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BOSTON
DAUGHTERS
OF BILITIS
A JOURNAL FOR
GAY WOMEN
,\
,J
•I
$.50
�FOCUS: A JOURAL FOR GAY
N
WOMEl'\J
Febr uary 1974
FOCUS
STAFF:
reviews: Judi
features: Cathy Baker, Wendy Bauman
poetry, covers: Geri Bidwell
production: Geri Bidwell
typing; Laura Robin
nelk~i. · : Laura Rob;n, Charr;ie
FOCUS published monthly by Boston
is
Daughters of Bilitis,
Room 323, 419
Boylston st., Boston, Mass. 02116
Phone: 617.. 262- 1592
Subscriptions are $5/year, samples 50¢.
Give us your zip number. If you move,
let us know in advance because the post
office will not forward 3rd class mail
to you.
DEADLINE March· issue:
for
This publication is on fiilie at the
9
Womens History Archive,
International
2325 Oak st., Berkeley, Calif. 94708.
It is available on microfilm from Bell
and Howell, Wooster, Ohio to October
from October 71 on.
1971 and from the IWHA
FOCUS
welcomes contributions
from
everyone. If you want back what you
send us, please include a stamped, .
self - addressed envelope. Let us know
·
possible titles
and how you want to
sign your name. All letters must be
signed, but your name will be withheld
for publication if you request.Articles
in FOCUSreflect the views of the
individual authors.
IN THIS ISSUE
The Homophile Community Health Service:
answers to some unspoken questiops
by Donna Medley •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
2
REVIEW§.
New Lesbian Disc: Lavender Jane LoVftS
.
v{
omen O • • • 0 • • ... ... • •
O. 0 O
e.•.••.•••.
G •.
••.
0 • ••
0
_Qt_t_y
yJ' _19by Elisabeth Newbold
itJ:µ 1
review by H. V •• •• ·•. •• •• ••••• •. •. •• ••• •• •••••
N htwood, by Djuna Barnes
i_g
· review by Janine Bernier.•••
PEatails on Massachusetts
Feb.21
•• ••••.••.••.•
gay bills••••••••••
News around the country••••••••••••••••~••~•
POETfil
11To one of a couple",
by 0 Jim 11
. 11 by P •B ••••••••••••••••••••••·
• 1Th
ree poems,
3
4
•• · 4
6
7
·9
CALENDAR • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ).0.
.•
�2
THE HOMOPIITLE
cm11.vrrrnITY
HEALTH
.SERVICE:
ANSWERS SOME
TO
UNSPO QUESTIONS
K
EN
By Donna Medley
The Hom.ophile Community Health Service
is a mental health service primarily .
concerned with the ·.needs of the gay ·.
community. Inf orthat:fon .concerning
background,
appointments, ,fees, historical
or purpose can be obtained at the Health .
Service, 419 ,Boylston St., Boston, Mass.
02116 ( 617-·266-5477) • ·The · - verall philoo
sophy of the .Health Service is that
homosexuality is a viable · lifestyle.
The purp~se of this article is to reach
people who know the Health Servic ·e ·
exists but are not sure how it may re- .•
late to them. I 0 d like to attempt ·
to ~nswer some ' tmspokeh questions • .
_
You might call this' llWhat You 0 ve .
Always · anted to Knowabout ·HCHS
but
Were Afraid to Ask11 • ·
1.
~av?
Should I assume mv therapist
Should I ask?
is
Not all therapists
at HCHSare gay.
However, each therapist prior to acceptance at HCHSgoes through an intensive
interview process (which we fondly call
the Inquisition)
to determine, among
other considerations,
if the therapist
harbors any prejudices concerning
homosexuality.
You have the right to ask your therapist any question which will help you
establish a trusting,
working relationship. Since the emphasis -is on a,working relationship,
it would probably be
more useful to determine the therapist O s ·
attitude towards .gaynessrathe:rthan
her (his) personal orientation.
You
should feel a sense of security that
the therapist is not out to oonvert
you to her (his) particular
preferences
or ideologies; rather, that the focus
is on you.
2.
What about confidentiality?
Inform~tion about clients is stored in
two places:
file cabinets in the office
and the therapist 0 s head. The client 0 s
file is identified by number, not by .
name. The numbering system resembles
nightmares I used to have bef-0re -math
exams i,n college • . However, a dete~
mined thief..;;.:.armed with ia ·crowbar ,
and Einstein-type ·mind ·could ·probably
The hapcart away a client 0 s file.
less thief, however, would ·n6t be
able to find yo,ur name in the file.
