Sisters_v5.no6.1974.06.pdf
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- Sisters_v5.no6.1974.06.pdf
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Volume
v, :-:uml .,er 6
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SAN FRPNClSCO DAOOfTERS OF BILITIS
Statement
oE Purpose
-.. . a women's organization to aid the Lesbian in
disco.-ering her place in society and to educate
society to understand and accept her, without
prejudice, and •••
l. To encourage and support the Lesbian in
her search for her social, economic, personal,
lntexpersonal and vocational identity within
society by msintaining and building a library
on the themes of homosexualit:y and women, by
providing social functions where she can communicate with others and expand her social world outside the bar acene, and by providing ar organized
structure through which she can work to change
society's limitations upon her lifestyles, by
providing a forum for the interchange of ideas
and constructive solutions to women's problems.
2. To educa~e the public to accept and
understand the Lesbian as an individual, thereby
leading to the breakdown of taboos, prejudices,
and limitations on her lifestyle by sponsoring
public discussions, by providing individuals as
speakers and participants in various forums designed to e ducate the public, by disseminating
educational and rational literature on the Lesb i ~~.
3. To encourage, support and participate in
responsible research dealing with homosexuality .
4. To inYestigate the penal code and to promote changes, in order to proYide equitable h &11dling of cases involving homosexuals, with du~
process of law and wi t~out prejudice.
ro
SAY AND BELrEVE THAT C.AY I S GOOD
SAN FRAN C [SCO DAUGHTERS .JI' srr.ITIS ~ AN -~!"FILil,:1.'E O!·
<;AN FlW-K: I SCO tll):'1.:."-1 ' S Cc:i ~ rERS
1016 f'ASOr, r c S'rR~ET
Sl!JJ ;-R.".NCI SCO; CALI FORJw U1
Vol ume V, Number 6
June, 19 74
BOARD tv'EM3ERS
•
President, . .
. . . .
Vice-President
.
Correspondence .
Treasurer • . • . . . • •
Speakers' Bure au .
. •.
Secretary . . . •
•
Art Coordina tor . . • • . . •
Liane
Millie
Pat & Lois
Me linda
Linda B.
Paul a
La ura
CONTENTS
LESBIAN DEBUTANTE
by Sally Gearhart
Lesbian Debutante. . • . • • • • • • .
To The Editors of Sisters . • • • . . •
Memory of 1965. . . . . . . . . • . . .
Poetry • • • • • • • . • • • • . • • •
Calendar • • • . • • . • • . • • • . •
Separation • • . • • • • • • • . • . •
Hey You Up There! • • • . . • • . . . •
In or Out of Quarantine? . • . . • • •
New Energy for DOB . • . . • • . . . •
Local Lesbian News . . • . • • • . . .
Information . •
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SISTERS magazine @ 1974 by Daughters of
Bilitis, San Francisco. Reproduction by permission of S.F. DOB Board Members.
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Cover photo from the June 1973 Gay Pride Parade;
many thanks to Cathy Cade, Photographer, of
Berkeley, California.
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LET US KNOW IF YOU MOVE. The Post Office will
forward SISTERS, so let us know your change
of address as soon as you know it, or you'll
miss one or more issues.
THE DATE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRES may appear
next to the label on the envelope your magazine arrives in. Check now - renew early!!
~
A PLEA FOR INFORMATI~
Sisters, we have been remiss in one aspect of
our duty: nowhere in our growing volumes of lesbian literature have we any definitive formula ion
of the proprieties of corning out. Since this ;
perhaps the most important move in a lesbi ." 'n' s 1 if,
our lack of any handy guidelines to the pro~-~s
seems an appalling oversight. Mothers are, afte1·
all, reluctant to offer their daughters any instructic .1 in such niceties 1 any other possible
sources of education, i.e., heterosexual literature, have until recently seemed to doubt the lesbian's very existence and thus make no helpful mention of the subject.
Thi s then is a plea for a little lesbian etiquettol ogy, f or a bit of attention to the runenities
of the lesbian debut. In the interest of encouragi ng some woman-identified Amy Vanderbilt to take up
her magic pen and educate us, we offer here a few
preliminary remarks on the subject . We might call
our considerations a "Prol egomena to the Handbook
for Incipient Lesbians" or "Introduction to Lesbianique: Its Purpose and Method in an Alienated
Society."
At the outset we must remind ourselves that the
term "coming out" is not without some ambiguity.
In Ancient Americanese, the term meant only one
thing: the initial act of sexually committing love
with another woman. While we could here catalogue
the precondi t"..ons, the mindsets, anc·: even ti . 'I ::tual physical techniques explor-d by lesbi,
.. , ·u,::-':
the centuries, such a recitation seems the
, K 01.
more extensive analysis.
