asked myself, "If I love someone, why shouldn't I feel
free to touch somebody else whom I like? Why shouldn't
I make love to them if I feel like it?" The love I
give to others is never lost. These ideas are all incorporated into my concept of simultaneous sensuous
relationships.
5ut with this concept we must keep in mind that we
are treading, for the most part, on unbroken ground.
We cannot ignore the feelings of those we love and who
love us in our quest for liberation, or in the name of
liberation. To label feelings such as jealousy, insecurity, or inadequacy as counterrevolutionary or
incorrect is not liberation; it is oppression. Such
labeling is also a refusal to deal with such real
feelings in an honest, humane, compassionate manner.
If, for example, I am living with a lover, and I
go out with someone else for fun and games, and my
lover becomes jealous or feels insecure, that is
something she and I should discuss, instead of my
telling her that her jealousy is wrong, and sweeping
the problem under the carpet. Real feelings must be
dealt with in real ways. Until every member of the
lesbian liberation movement realizes this, we will
not make any internal progress, nor will we build an
army of lovers. Pursuing a lifestyle of simultaneous
sensuous relationships requires a great deal of trust
from our lovers, and it also requires constant reassurances of our love.
Your lover must trust you enough to believe that
wherever and with whomever you go, you will still come
back to her and continue to love her because she is
the woman she is--not because she can be replaced by
someone else. This trust must be the product of her
own security and self-confidence. A groovy, secure,
free-wheeling female has the ability to trust you,
whereas a weak, insecure, dependent female can hardly
trust you, because she can't even trust herself.
Nevertheless, it certainly is not abnormal for your
lover to have feelings of insecurity, inadequacy,
and jealousy when she knows you are seeing another
woman. It is perfectly natural to have these feelings.
This is where the idea of reassurance comes in. You
must reassure your lover that you care for her, (even
though she may not be the only one) to help her trust
in you to grow. Frankly, l believe a little jealousy
is a good thing. At least it helps you reali%e that
the other person still cares.
The obvious source for the interaction that I've
been talking about is plain, simple honesty. I believe NO ONE but a very honest woman can successfully
engage in simultaneous sensuous relationships. It is
the absence of immature game/role playing that makes
these relationships work. They cannot work without
complete honesty on the part of all persons involved.
Honesty also implies honesty within yourself, and
the resultant willingness to recognize your own feelings and to deal with them openly.
To me, a non-monogamous lifestyle implies touching
many people at once, literally as well as figuratively. There is a great feeling of freedom in polymorphous sensuousness.
Roberta Oil 1
fl,
JO
PUFFING AND MUNCHTNG TOGETHF.R
Ry D0ry nurphy
Saturday night
OUT
Struttinq our stuff ...
--------
JI
0
~prinq children
Lullaby together ...
e
t
Berkeley woman dance
Bare chesting to the music
Ploppinq our breasts ...
Fecitin~ our p0etry
To rc1ch other :
"v.roman, call rr1e LestJian,
Tt foes~•t rhyrr1e with rnan" ...
Strollin0 Teleqraph Avenue
In our gangster costumes
Puffing cigar smokr.
Tnto startled faces ...
':'his morning
Fearinq v('lu coo
"'hP. cat to sl eep ...
Displaying our split tails
Digging our hips toqether ...
holfing hands, cpiating,
Munching popcorn
At the picture shoH ...
Ticklinq each other's toes
~lurping our honey sideways
~iggling our greeting to the dRwn.
An Equation
Hy life is measured
by the women I hurt trying to recover from you.
Hy sins are measured.
I take my pain and give it
to women who love me.
But the math is wrong -
One large hurt divided by
three women
doesn't equal one-third the pain.
sand,;
T
/3
JOIN TI-IE SISTERS a:x..L.ECTIVE
Come to the Collective meeting--the second
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following month,
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HOM:>SEXUAL.ITY IN LITERA~
Please send me SISTERS for__year or years at
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for overseas, effective as of September 1973.