All refe~ences to you in the file
or ·the ·
are efther first initial
abbreviation ' for client ( 11cl 11 ) •
The therapist 9 s head is another matter ~
Simply .stated, if you don°t trust a
therapist to respect the ·confidentiality of the theraputic relationship,
you shouldn °t go.· to him or •her.
Because .it is a ''small gay world",
counselor 9 at HCHSareprobably more
sensitive to the absolute need :for ...
confidentiality.
?"<-
3.
Must I see mvself as mentallv
.:!;:o to HCHS?
,go
It would be helpful and more realistic
if you didn°t view yourself as mentally ill.
The medical model suggests
the image .of a broken mind which is
somehowmendedby two aspirin and a
doctor-magician muttering incantations
like . 11co~pulsive-obsessive
personality
--begonel 11 Because emotional pa.in
is felt so intensely and pervasively,
one is lured into seeing oneself as
ill
totally depilitated--mentally
That
.with no healthy functioning.
notion is ' instilting to the functioning part that had the ability to make
. th . . phone ca11 · for an nppoint~~nt
e
and to the part that had the
,insight ~d s·ense of respxmsibility
to seek a constructive method of
dealing with pain. If there were no
mental health, there would be no use
for the1 ·apy. If we are to consider
the medical model at all, consider
the absurdity .of a doctor treating a
cadaver.
This is not to . diminish the reality of
0 s , emoti6nal
discomfort,
theclient
nor am I suggesting that it should
not be a concern. The suggestion is
. tha~ to buy into the stigma of 11mental
'•
L
ill
,
�3
pa: ienV ' is b\lying a burdens?m:e illu~ion
t
no less da~agin g than the stigma society
f cists on gays, as 11perverts ' 1 • T? engae;e
in therapy at .HCHSis to become involved
work
in a working ,rel~tionship--the
should aim a~ personal growth as well as
the re.duction of ·pain.
If one needn °t see oneself as a 11basket
case " to come to HCHS,what are possible
reasons to enter therapy? If you experience pain or discomfort because you
hallucinate,
have lost a lover, are
coming out, are uncertain · about yo~
sexual preference, can°t sleep at nig4t,
canot keep a job, have no friends, want
to kill yourself--to
name a few and to
suggest a wide spectrum--you might find
therapy useful.
4.
Should I go to HCHS Pm unsure
if
-;bout_IUYsexual <E:_ientation7
.c
Where else? (To express a slight prejudice).
If a person is uncertain about an import ant matter, the most frightening 51 arxl
de- humanizing,solution
is brain-washing.
Certainly gays have experience heterosexual brain-washing in massive dosage
and don °t need another brain --washing
experience.
HCHSrecognizes this and is
responsive to it but not only from the
gay perspective.
Let me give two examples
of people who may have serious concerns
0
about HCHSs perspective.
One person is thewoman who has identified
herself as a lesbian but has felt reluctant to discuss her feelings for men. If
she enjoys men socially and/or sexually,
she may feel like a traitor with other
lesbians and unable to speak with a gay
therapist•
The basic fear is judgrnert •
. Another fear is that she may be heterosexual an<;lfeels hhat she has already ..
11 paid
her .dues" for being gay. For
whatever · r ~~,son, the woman considers
herself pre:..judged. She remains silen:~
or runs away .f . om whc ,~ver sho thi:nks .
r
11knows
11 her;
.
HCHSas .well ~s the lesbian community •
must be open to hearing these women .
•
To be silent is to participate
in gay ·.·.
elitism; it is to adopt the . standard
is -unnatural; · it
t hat heterosexuality
i s coveting the role of oppressor.
Mo
reover, it is falling into typical
straight vie-wpoint that a lesbian
cannct ·relate .to men (on any level).
course, is to discoY el..
The point,
your own feelings and to have them .
acknowledged in relationships.
or
The other kind of person is the
womanwho has had no homosexual
experience but feels drawn tow~rds
homosexuality.
To be with lesbians or
to go to HCHSseems like identifying
prior to a decision or real appraisal.
Instead of condemning the woman or
ostracizing
her, it would be better
to help her make her own decision.
Since we are all exposed to a hetero- .
sexual brain-washing society, we
should be doubly sensitive to the
malice of brain-washing.
Lesbians
don°t need converts to lesbianism.