Nor can we fully examine here a s , ,,id 1aeani ng
of the term, what might be called "c01,1i ng out emotionally." Coming out in this sense' in vol Vl · , a woman's self assertion, even if no sexunl act. ver
testifies to it, that she is emoti ,,nally a 1,·sbi
that she has feelings for women th. , sl , "sh, .i •
have only for men, t ~ women ad not men are her
priority in terms of her t me, her energy, her
coounitment . The Debu lfa; -ibook (or Growing Up and
Liking It, as
mi_~ fittingiy be entitled) will
have to spend considsrable time on this interpre•
tation of the tenn, since lurking behind the question of "emotional" corning out is the deeper question, "What is a lesbian anyway?" Thus involved is
the whole issue of " lesbianism and/or feminism?"
And that's where things get a little dangerous,
don't they? not just because of the history of lesbian-baiting that so many women's movement groups
have endur d, but because with the asking of this
question, eve~y woman has to take a peek inside herself. Gasp. So, attention to this kind of corning
out may constitute the heaviest part of the etiquettal study.
The third and most rP.cent connotation of the
term "coming out" deman ~ immed:i ate attm.tion. This
is the "publi ' meaning, the revealing-for- all-o~the-others-tc
e-juFt-wh t-it-is-that-really-isme. This use E t~e te:::r.i has its fullest expression in gay p de or in the current atmosphere of
liberation • • L finds its roots, however, deep in
the psyche of anyone who resists hypocrisy, gameplaying, or schizophrenia. The desire openly to be
who-one-is without fear of incarceration, social
degradation. or deprivation ~f livelihood seems
suspiciously "human" as opposea to just "lesbian."
We have to note also in passing that -- as in
the case of debuts in general -- there should in
the first place be no need for any woman to have
to announce who sle is or what she intends to continue to be. There is little need for her choice
of lifestyle to be of concern to anyone other than
e woman or women to whom she commits herself.
Bu: then, real needs have unfortunately never
been an American priority, either of our founding
fathers or of their heirs. And the social issues
of the '70's will continue to call lesbians to
speak out, to come out, to confront the iominant
male-made values with heretofore hidden lesbian
values. Anything short of such confrontation, the
call will imply, is one of two things 1 (1) a r rpetuation of repression or (2) a self-deceivinq
gloss-over attitude that talks about "peopler s"
or "human beings" (as if in the real world evt.1:yone -- particularly men -- believed in "peopleness" or in "human beings").
Corning out in this public sense raises different questions for different types of lesbians. (We
must submit to "typing," sisters. After all, with
the butch/femme stereotypes so rapidly disappearing from the scene, that division must be replaced
with some other stratification. Rhetoric abhors
a typelessness.) Type No. 1, then, is the lesbian
who has found her sisters through the gateway of
political consciousness. To her lesbianism has
never been a heavy oppression but is rather a glorious discovery that somehow offers an alternative
to a hopelessly inhuman and oppressive male system. This lesbian often has no job to lose, since
she has dropped as far out as is personally possible for her. Moreover, she has very little political rapport with those to whom her lesbian
lifestyle might prove an embarrassment or a deep
hurt, and thus corning out constitutes the least
of her problems. In the kindly and sisterly humor
of the movement, she is often called the "nouveau"
or "instant" lesbian, a label that she share with
her sisters of Type No. 2.
The lesbian of Type No. 2 rejects the birdsand-bees folklore, knowing it to be simply not
enough. She views lesbianism as a natural extension of her sexuality, and she often understands
that sexuality to be expressed not just in bed
but in dress, in movement, in speech, in the entire personality. More often than not, the question of coming out presents the greatest problem
to this lesbian. Indeed, "bisexual" can become a
label she applies to herself, thus rendering less
heinous the revelation that she enjoys sleeping
with women, since she clearly also enjoys that
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activity with men. The libe ral or hip culture sees
her as not having gone quite all the way out onto
the lunatic fringe.
Understandably, comi ng out seems to call forth
greatest agonies among lesbians of Type No. 3,
that is, women who have known of and probably acted upon their sexual preference for years, who
have struggled within the system to achieve some
respectability even while playing by male rules.
They are, by our same kindly rhetoric, the "hardcore-card-carrying" lesbians, surviving in vast
numbers all across this great nation of ours in
closets of varying degrees of darkness.
It is to Type No. 3 that we would expect the
bulk of cominq-out discussion to be devoted, particularly since the public's growing awareness
of the existence of lesbianism must cause no little threat to this lesbian's hard-earned security. While she may utter a muffled chee r at the
increasingly loud proclamations that "gay is good,"
she must as well register another unit or two on
her paranoia chart , for she knows that straight
ears can also he ar the proclamations and that
straight eyes will be looking with more and more
straight-laced suspicion at any deviation from
straight behavior. It's a sad comme~tary on our
society that unfortunately some very straight,
very un-lesbian, unmarried women will also bear
the pressure of the straight world's suspicion.*
Already a host of questions suggest themselves
for Type No. 3's coming out etiquettology. For
instance, the closeted and often older lesbian
asks:
1. Is there a way to come out gradually or do
I have to do it like the Second Coming with
two-inch high headlines on our weekly paper's front pa~e?