FIRST gay book catalog ever publishedt Over 700
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from first order.
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Booksellers
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THURSDAY
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1974
(fA} 01:ADUNE
~ARflu-ESroE-
i'
hr~~~
JANUARY
13
SATURDAY
15
22
29
* For more Calendar information turn to Local Lesbian News - Pages 27-32
19
/ '1.
lHE U:SBIAN AND OOD-lHE-FAlHER
OR
ALL lHE rnUROi NEEDS IS A OOOD l.AY--O'I ITS SIDE
by Sally Gearhart
(This is a continuation from page 23 of the
December 1973 issue of SISTERS magazine. Copyright
1973, by Sally Gearhart.)
AMAZON QUARTERLY
A JOURNAL OF LESBIAN - FEMINISM
72 Pages of:
VISUAL ART
FICTION
POETRY
REVIEWS
EXPLORATION
$4 per year (inside u.s.)
$5 per year (plai n brown wrapper , outside u.s.)
$1 for sampl e issue
Ama~on Quart er l y, 554 V~l l e Vi sta, Oakland , Calif orni a , 94610
I am weary of the timid reassurances that "things
are changing," or that "our congregation/pastor/
district/seminary is different," or that you have
to play the system's game to get into a power position so you can do some good. I mistrust with all
my woman-heart the motive that keeps women committed to church renewal, i.e., "The church needs me."
I am tired of hearing liberal churchpeople(bc>th
women and men) lay out transforming radical ideas
in private and then collapse into meek submission
in public when the chips are down. But I do understand why it happens, I know how important in this
society it is to get a pay check.
I long to hear voices in public church gatherings
insisting not only upon the death of the institutional church but upon specific ways of carrying
out that goal. In other words, I want to hear
voices (so bold in private) insisting in public
upon programs that affirm plural relationship,
collective and communal living, same-sex love relationships, childhood sexuality, masturbating,
and self-love. I want loud voices protesting sexrole socialization, that is, our practice of brainwashing people with outside plumbing to assume the
role of strong-dominant-active-intelligent-conquering
HE-MAN and those with inside plumbing to assume that
of weak-submissive-receptive-dumb-conquered-GIRL.
Of course if such voices are heard, they are not
likely to be heard again very often under the rafters
of the institutional church. Such speakers have to
be prepared to be ousted--and that, after all, may
be the real point.
What is devastating and dehumanizing about the
church is not its foundation of love, but the
superstructure of patriarchal, theological claptrap that has been hoisted on that foundation.
The superstructure shivers and quakes whenever
~e sanctity of the nuclear family or the tradi•
t1.onal concepts of sexuality are called into
question--and well it might shake, for it is these
two concepts that are the bricks and mortar of
the church.
The structure of the church ( God over man, man
over woman, f~ther over family, clergy over laity,
power over powerlessness) is vertical hierarchical
The church's very identity depends on 1 that hier•
archy. This identity is dependent upon standards
o~ success.and failure, on authority, on competi•
tion: It.is dependent upon who has power over whom.
The idea is that God is at the top with power over
all, and I as woman am at the bottom of the heap
Together with children my passivity is sanctifie~
It will do no good to "renew" this church
If•
~e gospel is to live, then the vertical st~cture
will have to be laid on its side--horizontalized-and that, to me, means the death of the institutional
church.
Women who are being reborn these days do not want
a man to step down from the pulpit so that a woman
can step into it. They would do away with the pulpit
altogether--do away with the physical setting apart
~f any person for purposes of "preaching" or "teaching."
Women of high consciousness do not want an equalization of the number of women and men on church
cowicils. They would do away with cowicils them•
selves, with any body of people that is anything
but voluntary and open to anyone concerned.
Women who are really getting it together don't
want to be national presidents or bishops or pope.
They don't wan~ presidents, bishops, popes, and
the like to exist at all, for the very definition
of their office puts them above some and below
others.
