 The Ladder, set up by the Daughters of Bilitis, was published from 1956 to 1972. | |
| Formation | 1955 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1995 (last chapter) |
| Type | Grassroots |
| Purpose | Lesbian civil and political rights |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
Official language | English |
Key people | Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon |
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The Daughters of Bilitis (/bɪˈliːtɪs/), also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States.[1] The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955, was initially conceived as a secret social club, an alternative to lesbian bars, which were subject to raids and police harassment.
As the DOB gained members, their focus shifted to providing support to women who were afraid to come out and to becoming politically active. The DOB educated them about their rights and about gay history. Historian Lillian Faderman declared, "Its very establishment in the midst of witch-hunts and police harassment was an act of courage, since members always had to fear that they were under attack, not because of what they did, but merely because of who they were."[2] The Daughters of Bilitis endured for 40 years, becoming an educational resource for lesbians, gay men, researchers and mental health professionals.
- ^ Perdue, Katherine Anne (June 2014). Writing Desire: The Love Letters of Frieda Fraser and Edith Williams—Correspondence and Lesbian Subjectivity in Early Twentieth Century Canada (PDF) (PhD). Toronto, Canada: York University. p. 276. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
- ^ Faderman, p. 190-191