2. If I come out, how jo I contine financially
to support my life-long habits ~feating
and being sheltered from the weathel7?
3. How can I pro+;ect my f:dends--both thd
'
i
I
"innocent" and the "guilty" women--from the
insidiou3 stigmatization that will invaricibly fall on them when my own lifestyle is
public knowledge? (Perhaps a mimeographed
disclaimer that I can hand out in my home
town that says, "I am a lesbian, but Susie
and Edna and Geraldine and Elizabeth and my
bridge partner and the mayor's wife, etc.,
are not.")
4. How do I prepare my family--like my sister
who is maybe a past Miss America or like my
father who is maybe running for governor?
5. How do I deal with the heterosexual couples
who have been my acquaintances when the vibrations change from "suspicious wives" to
"suspicious husbands"?
6. Can I expect men's sexual overtures to subside into sighs of resignation and regret?
Or will I have to deal with threatened male
egos that become obsessed with making a
"real woman" of me?
so, sister, from just these few preliminary
considerations we can discover the vast need for
well-documented and earnestly researched standardization of tips on the matter of the lesbian
debut. How can we hope to personify new directions
for social change, how can we expect to be the
wave of the future if we have no rule book, no
aids to the decencies of the process itself? Let's
do it right, sisters. After all, we would not want
to be thought deviant from or ignorant of the ancient and honorable rite of a woman's proper introduction to society.
*As in any stratification, our three types of u.s.
lesbian of the 70's are not mutually exclusive,
alas. Doomed ultimately to oblivion like the butch/
fermne distinction, ol' r trichotomy blurs at its
edges, presents a hos t of exceptions. There are
women who fall into Type No. 2 who may move into
(J)
TO THE EDITORS OF "SISTERS".,.
the political consciousnes s of No. 1 or who still
maintain establishment jobs like No. 31 and it is
conceivable (though with difficulty) that a woman
of Type No. 1 might be forced back into the closet
to live like Type No. 3 or that she might suddenly
discover some potentiality in the bisexuality of
No, 2, etc., etc., etc.
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Our special thanks to The ____ Tide and Sally
Gearhart for use of this article. Although Ms.
Gearhart wrote "Lesbian Debutante" two or three
years ago, and acknowledges it's shortcomings,
we feel it still has meaning for the lesbian of
1974. Yes?
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HavlOSEXUALITY IN LITERATURE
FIRST gay book catalog ever published! Over 700
items of scarce and out of print novels, nonfiction and biographical works. $2.00 deductible
from first order.
Elysian Fields Booksellers
81 - 13 N Broadway
Elmhurst, New York
11373
Ir. response to the article "I.c- There Nothing
New to Say," I would like to say that there are
indeed happy butch-femme relationships still in
existence, and my lover and I, along with many
friends, are still around to prove it.
We both dress very butch and enjoy it. We
enjoy both butch and femme roles in our interactions with each other. It makes the relationship very enjoyable as well as interesting. Our
needs are met sexually with each other and we
have no desire to play around. We have our
problems as everyone does, but we have a deep
enough understanding about our lives together
and each other's feelings to protect what we
have.
We don't expect others to act or feel as we
do: to each her own. We would like to get the
same from others, although we don't always get
it. We have been laughed at bq some women we
know who live with lots of other women and who
say they do not "role play" at all. If these
women exclude us, they are the ones who won't
benefit from our ideas, talents, and abilities
as members of the gay community.
Yes, we enjoy being butch and femme and
dressing up to go to bars and parties and we
love coming home together, cooking, cleaning,
and sharing our responsibilities as well as
our love. We give our relationship everything
we've got and that's why we get a lot out of it.
- Jeannie
m-VRY OF 1965
by Sue Whitson
remember rain-washed trees and sidewalks sewn
with puddles winding 'round the waistline of the
city and hemming up the ankles of the night--and
th('·smells were so intense that I felt rather than
!,1c<lthed them, and the heavy odor of fresh-bathed
soil clung damply to my nostrils.
I walked along the railroad tracks experiencing
the wet and cold mingling with the friendly solitude offered by those steely rails to which I had
attached myself--a mechanical umbilical cord from
the knowledge and familiarity of my present, to
the promises and questions of an uncertain future-and me, the parasitic fetus. Three of us had met
and bonded, starting so close and growing into each
other but we never for a moment thought beyond the
experiencing of that moment, and we were so engaged
in a complicated process of development that was
not to be studied for enlightenment or understanding, but which was merely to be dealt with and
enjoyed. All our excitement fused in our constant
companionship and we knew all the things which did
not need to be said and we so studiously avoided
saying them. We were wide open and happy and free
to be or do or feel all we could find to be or do
or feel, but only with each other and that's exactly how we nurtured ourselves and protected us not
from us, but from everyone else.