Woman-identified women don't want the Bible rewritten to talk about God-the-Mother or Jesus the
Savioress. The women I have in mind believe that
each person creates herself out of her own experience
and that we must all work out in coJlllllunity our salvation from the repressive system we've grown up
with.
Women who think of a revolution don't want just
to have "ladies' Sunday" in the local congregation,
where women run the show. They want to do away with
the show altogether, because as it presentlJ exists,
it is just that: a performance and not a participation. They do not want traditional worship, because
that calls for craning their necks to look up or for
bowing their heads in subjugation. They are only
now ~earning what it means to look with love eyeballto-eyeball with equals.
What can it mean to individuals in the church
that they must begin to conduct the church's funeral,
that they must themselves be agents of the church's
death? It must mean at least risks never taken
before. It might mean, on an action level, throwing
out the phallic pulpit that sets one person higher
than and apart from another. Or it might mean tearing out puritanical pews and putting in comfortable
chairs and pillows for being-with rather than beingunder. Then the otherwise unused building can become a crash-pad or a refuge for transients--surely
the church should be in use every hour of every week
in the shelter and care of human beings.
It might be a good thing to use a generic "she"
and "woman" or "womankind" in all our conversations
for a decade or two instead of the masculine generic
so men can begin to understand what it feels like
to be made invisible.
You pastors can refuse to preach anymore, refuse
to be the enlightened shepherds of a blind flock.
You can also suggest some primitive Christianity
in the form of pooled salaries and resources in your
congregation--which would be divided according to
need. All of this, of course, is with full knowledge that if you try any of it you're likely to be
spewed out of the mouth of the church (ironically,
because you are not lukewarm). Then perhaps you
can come into thestreets and ghettos of the secular
world where the gospel is being discovered and lived.
But to make such changes--if you should succeed-is still to treat only the symptoms. We don't
really get anywhere toward toppling the church
structure until we articulate loud and clear some
fundamental assumptions.
1. That traditional Christian teaching is antilifeJ it is antithetical to any liberation ideology,
its enfleshment, Christian practice, is not enfleshment at all but one of the Western world's most
eloquent expressions of the fascist mind-set.
2. That traditional Christian concepts are the
constructs of male thinking and depend for their
perpetuation upon the myth of male superiority.
3. That because the submission of women is
absolutely essential to the church's functioning,
the church has a vested interest (economic and
psychological) in perpetuating the institutions
that most oppress womens the nuclear family and the
sex-role socialization of children.
When we admit these things, then we can commit
ourselves to one of only two pathsa eit.~er toppling
the heirarchy completely (which action would be the
destruction of the church), or packing up whatever
shred of personal worth we've got left and leaving
the church entirely--hopefully in a hell-raising
burst of glory that in itself may educate other
Christians.
so as a woman, as a lesbian, I invite you not
'
. . you
to attempt
reform of the church. I invite
either to destroy it or to desert it. Personal
integrity allows no other alternatives.
*
*
*
I
Nit wor,w-.i
I AM ARTIST
PORTFOLIO AND EXHIBITION
A Review by Laura Wilensky
An exciting breakthrough for women's art in
San Francisco was seen recently at the exhibition
and presentation of the I Am Woman I Am Artist
portfolio at Scott's open house art event.
This showing was unique in its original
concept and establishes the landmark arrival of
women's art into the women's community (in addition to one prior show by the San Francisco
Women's Art Center). Its major consequence is
that we are now able to give each other recognition for accomplishment and creativity - a major
step toward giving women's art its rightful place
in society.
A second important aspect of the show is that
we were viewing it at Scott's, a lesbian bar
seeking to change traditional bar images and
function. Kate and Scott are acting to facilitate
and integrate cultural elements into the "bar"
sphere which has been a focal point for many
lesbians to date. My praise goes out to them
toward realizing this goal.