It would be nice if the :straight
world had the same sense of worth.
(NOTE: Donna Medley is a_th~rapist
at the Homophile Community Health
Service).
iit~~t;tiiiitiiii*li*iiiiii*ti:tttti:i
NEvrLESBIAN
DISC:
Lavender Jane Loves liQ.!Jtfil!
--
Alix Dobkin°s new recording of women°s
songs marks an important step in both
the gay and the feminist movements. It ·
is exciting to have available on t~e
store counters a collection of songs
which speak openly, warmly, t~nderly,
wittily,
about women°s love for ,•women.
Alix 0 s songf> vary in theme: and ~ood. .
She is by turns angry ( 11 she 0 s a bargain
basement M
om-replace:rnent II) ~.:.playful .
( 91men are
human bein~~ t _ o, fi:fty pero
cent •••• uh, forty-seven 91 )--thoughtful .· ·
("we airi 0 t got it easy; but we _got ~t 11)
--poignant ( 11because she 0 s a woman,· I
didn °t think I loved her 1i )-- joyous
( "look wh~t ha:s happened with ·just one .
kiss ·: I never kn·ew that I could be i ,n
love like thi 's •). Perhaps ·the most
interesting ·qevice she ·draws onin her .
lyrics is the twisting o{ o!d .cliches
into new feminist meanings• · ' Fb'r
in .stance, · whe~ she ~ings: ··1Now) · know
•
91
that a woman° place is in my J1ome;
s
sh(r :is re~haping an expression of
·
liii@:istic
oppression (i.e. "a woman's
9
pla ce ·:is in the home9) in order to
. · ass'er t ··her new-found freedom. ·
�4
(Le.vender ~,
cont.)
Lavender Jane is not a mcr.:n:.ent of music~l excellence~~let
that be admitted at
once. Hopefully it is only the fir$t of
countless women°s songs and records to
come. Whatever its weaknesses, this
disc is important because it offers
songs we can enjoy frankly, without
going through the persona .:changes we :r·.~:1
.
ordinarily
must make when listening
to straight music ~d lyrics.
Lavender Jane .Loves Women, Alix Dobkin,
Women s Wax Works (A;;-i); available
Q
on order from the Oscar Hilde Bookshop,
211 Mercer st., N.Y., N.Y. 10003.
ate dykes who, says Virginia, Julia
could never resemble bec•:~,;..3e her
i
of
11figure 11 •
Virginia and her mixed-up
lover Heriny buy a house, settle down;
and give a marvelously funny party
with a huge cast of Washington°s wayward women. The sophisticated
Vir·
ginia, despite the confusion in her
sex life, knows how to love a woman
without owning her. Through Virginia,
the idealistic,
totally unrealistic
Julia learns to accept both her
lesbian-humanity
and the love of Kate,
who has now returned from Chicago and
is recognized as a couple woman in
her own right.
*****************************************Well done -- up to a point.
City Within
Elisabeth Newbold
A Maurice Gorodias Book, distributed
Lyle Stuart.
by
(Review by H.V.)
This book has quite a few merits, and I
reco:mmendit to D.O.B. readers.
It 0 s
about a career woman, Julia, who works
in public relations
at a W
ashington,DC
private foundation.
She enjoys a lasting relation~hip
with Kate, a friend
from college days who holds a highly
responsible
job. For some reason both
women feel it nece$sary to wear high
heels and dressy clothes at work, and
suspect all _women
who do11°t. Newbol9,
happily shows us how Julia learns, f1rst,
that she is not unique and second, that
the only way to keep one 0 s love is to
lose ownership of her. The novel is
worth reading for these two themes
which--to say the least-• •don °t often
appear in lesbian fiction and in such a
positive framework.
Sophisticated
Virginia appears in Julia 0 s
office from New York and immediately
attracts
Julia--among others.
When
Julia 0 s Kate goes to Chicago for a few
months on business and family matters,
Julia becomes involved in a lesbian
quadrangle, including voluptuous, Bourbon-loving Henny and her former lover,
cafe-singer l'Iary McKee, as well as the
gcTgeous Virginia.
This foursome visits
a gay bar where Julia looks down her
aquiline nose at two fiftyish
unregener-
Pm
hopeful that Newbold will write another
book and when she does, she 0 11 give
her chief character more inner thoughts
about more of life.