That night she'd gotten ill so suddenly and so
out of character for one of us accustomed to the
total crippling of any threatening elements--at
least those with nerve enough to approach us on
anything resembling an equal basis, much less
physical. And she was down on her back in a
darkened room, a container for pain we could not
share and host to foreign bodies we could not wage
war against. This was her own battle, an internal,
solitary struggle for dominance over a general
infection; excluding us of necessity, though we
hurt for her,
Confused now I lift my head and strain to see
throug~ total darkness or hear thrcugh heavy
silence the evidence of that metal monster whose
pulsing has begun beneath my feet--but only her
face is etched against total horizon and I am aware
again of a rising curtain of awareness revealing
startled eyes exactly as time glued that instant
on my memory in that other present-now-past.
I had held her.
Crossed a road, leaped a river, forged a path,
jumped a canyon--and brought reality thundering
down around my ears, clogging up my mouth with the
full taste of it, and hurting my eyes with its
shattering light, So unplanned; so unprepared. It
only made me aware of how very long we had practiced
mutual avoidance, than illness and suffering brought
down th~ walls like so many blaring trumpets!
For that moment we touched and kissed and quietly
held on and refused to think or act or say anything
beyond the boundaries of our most basic wants and
needs. And it had been so good
So total. And ...
And with a nervous, jagged laugr and a stumbling
apology the wall was rebuilt for the sake of--what?
Respect? Self-esteem? Hardly. For fear was the
wall rebuilt. But I was there when it came down
and I'd been seen alive on the other side.
Walking, then, into the night. With the allconsuming roar of the bowels of that train in my
head--I began my search. Looking for a gate in
that wall, for I had to go through--there was no
longer any way back ....
®
CLOSET KITTY
POETRY
by
Judy
Clamshell
Ragged edge
jagged edge
sharp and cutting
Sometimes,
When I look at you,
I smile.
You
usually ask me why I
I
But Im not always sure.
It must be that you make me happy.
how closed you are
tightly clamped
against my blee ding fingers
prying and
cajoling and
cajoling and
caressing you
to open--show your stuff to me.
inside
h uddled warmly
quiver - pink
and shimmering
Love lightly my heart,
Try not to possess
illusive love
Or she will flee,
Leaving you desolate.
such jelly fright
of coming open
in my hand and bring
outside rock-hard
walls
and yes,
you are still safe
but
also sterile.
by Sue Whitson
I,
You have given me a special kind of love,
A requited love,
the realization of a lifetime's yearning.
Days spent together mel_ i1ito moments
in_ their flight.
Thoughts we share,
Your loving caress,
Brighten my reverie,
assuaging my fears
And lightening my spirit.
My being thrives on your love.
Why do you doubt that you are enough?
Bring back the quiet assurances of ~ove,
The contentment of encircling anns,
The steadfast promise of a kiss,
Hope for future sharing, helping lodng
In quiet eyes.
Bring back the sweetness of hands touching,
Holding, qiving quiet assurances of love.
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Your Love
Your love touches me: in quiet solitude,
In secret meetings, In quiet rides
Along lonely midnight highways.
When emotions t~de_ to quaking fear
Your love holds me in safety and becomes me
to a place not dreamed of, Too great, I thought,
to hope for.
And with each sharing,
Your love satisfies me.
00
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My one love sometimes seems as two. She is strong
and steady as a pillar for me to lean on, yet,
she is shy and vulnerable, needing me alone.
That side makes her dear. For others in the world
of men she is impressive, self-suficient,
Giving no quarter unless she chooses.
But in my anns she cuddles small and child-like,
Having tossed off the trappings of her station.
She is a giant - she is a child.
An ocean to be fathomed is my only love.
®
I miss you tonight,
With an ache in my body,
A crying void in my soul.
Could I hear a word,
Feel a touch from you,
The night and I
Would be at peace.
poems by Judy
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by Roberta Dill
Losing or breaking up with a lover can be a
heart-breaking, traumatic experience. However, it
need not be the end of any woman's existence.
There are many rewarding discoveries to be made in
solitude. And there will always be more love.
Love never stops with one person. One person can
never be the complete fulfillment or negation of
your love.
(You may be turned off for a time, certainly,
but everyone needs time to relax and re-energize.)