The showing was very impressive and well
received. We were able to rap with the artists
who were on hand generating a congenial atmosphere
among the many women who attended. I think most
of us came away with an appreciation for the need
to see more art of, by and for women. Perhaps we
were also made aware of the sad lack of prior
recognition of women as artists in history, where
male domination has reigned and all but denied us
past womanart contribution and works. However,
it is clear this void is being filled with the
revival of past womanart and with contemporary
FAA Fl.M3LES by Dory Murphy
art herstory being born now.
I don't want to comment on each of the artist's
work and merit. I see this portfolio more as a
composite effort representing women's proclamation
of pride in their artistic endeavors. Certainly
there is outstanding individual work, but I would
rather say in totality I found it all to be very
beautiful and sensitive. The reality of which
works are more beautiful depends upon the perception of the individual beholder.
The I Am Woman I Am Artist portfolio sells
for the incredibly low price of $5.00, which I
think is a give away for the amount of labor that
went into it. There are 52 -11 by 14 prints
suitable for wall hanging, and a personal statement
from each artist. In conclusion, I seriously
recommend the portfolio to everyone.
LAVENDER WOMAN
OUR LESBIAN•FEMINIST NEWSPAPER.
SEND
TO
$3.00 for one year subscription
P.O. BOX 60206
Chicago, Ill.
60660
Last night my friend, Fan, phoned me from the
Lesbian Nation (area code 269). Her voice drooled
about her current heart flame. I thought we had a
bad connection. Then I became aware Fan was drawling that the current petal of her love is a bisexual woman.
I became alarmed. Poor Fan fumbling her heart
in misdirections. In our brief conversation I
couldn't voice my reasons for concern. Tomorrow
I will write her a letter detailing the following
objections to her latest foolhardy exploration.
Coincidentally, today from another friend I
received a clipping printed in the s.F. Chronicle.
'!be article describes a straight feminist's indignation when a bisexual woman confronts her.
Conversely, I think the bisexual poses a threat
to the lesbian.
In my opinion, the current hip fad that
bisexuality enjoys stems from the blatant antics
of the English cock rock super stars. Despite
their freaky make-up and costumes, screaming and
prancing, the groups remain male. At face value,
we are viewing dynamic entertainment.
From the fantasy world of show biz the
bisexual has evolved an O.K. stamp, a rap that
can be used as a tool to pigeon-hole either a
straight or gay woman. The bisexual chats her
woman liberation politics believing this lure will
intellectualize her sexual games. This maneuvering is a poor basis for a physical or cerebral
relationship.
By definition the bisexual can be compared
to a malfunctioning pendulum. Her mind fluctuates
from one place to another. Her erratic swinging
has no predictable rhythm. It would be an unwise
lesbian who would attempt to predict where she
will swing to next.
A liberated polygamous lesbian related to
me her unfortunate affair with a bisexual woman.
The lesbian first became wary when the woman
unmasked her bisexuality. She started running
scared w.r m the bi quipped she believed in monogamy
The l~sbi m recognized the irreconcilable terms of •
the bi wa~an
.
very consi- •s rap • The 1esb'ian, being
derate of herself, decided to continue runn ·
De
F
ing.
ar _ M , I trust you will emerge intact from
r?ur pre~E"-nt entanglement in the murky world of
fisexuali~y , _True, we can not prohibit bisexuals
rom• working in the movement • But th a t d oes not
entitle the ~ to a place in our minds or beds.
1~THE
bESBIAN
'IBE~
A VOICE OF THE
LESBIAN/FEMINIST
COMMUNITY
In Hayward, Cali rnia, there is a new Feminist
Bookstore which has r e ce ntly opened. It has nonsexist children's books, an underground press,
posters, buttons, a gallery for women's art,
coffee and easy chairs. It serves as a center
for Feminist literature and information.
The name is :
The Oracle
1024 B St reet
Hayward, Calif. 94541
Phone no. ;
886-1268
Hoursz
Mon.-Fri., 10-6
Saturdays, 10-4
*
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Words of wisdom from a local Lesbians Gas rationing will begin in March of 1974. Therefore , i t
is advisable to get to your local auto supply store
and purchase a locked gas tank cap.
sisters subscribe now!