Having met Jane
Rule 0 s remarkable Evelyn in The Desert
of the Heart and Kate in This Is Not
For You, perhaps I 0 m spoiled, butT
long to meet another intelligent
lesbian in fiction -- a woman who
thinks about lots more than mixing
bloody marys (there 0 s lots of liquor
in Citv) and getting Mary into bed.
In spite of its optimistic message,
Ci!:;yWtthi~ leaves me vaguely depressed
What is there about Julia or her Kate
to love unalterably?
Jane Rule, we
need you! Please read this and write
and ~ and write!
************************************
fil:.ghtwood
by Djuna · Barnes
review by Janine Bernier .
In 1967 The Ladder released The
Lesbian in-Literature:!.
Bibliogra~hy
compiled ' by Gene Damon and Lee Stuart,
annotating,
in its own fashion, all
the known books in theEnglish language
concerned with lesbianism.
The pre- ·
dominant annotation,
a T for trash,
brings to mind the disgust of many
readers who have picked up one lesbian
novel after another only to find the
stereotypic
butch committing suicide
when the male heir 11claims 71 the tobe-rightfully-possessed
stereotypic
fe:mme, the sexual charades of dimensionless characters,
and the simplistic
�5
blow-by...
blow. account of ,anpth~ ~,.no,~~;t., :y . introdu,ced in connection with Robin° s :·
l
abnormal lesbian int .rigue - -to 'nienti · rf · - \.:i · nightly adventures.
o '
It is interesting
only three noteworthy · ':111111entionables
~to note that. the characterization
of
Jennifer is deliberately
limited to a
One of the few books listed in The
few insipid comments made by several
Ladder 0 s bibliography as standing
of the other characters.
Jennifer is
above all the rest and properly bedesigned to be a$ colorless as Robin
longing to any · collection dealing w:ttb
is colorful and 1s ·juxtaposed against
the topic of lesbianism is Djun_· Barn. $ 0
a
a
her as . someone ~ho11defiled the very
Nightwood.
meaning of personality in her passion
to be a pf?rson11--something Robin is
Originally published in .1936, Nightwood
never said to indulge in, since she is .
not only transcends the contextual f).ows
too busy being herself.
Jennifer's
of past and much of the present lesbian
lack of flair also speaks well of Nora 0 s
fiction, but also has been described
and Robin's relationship
and has a
by T.S. Eliot . as a boqk of creative
tendency to return the focus of atten imagmnationj stylistic
achievement,
tion back tq Nora even when she and
and brilliant
characterization.
Robin are ·separated-'""reinforcing their
union as the initial
or ·primary relation
The central figure of Robin Vote. neve::r
ship.
degenerates into the all teo familia~
or II common lesbian even though th&
"
The reunion, for those of us whostipu author 0 s stylistic
appi,oach of por~
late that reunions a.re
essential to
traying Robin through the eyes · of the
the new breed of lesbian novels, does
other characters lends itself to this
·not coinci~e with the reader O s
more than the usu.al ;t.egbnique Qf. eiuIt is, however, '
· probable expect ·ations.
ploying an omniscient narrator. Robin,
consistent with the symbolic mode conw
a womanwho frustrates
all . ho seek .t&
sistently used . by Barnes. Earlier in
possess her, rE:fllains as elusive to the
the novel, OtConner ·speaks of the
reader as she is qescribed , by everyone
relatioship
with Robin and Nora, saying
vhe encounters•
Compared to · something
"Though those two a.re buried at opposite.
not quite human, a being of the night;
ends of the earth, one dog will fiAd
her very nature torments her lover,
them both. 11 Appropriately and satisNora, who "stands looking downupon
fyingly, the novel 0 s conclusion picks
her who lies sleeping and knows the
up on this statement of O'Connor's.
horizontal fear 11 for 11 for the- lover,
it ·is the night into which her beloved
'W
hatever you may decide .Nightwood is, ·
goe~ that destroys• 0
.
you will not find the stereotypic ::bi t ,:
. of trash you may already have encoun~4t :
While the night and the symbolic comIt is also void of the usually distort ~ ;
' parison of Robin to a creature of the
ed sexu.al tidbit$ one Jnight expect to . ·
night ·facilitates
her inaccessibility,
f ind in 11Lesbian Case Histories .Annualu~
there is no moral judgment passed on
And1 what is most re.freshing, it is a
her. · N:;ghtwood, in spite of the
story in its own right rather than a
suffering it portrays, does not waUQW
stereotyped res . onse to the lesbian
p
in blame and recriminatio,n.
The
world.
lesbian relationships
it describes a:t:.-e.