When my lover ran off with another woman, I was
unaware at first that it spelled the end of our
relationship. Since I never believed that monogamy
was the perfection of love, I didn't mind her sleeping with another woman. I was especially amused,
since it was she who had prattled on about the
virtues of monogamy, and who had become angry with
me because I refused to play the jealous lover
whenever she touched another woman. I couldn't
have cared less who she slept with--all I wanted
was equal time.
As time went on, though, and I didn't hear from
her, I began to realize that I had been "loved and
left," a not too uncoIT'mon situation. I began to
get angry, not only because my so-called "monogamous" lover was too ashamed to speak to me, but
because I was beginning to feel the loss of companionship besides a damned good sex partner,
We weren't really "in love" when we broke up,
and our heart throbs long ago had subsided from a
thud-thud to a ping-ping, but I still cared for
her, and felt her absence.
I began to think of all the women who had been
interested in me, whom I'd mostly ignored, while
we were going together. I began to regret my
enforced monogamy.
Suddenly there was a big vacuum in my life. I
found no one to share my bed, my bod or my conversation. Friends weren't much help. The only regret I felt was that there was no one to fill her
place.
Instead came the gradual realization that I had
lost my SELF. Now that I was alone, I found r
didn't even know who I was. Or what sort of per.son
I was. I had been manipulated and had my enersJ
sucked off that much. I was quite surprised,
having always thought of myself as a very individualistic sort of person.
For the next couple of months, I gradually
started becoming acquainted with my self, getting
back to my self, and liking eveX"j minute of it.
Self-discovery, though it must be pursued alone
'
I
is a rewarding experience. I started doing creative
things I'd always wanted to do, but couldn't because
another person was making demands on my time.
This was when my first creative burst of writing
appeared in print, for I finally had the incentive
to get off my ass, write down all the things I'd _
been thinking, and try to get them published, My
writing always has proved to be a great source of
self-fulfillment and satisfaction to me. It's my
gig; not just something to fill time while I'm in
between lovers. Nor is it an "outside interest" to
give me something else to do and think about when
I have lovers.
Even though my re-self-discovery was an exhilirating time, I still found aloneness depressing
at times. My writing and several other creative
endeavors helped fill the void, and make me feel
more like a full human being.
There are many people whose primar_· concern is
finding lovers and being loved. Thr:!y have no
other goal. Their whole self-esteem is based on
loving and being loved. Such people are destined
to be continually disappointed, for no one can be
loved constantly. Everyone, of course, wants to
love and be loved--this is a very human need, Even
plants need to be watered to grow.
creative, productive pursuits are essential to
personal growth and mental well-being. Something
that satisfies me in and of itself, whether an
avocation or a vocation, can contribute to my
growth throughout a lifetime.
If I'd depended on other's love for my selfesteem, I would have died years ago of selfeffacement.
~'
~-v
WE UNDERSTAND.
HEY YOU UP TI-lERE
-
by CD Hamil ton
I was born short, of course this is not unusual.
After all who ever heard of a 9 pound 6' 2" baby?
My main problem stems from the fact that I stopped growing at age 13. I feel the time has come
for all you biggies to understand them. Being a
short lesbian isn't an easy life. For instance,
do you realize that the average height of women
today is over 9 feet? At least from where I stand
it looks that way. Do you also realize that you
yell at us little people? We're not deaf, just
short. Being little doesn't mean our ears don't
work as well as yours. After all we can see as
well as any biggies. We just don't have that much
to look at, unless you're knee cap oriented.
What about the elbows? Who do you think you've
been hitting all these years? Me, that's who! I
go out for a couple of drinks and I come home
feeling like I've been mugged. Somebody, one of
those 9 feet biggies, wal ks b y zmd POW another
black and blue. Lucky for me I don't wear a padded bra - how the hell do you explain a dented
chest!
Okay, so you really don't mean to beat on us.
Explain the drinks. That's right the drinks.
Biggies get a little wrecked and "ZAP" I got a
Bloody Mary making its way down my face. You're
making life very hard for me, also very messy.
l~~'i!i~ ~
@©.? ~ ~~ ~
Whibnan-Radc:lyfh Fcu,clQtion
2340 Clay st....t. room 405
San Francisco, Ca. MTIS
rgfj}o~
I can just about forget about dancing. What fun
is it being dragged around the floor with your
nose pressed against somebodies belt buckle? But
just lets suppose I wanted to dance. Who in thei r
right mind would dance wi th somebody who looked
like a recent victim of the child beating syndrome.
Bruised, throughly Bloody Maryed and deaf. I can
hear all those 9 foot b'ggies saying "Why don't
you go to the ladies room and clean up". First
off I 'WOuld spend a grea t deal of my evening
®
washing. An excessive amount of water gives one
wrinkled skin otherwise known as "monkey skin".
Would you dance with a girl who looked like a baby
chimp? Besides, I find it hurnilating asking for a
leg-up to the mirror.