S5.00 ,n cal,forn, a
$6.00 elsewhere
$ .50 sample copy
send to: tide collective
LOCAL LESBIAN NEWS BY A
*
*
*
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*
*
JOIN THE IN~URGENT MAJORITY ·
Read
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los angeles. ca 90046
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request
ij, ,,," '. ''•' I 1'1. -,,11,,,,, \ 1 . 11 , 1,.,1,•. ,
• reliable news ol women's cllan- .
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or Hahm in 111111 places • humor
• lrr~verant reviews • calendar
Send S3 lo, 12 ,ssues to: Maiorit.y
74 Grnve St., NYC 10014
Report,
Due to an over-sight on the part of one of the
members of the SISTERS COLLECTIVE , the name of
the ar tist who did last month's cover for SISTERS
was not mentioned. Her name is Arienne Creight on.
Thank you for the love l y Chris tmas des ign for las t
month ' s cover,and s orry for the over-sight . Ar ienne .
*
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In case you hadn ' t noticed,Scott is undergoing a
facel i ft. Not Scott herself,but her bar named
Scott's. The two must not be confuaed. Scott's
is looking better and better all the time. If
you haven't been there in awhile, I would advise
you to check it out.
L,L, NEWS (CXJrrINlED)
You have proably noticed that we (DOB) does not have
open Business Meetings any more like we used to
have, because we no longer feel they are necessary
since no one used to come. If you would like to
attend our Board meetings, approach Liane and she
will talk to you.
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LAVENDER u. is a free university by and for gay
women.and gay men. The first catalog includes
courses beginning in January and February. A partial list of courses taught by women I Care and
Cures for House and Garden Plants, Handwriting
Analysis, Female-Identified Metaphysics, Impromptu
Theatre, Discussion for Women Poets, Wildnerness
Survival, Women's Weekend Workshops. Lavender u.
is in its beginnings but can become a viable educational, cultural and social medium for gay women
in the Bay Area. If you are interested in teaching or taking a course, write toa 121 Leavenworth,
San Francisco, CA 941021 or call our answering
service #864-8205 ext. 29. Look for catalogs in
gay places!
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Berkeley Women's Music Collective We are a group
of Lesbian feminist who are getting a band together and are in need of women who paly the
electric bass and saxophone to join with us.
Contact Nancy at 549-0233
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Thanks Katie & Scott of Scott's for giving us a
nice rap on December 12th. We appreciate their
many fine efforts for the Women's Movement.
~B plans on having Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon
back for another rap in February after such good
feedback and vibes when we had them here on the
28th of November. Since some of you couldn't
make it 1 then you'll have another chance next month
to meet and talk to two wonderful women who have
contributed so much to our Movement.
*
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Women's Press Collective will present at Scott's
a POETY READING Tuesday, January 8, 8100-10100 pm.
Celebrate the publication of Pat Parker's second
book, "Pit Stop". A donation of $1.00 is asked to
help WPC print it's book, "Anthology1 Lesbians
Speak Out".
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When is a bar not a bar? When it's COFFEE HOUSE
NITE at Scott's. Join them for a quiet interlude
after a hectic weekend. Enjoy soft music over a
game of checkers, chess, or maybe even bridge.
They will have Irish, Venetian, Mocha1or other
exotic coffees. And if coffee's not your bag,
the bar will be open as usual. Relax at Scott's
every Monday evening during the month of January.
A bar that offers more than just a place to drink.
*
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Robe•ta Dill's article on page #5, "Alternatives
to Monogamous Couples; was~ speech delivered at
a Symposium sponsored by Council on Religion and
the Homosexual on November 10, 1973 at Glide
Church in San Francisco.
L, L, NEWS (coo1NtED)
GROWTH
&
DISCOVERY in the NEW YEAR
Sue
&
Jill
This weekend workshop will give women a chance
to experience their power, individual and collective, and offer each woman the opportunity to
explore new directions. We will work together to
find alternative ways of experiencing joy as well
as pain.