0
simply described.
Although Nora · .$
Night_:d'ood a New Directions paperback
is
relationship with Robin, for example~
anq can be purchased for $1.50 (e.g. at
' is seen through Nora O s eyes and through
the Harvard Bookstore) or borrowed from
those of her supportive friend, Matthew
the OOBlibrary.
.I!!! Iiesbian 1!l Liter..!
0°Connor, neither perspective demeans
ture:
A Bibliography is also in the
t.he book 0 s general comment on human
IOB library • . It may still be availab1e
i:rdsery- -which is seen as a universal
from ·The Ladder, Box 5025, ·Washington
suffering .'.nlrer-ent in t~e very fact ·
i
Station, Reno, Nevada 89503, for $2.
of existence ,and irregardless
of social
pressures or personal vendettas.
M
uch of Nora's suffering, and the cause
of the split between herself and Robin,
revolve around Jennifer -~initi.ally
�,
:
6
.
.
.
.
DErAILS ON MA:SSACHUSEI'TS BILLS ·.
GAY
a
The following is
list of the six gay
rights :bills
submitted to the Massa- _
chusettf> - House this year.
The representati've : ho submitted each one is w
given ~:i;ong
with the committee assigned
~o hold ·heariflgs _on ' the bill.
H. 2524by Laurence Buxbaum (Sharon)--of
the Civil Liberties
Union, National
Organization
for Women, Laurence Buxbaum,
Jam~s Collins,
John Bul:?inger, Barney ·
Frank, a.nd others - fof legislation
• to ··
prohibit
discriillination
on the basis , of
sexual preference
under the Employment
Security Law. This will amend Chapter
151B of the General Laws, to · provide
protection · in - employment, housing, .credit,
mortgages, insurance,
etc.
COMMERCE LABORCOMMITTEE.
AND
H. 2525by Laur _ ~ce Buxbaum (Sharon)-- .
~
of the · Amefican 9 for DeI!lc:>cratic Action,
Homophile Uni~m of Boston, Civil Libel"ties
· union, National Organization
£or Women,
Laurence Buxbaum, John Businger, Barney
Frank, a'.nd another ..for legislation
to
prohibit
discrimination
in public accOillil'loda.tions 011' the .'b'asis o- sexual . ·
.
f
preference.
1- _would amend Section 98
his
of 9hapter 27?.• _.,
COMMERCE LABOR.
AND
·H• 2582 by Barney F-.ank (Boston)-~by
t
Homophile Union of Boston, Barney Frank,
John ·A~ Businger-, Laurence Buxbaum, and
anbther for . legislation
. to prohibit
discrimination
in the sal . of insurance•
e
This "' ould add a Section 122.Ato Chapter
w
175 · ' INSURANCE
.COMMITTEE.
·
H. 2601 by Barney · F~ank (Boston)--.of'
Barney Frank, Daughter~ . of -.Bilitis,
Homophile Union of Boston, Civil Liberties
-forWomen,
Union, National Organizatiop
John Businger,
arid La-ur,ence ~uxbaum for _
legislation
to . repeal the _laws prohibiting certain sexual acts. _ This would
,
repeal Sections ,16 / 18, 34, and 35 .of
Chapter 272 (sections
on open & ~oss
crJ.ille agal:nst nature,
lewaness, fornication,
s
and unna,:,ural licts, law _, :respectively•
JUDICIARYCOMMITTEE.
H. 2604 by Barney Frank (Boston)--of
Homophile Union of Boston, Barney Frank,
amendment
and another for a legislative
to the Constitution
providing that
equality under the law shall not be
denied or abridged because of sex, race,
color, sexual preference,
origin • .
national
JUDICIARYCOMMITT
..
,EE.
creed,
or
H.• 262Tby ,Jo~ BU$inger (Broo~e)-· of .Americans forDemocraticA,ction,
Homophile Union ,-of Boston, John Businger, Laurence Buxbaum, Barney Frank,
and other . relative
to prohibiting
discrimination
in examinations
or
!or publi,c employmE;Jrit.
. _~pp~~ations
-This . would .•amend Section 10.of Chapter
31 which deals with state ciyil
service.
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE.
Groups listed
are those which signed ·
D.O.B.
in support of ·the bills.
supports all the bills but accidently
did .not get signed on them all.
;!'he
General Laws which the bills would
change can be Sound in many public
libraries.
Letters ·of support for th~s~bills
can be sent anythime to your state ··
.