There are other problems we have to deal with - like
being patted on the head - holding my hand when I
cross the street - helping me up on the curb - putting the phone book on the chair so I can reach the
table - and whispering into the top of my head cause
you don't feel like bending to my ear. No wonder I
never know what's happening.
G;Y FREECD\/1 D\Y
I hope that I've managed to make you understand us
little people. I have one suggestion for you biggies:
Try taking one of us home - we may be short but
we're sure as hell durable,
LAVENDER WOMAN
onrl,w.
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OUR LESBIAN•FEMINIST NEWSPAPER.
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Chicago, Ill. 60660
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IN OR OUT OF QUAAA~INE?
by Dory Murphy
"One must not confuse existential aloneness
- (a universal experience) with aloneness produced
by the quarantines of the day." This quote is
from Society and the Healthy Homosexual by Dr.
George Weinberg. The quote can best be illustrated by example.
Joan, a lesbian sister, works in the straight
world. The following incident that she related to
me typifies "quarantine aloneness." One afternoon
at her office there was a party on the next floor.
The middle executives, their secretaries, plus a
smattering of the female clerical staff attended
the party. Joan is a member of the latte~ gro~p.
While attending this party, Joan felt inferior
and uncomfortable. This is a very general statement. Why did she feel so uneasy? After several
minutes I elicited from her a clearer picture of
her emotions. Everyone at the party was extremely
well groomed. Joan is notorious for her slovenly
appearance. Secondly, she felt "out of place" with
the patter of executive gaming and the male domination inherent in those games. Finally she
blurted that her major sense of inferiority was
attributable to the fact that she is a lesbian.
She thought her lesbianism was as blatant as
wearing a gay button. Everyone was critically
reading her lifestyle (she fantasized).
Usually Joan is able to function comfortably
in her department, where the majority of the employees are females. But at the party she felt
the overwhelming oppression of the straight world.
she danced her masochistic tango to her own tune.
This is a dangerous product of "quarantine aloneness," though it is a favorite game of many lesbians who work in the straight world.
"Quarantine aloneness" is a straight game. I
think sisters who work in the straight world pay
@
enough of a price for their jobs in the form of
poor wages, etc. We should not let the straight
world rip us off ;..,ith extraneous and tiring games.
If we accept the responsibility of our work load
and perform our jobs well that should be the extent
of our involvement in our straight jobs.
However, this one game of "quarantine aloneness"
can play into our deeper self games. For example,
when Joan let it play into her masochism. This is
when we should stop and analyze to what extent we
will permit straight world games to affect our own
life scripts. In other words, "quarantine aloneness" is NOT a price we, as lesbians, must pay for
working in the straight world.
"Existential aloneness" is more difficult to
describe. Joan told be of an evening she spent at
an all women's coffee house. She and her friends
went to hear a female guitarist. The entire audience was at ease enjoying the subtle strumning of
the guitarist.
Joan experienced a moment of "existential aloneness'': she felt displaced and alienated from her
surroundings. The intimate crowd of her friends
appeared a light year's distance from her. The
sense of her individual uniqueness set her apart.
She thought a moment of her life had been torn from
her control. Even in these mellow surroundings
of all women's vibes an emotion could separate her
from her enjoyment of the evening. A friend jarred
Joan from her thoughts by asking her why she was
staring. She dismissed the moment and was able to
relate to the remainder of the evening.
I am not a humanist, but I think there are certain non-gender elements of our existence that are
confusing to us as lesbian women. I believe that
"existential aloneness" is a common denominator
within the human species. "Existential aloneness"
is the sense that each of us is unique and apart
from one another.
The confusing problem is that we must separate
our games. At the party Joan paid a heavy price
for an essentially straight game of "quarantine
aloneness." we can minimize the price by understandinq he game and learning to deal with it on
our own lt ,is. However, "existential aloneness"
is an emotion everyone must deal with. It is not
a game, but an unalterable fact of human existence.
The straight world deludes us lesbians with many
camnuflaqe games. We can diminish their impact on
ouL lives.
If we can free ourselves from a few of
these games, we can face the more basic realities
of our emotions such as "existential aloneness."
000
+++
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"The first FUNNY book about sexism ..• "
"A radical FEMINIST statement ... "
q
v Jeanne Cordova
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by Barbara Collier
?
On May 8th there was a rap at DOB led by Gail
and Diann on new ideas and workable plans for OOB.
DOB has many and diversified activities but many
women are still dissatisfied, come to one rap and
are never heard from again, volunteer for a million things and never show up for any of them.
Most of the shit work, tedious chores and organizing get done month after month by a small
group of women. If not for this group DOB would
be in sad shape, but as Gail and Diann pointed
our perhaps with some more interest groups and
new energy DOB could reach and keep more women
and be more stimulating for everyone involved.