WEEKEND OF January 4 ,5, & 6
Contact Jill at 864-8205, ext. 29
WOMEN'S WEEKEND WORKSHOP
Jill
&
Sue
Focus of this weekend . will be on sharing and
exploring ourselves and each other as women within
a safe and caring group setting. Time will be
provided for women to work individually within
the group setting on feelings of anger, fear, pain
or whatever. Jill Gribin and Sue Alexandre have
-~eir Mas~efs degrees in Humanistic Psychology
with a clinical emphasis. They have co-led weekend
workshops together for a year.
MEETING January 25,26, & 27
Contact Jill n~ 864•8205 1 ext. 29
LAVENDER u. needs more input from women on aany
lavels of involvement . (i.e., teachers, organizers,
distributors). Bring your energy and ideas to a
meeting of the women's collective on Sat. Jan. 12
at 7pm (please arrive between 7 and 7115) at
1743•8th Ave., s. F. For information, please call
Marley at 566•3531. The meeting will evolve into
a party, so bring your own •••
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When Liane the Lesbian called the Women's Health
Collective to get information for the DOB Calendar. She was told they were going to have
meetings on alternatives for the pill. She said,
"I don't think I'll relate that to our calendar."
When asked why, she replied, "because we have our
own alternatives."
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January 23rd, Wednesday will be the FIRST Meeting
of the new N.0.W Chapter in San Francisco! It's
called Golden Gate N.o.w., the meeting will be
held at Glide Church at 330 Ellis St. at 8a00pm.
They will have a sexuality and Lesbian Task Force.
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Lesbian Air Collective, We have been producing the
Lesbian Air program since last May. We began with
numerous levels of experience. Women who want to
join us need not have any previous experience or
knowledge. Lesbian Air is on twice a month and we
have weekly meetings. Contact Mady at 647-4391
$3,439.00
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Sisters Magazine desparately needs a Circulation
Manager. Her job , would be to see that loca:i. and
distant book stores have a supply of Sisters each
month to sell. If you can help, call 861-8689.
~~-
DAUGilERS OF BILITIS
L,L, NEWS (CCNTINlE))
• WOMAN BIRTH a celebration of the most difficult
and rewarding of experiences. If you would like
to purchase this poster send $1.00 to
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Books for Women
A Fe-Mail Order House
23 Seventh Street s.E.
Washington, o.c. 20003
*
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lHE "THINKER
*
*
- DOB San Francisco
1005 Market Street, #402
San Francisco, Califomia
(415) 861-8689
-
Boston
419 Boylston Street, #406
Boston, Massachusetts
(617) 262-1592
94103
DOB
02116
- DOB New Jerseg
P.O. Box 62
07023
Fanwood, Ne~: Jersey
(20i) 233-3848/ _IF NO ANSWER,
CALL 674-1111 & leave message
- . DOB . Dallas>
c/o 'Rob Shivers
P.O. Box 5944
Da_l las , Texas
75222
- Occupa,nt
P.O. Box ~137 ...
Northwoo~r New llampshire
O3261
(This is really DOB New Hampshire,
but they must remain anonymous
locally.)
tttttttt
Membership in San Francisco DOB
Single membership, $7.00 ($9.00 Canada/foreign)
Couple membership, $10.00 ($12.00 Canada/foreign)
Membership includes half-price to social
functions, library privileges and one year
subscription to Sisters magazine.
The opinions expressed in SISTERS are those of the
individual writers and not necessarily those of
the SISTERS COLLECTIVE or the SF DOB staff.
- Temporal Coverage
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Herland Archive
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- Themes
- LGBTQ+ (482 items)
- Feminism (40 items)
- Faith and Religion (51 items)
- Activism and Advocacy (69 items)
- HIV/AIDS (25 items)
- Education (18 items)
- Literature (20 items)
- Art (16 items)
- Themes
- All Resources (Private)