To find out who this
representative.
is-, eall · your city hall ~d fin~ you~
district
and ward number • . Then c.all ·
the ·House Clerk (727-2356) .or -Voter
_
{357-5880) and ask who
Information
.
your representative
would be. In addition,
.letters
should ·be _
sent _
to anyone who is onth~ . conµnitiee / whioh
will have hearings on the •·bill~ - · Both
~
representatives
and senators are on ·
these joint committees. ;. The clerkq s
office again can give thi~ i?)formation
( Senate Clerk _
727-2476), . as ·-can Voter
Information.
- Lett-ers are addressed to
the · Hon.
- , State House,
B_
pston, Mass. ·
-. ,,
•
Hearing dat.es •h~v:e not - yet · been set.
To ~eel?' up 'with this, ,read Gay C9mznt;inity New~, (:all tl}.e Clerks ·; - or · call OOB. ·
At.tel'.ldenca .at hearings is open -to all. Testimony- is _being prepared · now by ·
di.ff eren'b groups and people. _ .
If you :have ·been , discrimina.ted
·e,gainst
in any area . -for b_ing gay and _would ,
e
consider letting
your , case (with or
be used in
without name ,an4 details)
testimony at the state house, call OOB
any Thursday evening 8-lOpm. or write
Information
will be
the OOB office.
kept confidential.
�·.NEWS
AROUND COUNTRY
THE
Custody case.- . The American _
Ci;v.il Lil?er;..
ties Union has entered its first child
custody case involving -a ;l~sbian ,, .:sally
Hall, of Newark, Ohio, enterE!d into a
lesbian relationship two years agter her
divorce ; 'four years ago. ,Her ex-husband
is now ·seeking cust ·ody on the grounds
that she is :now a les .bian. (Advocate,
Jan. · 39, .1974) •
Bookbuyers bewaret · The a\lthor of Women · ··
~ Madness, Phyllis
Chesler, ~ss~eking
an injunction ·against Avon;,Books ( the
paperback .publisher) for cutting certain
important parts from .the . original.
(M
ajority ·Report; .·Jan. ·1974) -.
N.Y.C. Sports. The Lesbian Feminist
Liberation group sponsors a sports day
every _ ui'lday at 2pm open to all .women.··
S
For f~ther information write them c/o
G.A.A/ 1 99 Wooster st. or c. ll 966-7870.
a
Our ·~wn college? · A group - f ·san · ra~cis ~,g_
o
F
g
gay men and womenhave started .a free
univerl)ity.
The catalogue of women~
taught ·courses includes everything from
Female-Identified Metaphysics, Women
Poets, to weekend workshops. Their
address is Lavender University, 121
Leavenworth, San ,Francisco, Calif. 94102.
(Siste:t.§ J·an. 1974)
Gay Media Task Force-L.A.t. Since their
fo~ation ·in November 1973 .they have
succeeded. in meeting with· most major
networks and motion picture producers
in the area•' - Agreements were J:!lade
to .
consult Task Force me~bers whenever the
media .are considering~
script about ~ays.
(Lesbian .Tide Jan. 1974) .
_
Historians•
The Amer:i,cn Historical
.
a
Association at its annual convention
at the end 6f Decanber pa_sed a resolus
tion condemrrl.ngdiscriminatic;m against
homosexuals. (Adv~~
Jari.30,1974)
A lead.er .of . the mJLr, the Communist
Party in Sweden, ·wrote iri the patty
publication Clp.ss St.ruge'io~ t ·hat homose. uality is '· a "dis .ease whi~h· i.s the
x
class s.e:arch for ·~~
product of the upper _
new _ forms of :pleasure 91 • The_party ·
··
deniandeidthat . a11·gay members resign.
(Advocate, Jari.3Q, ·_974)
1
· ·
•.
.
· •··
.
.
Ho~kei;.R°eport_ .The famed Hooker Report,
.
formally the National I nstitute .of Mental
7
Health Task Force on Homosexuality:
fil:rial Report and Backgroupd Papers,
is available newly reprinted from
the Government .Printing Office,
·
Washington, D.C. 20402_for $1 by mail.
This is . a valuable resource and an
catalog
excellent bargain.