It's easy to say "nothing interests me," or
"let someone else do it," but things don' i· always
get done by "others:" The other person must at
times be us, and doing something that interests
us can be fun and rewarding too.
The new topics that came up were: (1) Parties
at DOB or at peoples' homes; (2) Heavy raps--going
in depth into subjects of interest (perhaps not
on Wednesday nights), (3) Camping and picnicking;
(4) Bulletin board for interest groups and exchanging services; (5) Having DJ3 open more often-letting it be drop in. Needing volunteers for
those nights; (6) Sports, non-competitive; (7)
Answering the mail; (8) Organizing dances;
(9) Specialties at DOB such as encounter groups,
music and typing lessons, etc.; (10) Finn, ng a
new location for DOB; (11) Working oi; il 1, ;ourc~
center for lesbians, to be housed at l.ll.Jl3; ( 12)
Music night; (13) Writers workshop, (14) C'hiJdcare.
We will be getting together with Diann an,1 1;ail
again on June 5th (the first Wednesday in June) at
7 pm at DOB. If you are interested in . 111 · ,,r· aJ l
of the above, or just want to voluntec>1
spare
Tuesday every other week, pleas<~ com"
DOB has pictures of Miss America 1974, Rita Mae
Brown, Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, Gloria Steinem,
and Pat Parker. Also, we have recently aquired a
nude, autographed picture of Lana Cantrel which
says, "To D.O.B - Power to Rita Mae - Lana Cantrel".
The picture was sent from New York City given to us
with a letter written by Rita Mae Brown on Lana
Cantrel's stationery. In appriciation for this nice
gift sent to us through efforts of Rita Mae, I,
Local Lesbian will send an old 1945, Pin-up Girl,
picture of Alexis Smith in a 2-piece bathing suit
as a gift to Rita Mae Brown. (Alexis Smith is the
person who Rita Mae dedicated .her book, Rubyfruit
Jungle, to.)
*
you have asked,
"Who is the Local Lesbian?"
because of my kids, my
husband, my religion and
my Hollywood stage career,
I wish to be anonymous.
Also, I don't want to
jeopardize my future chances to be on T.v. in a leading
part in a toothpaste comrnerical or to do a duet with
Dial Evans on Royal Roger's horse singing, "Happy
trails to you, until we meet again, etc." I trust that
all of you will understand, it's not everybody that
get chances like those.
*
*
*
COUNSELING & SELF-EXPLORATION for Women--individual,
couples or weekend groups, particular concern with
lesbian feminist issues and enhancing self-awarence
and creativity--flexiable fees--for further information
call Sue at 752-8967 or leave message for Sue Alexander
at answering service no. 861-8689.
*
*
Woman would like to meet other women in late 20's
or early 30's. Please write P.O. Box 5861, San
Franc'sco, CA 94101.
*
*
*
In support of the women's coffee house, The Full
Moon (4416 18th Street), DOB has loaned them 18
folding chairs, a bench and a bookshelve.
*
*
*
B1,SIC PLUMBING: I would like to organize a plumbing
group for women with varying levels of experience
in use of tools, etc. Group would work on plumbing
in the Skill Center (51 Waller Street), free jobs
for community groups, and in each other's homes. If
people are willing to persevere and put time into
learning this skill, we can probably do some jobs
for money. I have been doing plumbing on a part-time
basis for the last 9 months. Pam: 648-4335 class
will be held on Sunday mornings for $5.00 per
month--sliding scale.
L,L, NEWS CONTINLED
The Gay Freedom Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday
June 30th. They need help. I= you care to put some
energy towards it , Mike Waggener, parade chairperson
would like to hear from you or if you just want
further info:nnation call Mike at 621-4535.
*
Vicki is just recently
Pennsylvania and would
from there. If you are
message for Vicki. And
*
*
*
out here from Pittsburgh,
like to meet some other women
call 861-8689 and leave a
Welcome to San Francisco!
*
*
STREET FIGHTINGz A self-defense course for women
using basic Karate techniques, covering real life
situations. The classes wil be discipline, and
rigorous, with ir ividualize<l programs for each
student. women c all ages ~nd in all states of
physical condit1 0. are welcome. Every woman can
learn to kick ars. Sliding Scale, classes are being
offerred at Women 's Skills Center at 51 Waller St.
Katzz 824-9482
DOB has sent a letter
Studies Program at SF
groups or individuals
this Program continue
Dr. Henry McGuckin - Chairperson
Speech Corranunications Department
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California 94132
*
*
*
EAST BAY s.o.L. (Slightly Older Lesbians 30+) is
having a social get-together Sunday, June 30th.
Meet at 10:30am at the Lake Chabot Marina for
boating, fishing, hiking, relaxing or what have you.