The GPO
number is HE20-2402: H75/2- . . ·
•
M
ichael McConnell, the librarian
denied a ·job in 1970 at the University
of Minnesota after he filed for a ·.
marriage - license ·.with Jack Baker,
was refused help by the executive
board of the American Library Assoai.a- ·
tion.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused
in 1972 to hear his case. (Advocate, ·
Jan. 16, 1974)
On January 16 the U.S. District Court _
in Concord; N.H. ruled ths.t the .trustee~
of the University of New Hampshire,
Durham, could not . restrict
on campus
social activ:i,,ties of the Gay Student
Organization.
The A:.C.L.U. took the
·
case for the G.s.o. ,The trus1;,ees in- ·
tend to appeal. (Boston Globe, Jan.20,
1974)
Elaine's birthday. -Hundreds of people
contributed $5 each to the Committee ·
to Elect Elaine Noble at a party
January 25 at -he 1270 Club. Repret
sentative Barney Frank told how Elaine
had roused him from his sickbed to
attend a Gay Pride Week workshop on
legal reform in June 1972 which began
his own involvement in gay rights. ·
Elaine said she was encourage ,d by the
0
turnout and needed ~veryone- s support .
·
in the months ahead.
H.U.B. The Homophile Union of Boston
heald its Fifth Anniversary bash at
Bill 0 s Last Call, Avery st., Boston on
January 19·, . At this event fol" th~
whole. gay coromunity, :1 members and
nonmembers alike ate, drank, danced,
were entertained _ .and a few won some
,
fantastic doorprizes.
Columbus, Eugene. Attempts in Columbus
Ohio and Eugene, Oregon to pass an
antidiscrimin~tion
law for gays were
def eat.ad in late Novembe:r"
197:3_
(Advo,;.
cate, Jan.2, 1974)
·
·
�9
Especially
Three Poems
to One of a Couple
Watching you watch me
at our anticipated meetings
and knowing your lover
does the same,
makes me feel
as if you believe
your joint continuance
is in need of
my absolution.
And I cannot help
but be amused
when you approach me,
positioning yourselves near me,
as if my interest
in one of you
is the focal point
of your remission.
Perhaps,
you should be aware
that although
I recognize your attempts
to shield yourselves
from one anotrer
with my single desire;
I could and would not
(in spite of the length you keep)
extend myself
to bless you knowing that what you ask
is merely a function
you have ascribed
to one more truly sanctioned alone
than you are assured together.
1
We lay together
1).ip to hip and breast to breast
- and in the sameness of our bodies
felt the difference of our love.
2
Your odor lingers on the sheets.
I burrow with my nose
to catch the sour scent
_
and with my.hand
smooth out
the wrinkles of our love.
3
Your'vo:ice grew hard 9 your eyes cold
I felt your body stiffen at my touch
we lay in the same bed and yet
the space created by so many hurts
put you on the moon
and left me spinning here.
--P.B.
****************************************************************************~***
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<>f
\c-<:
,.~,C\toi
~.h'), ~''4oHC; --l'fOVIE. "
_St. John 9 s _
Church, 33 Bowdoin St.,
(government
center), Boston, at
5:30 pm. $1.50 admission.
-
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Su
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>lll<*********t******'*************~******
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�CALENDAR,
Febe
Daughters of Bilitis,
Boston
Room 323, 419 Boylston st.
Boston, M
ass. 02116
617-262-1592
10
TUESDAYS,
'7(30
pn.B.fil:Lses?'lo11 on,.,being m,
_
,..
for women only.
Share feelings
about
being gay; everyonewelcome,
newcomers there ev.ery _
week. _Child
· · care will be provided.
-- t the DOB office.,
A
near the Arlington
MBTAstop.
7:30 pm Rap -~~ion
for lesbian mothers, at the office.
WEDNESDAYS
can talk to a mother on the phone this evening.
Also,
gay mother s
9..:
- RM
THURSDAYS, 10 pm ·Q~ Way Radio Program, W'.BUR 90.9
SUNDAYS
l0:20-10:50azn: ,ill...oset .§.128:.ce
Radio Program,
WCASAM 740.
-
SUNDAYS - 1} pm Wq_
2
men~~Q.~~.ket~all ~and.Ji.wim, Cambridge IWCA, T" mple St . (Central Sq) - -;:'
e
25¢ swii:p. This is not a OOB ev~nt, the Y · · .
Cambridge. 75¢ ball,
wants us to say.
FRIDAYS, 8 pm~
Bo}'!lin.g, at Sammy White 0 s, Soldiers°
Field Road, Brighton.
pins.
60¢/ game. Lanes reserved under name of Hurst.