Bring your own food and drink for a picnic. A snack
bar is available. Take Mc Arthur Freeway (580) to
the 150th offramp (Fai:nnont) in San Leandro to Lake
Chabot Road. The East Bay S.O.L. is strictly social
so come meet people while enjoying varied activities.
Ideas are always welcome. Future events will be
announced in SISTERS and will be broadcast over
KPFA 94.4 FM, Sunday at 8:45 pm. For more info:nnation
or directions callz Berni at 483-5143 or Betty at
658-3952.
*
*
*
*
CONGRATULATIONS! goes to Millicent Staten recently
elected as Board (State) Rep. of the Golden Gate
Chapter of N.o.w. We, DOB, will miss you, Millie
but wish you best cf luck with your new position.
*
*
*
I, Local Lesbian, want to thank a sister, Ms. C.,
from Jacksonville, Florida for the nice letter of
support, the money enclosed for DOB and for sharing
your thoughts. Even thou we have never met and are
miles apart, it feels good to be appriciated. I
never realized that people outside the lo~ 1 area
would be interested in my column.
of support for the Women's
STATE and urges other women'
to do the same--in order that
to exsist. Mail letter to:
*
*
I have heard from various women, praising Carol for
her singing talent. Carol writes most of her own
music and lyrics. May I suggest you go and hear what
a lot of the women are talking about--Carol will
be performing at Full Moon at 9:00pm on June 15th.
*
*
*
Susan B. Anthony Democratic Club is located dt the
Eureka Valley Democratic Headquarters, 284 Noe St.,
San Francisco, C.A. Telephone #861-2515 This is
a Democratic Club dedicated to radical feminist
politics. ALL women are welcome! Meetings every
Tuesday at 7:30pm through the rronth of June.
DOB in conjunction with Whitrnan-Radclyffee Foundation,
Advocates for Women and EDD (formerly HRD) are sponsoring a new Employment Placement Service for Women
especially lesbians. If you are looking for a job
or thinking of it, why not stop in or call & ask for
Octavia Carter at Advocates for Women at 593 Market
st. Rm.#500 in SF or call 495-6750--this is a 3 month
trial program and the participation of the Lesbian
Community is needed to make it work. If you have any
suggestions or comments, call Laura 346-7929 or call
Paula 861-8689.
*
*
*
WOMEN'S SEXUALITY WEEKEND on July 12 , 13 & 14, it is
limited to 12 women, $25.00 for the whole weekend,
make your reservations Now call and ask for Jill or
Sue at 752-8967 or leave message at 861-8689.
*
*
- San Francisco
1005 Market St., #402
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 861-8689
- Boston
419 Boylston St. , #406
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 262-1592
- New Jersey
P.O. Box 62
Fanwood, NJ 07023
(201) 233-3848
- Dallas
P.O. Box 5944
Dallas, TX 75221
(214) 742-1947
- P.O. Box 137
Northwood, NH 03261
(Don't say IXJB: they
must be anonymous.)
- Ft. Worth
P.O. Box 1564
Ft. Worth, TX 76101
(817) 924-8598)
*
OUT-OF-TOWN-LESBIANS Welcome to San Francisco & DOB
Here is a list you may be i nte rested in & have a Gay
time during your stay this summer.
The Full Moon (Women's Coffee House)
4416 18th Street near Eureka • • . .
. 864-9274
Wome n Switchboard & YWCA
620 Sutter Street near Taylor . . . . . . . 771-8212
LESBIAN BARS
Scott's
10 Sanchez (nr. Duboce) . . .
Peg's Place
4737 Geary (nr. 12th Ave) . .
Maud's or the Study
937 Cole (nr. Carl) . . . . .
Kelly's Saloon
20th Street off of Mission.
La Cave
1469 Sutter (nr. Franklin).
00B 01APTE~
626-9534
668-5050
Unfortunately, we have had to withdraw our endorsement of the New York City Chapter (founded by Mary
Toyos). Pertinent facts have come to our attention
which make continued affiliation with this group
inconceivable.
You win some and you lose some: but you gotta keep
trying!!
I OI
+ + +
MANY THANKS TO CLIFF KROUSE AND NORTI-fEAST C0'1"1~ITY MENTAL HEALTI-i SERVICES,
~DER YMOSE AUSPICES TI-iIS ISSUE OF THE
SISTERS MAGAZINE WA.5 PRINTED, GRATIS,
. . 731-6119
• • • 285-0066
775-2060
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN STSTERS ARE THOSE OF
THE INDIVIDUAL WRITERS AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE
OF THE SISTERS COLLECTIVE OR THE S.F. OOB BOARD.
i
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~I
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wanen's expressions
Chomo-Uri a Tibetan name "Mother Goddess Turquoise Peak" renamed "Mt. Everest"
poetry
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reviews
$1.50
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$1.20 / ten copies or more
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506 goodell hall
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Part of Sisters : v.5:no.6(1974:Jun.)