Ten
Febrti~ry
2, . Sa.turday, 11 , am,_ Brunch r_or all gay activists,
_
Charles St. Meeting
·
·House., 70 Charles -st: -; Boston.
This happens · the first
Saturday
of every month at 11 am to give people a chance ta share ideas
ahd .·to cornJTiunicate, from group to group.
·
February
2, Saturday,
2pm _N.Eiw
England Gax (Lonfe~e
Planning
vidence, 410 Watennan Ave, East Providence,
February
3, Sunday, . 10 - llpm Lavender Hout, WBCN-FM
104
February
6, W
ednesday
February
10,
February
14, Thursday, 8Pm First__ ran session {or _Q~~_j!omen
'
• . ··Some wan.en have
expressed interest
in such a rap.
No age limits will be set.
~cme:q are interested
This will be an experiment to see .how many {
' iri coming to at least ·one · such rap -- further
raps may. .devalop l
from this.
At the office.
Meetil',lg, M~C.C. Pro~
R.I.
8:30 pm Qay_ CoIIJ!!l.unitzNews ..i_s~on Catch 44, Channel 44 TV, ..
1 pm- ·-night.
OOB'l{_
' inter~st,
Ellendale
Stables,
Sherboz:ne~ ·· $5 each
by mail or at raps.
Hay or sleigh ride,- · -· ll ,oµta
- - buy tickets
door sports (bring own sled, skates,
etc, own-.food--there
·
will
bonfire,
optional
horsebackriding)
~ Dress warmly. ,
be a grill,
.Dancing in the eveni;ng to the Deadly Nightshade.
Children
_ welcome at the days activities
at a lo~er rate.
Route 16 to
Route 27, turn left onto 27, go a mile, just after the tracks
is a yellow house on left with a place for parking. That 0 s it.
,1.
'.
February 15-i7 King~t_on_Qi!.yCon;terence, Memorial Uniol'.l, University
_
of R.I., Kingston,
- : ·· ·
. Rhode Island-.
Read 'Feb. Focus . or Gay Community News for more
.
_
- . details ·or see fliers
in the OOB office.
_
..
February 21,' Thursday,, 7: JO pm Focus staff vi~eting .at the - office.
February 24-, 'Sunday 5:30 pmD.O.B. S.12.~h_ett_iSupper; followed by showing of the
·
·
· short .1§.~bi~n fi'.w.!_
!~Home J1ox!~ /.:_y . Jan 0xenburg • . "There will be
b
a discussion
of thefilm afterwards.
Following this ··there will be
a DOBBusin~
J1 ~e. in,g. $;1...50. st. ·John's Church, 3J Bowdoin
1
·
St., Boston, near government center.
�I~OOK WHAT
YOU'VE
MISSED!
You've missed 5 issues chock
full of action photographs (b&w
and color) and controversial, in depth reporting. You've missed
interviews that concentrate on
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you get from it" instead of dates
and long lists of statistics.
Why K1thy
WMworth
.
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Spu"1" Chi Ch,og .
\ ·,;::;;
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Women athletes are forging new
lifestyles appropriate to proud and
successful women . Their struggles,
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sl'I (1 ,\1 ' l~ll l,\;,,.
\'\'l ) ,'(\I N/tlN ",1'0\.:1\
Try us. Whether or not you 've ever
been a sports fan, you'll like THE
SPORTSWOMAN . Each issue has at
least 48 slick pages.
-~
$4.50 for one year ( 6 issues); $8 for two years
. ·~ame __
__
Address
Cit y _ _ _ __
__
_ _ _ __
_ - ----
___ __ _ _ ___
- -------
_ __ __ _
- - ----
State __ _ _
Zip __
--
_
THE SPORTSWOMAN MAGAZINE
P.O. Box 2611-I
Culver City. CA 90230
I~'{?
\"
f The Oppresse MaJOl'IYd
. ·t
~
Keeps On Top of Things
z
"
.:
BY READING
~
0
(.)
"'
'-'
y
!
z
l--
0
~
[
MGi9rity
Report.
\<·
11
,·p,111cr
D EXPOSES
IN
HIGH
OF SEX I SM
PLACES
C SUBVERSIVE
"
ME D ICAL
AD V IC E
0 IN- 0 E P TH NEW 5 0 F THE
WOMEN'S
0
C HOT
~
I
"It's a new birth-control pill. It makes you a homosexua •"
MOVEMENT
IRR EVE RANT RE V I E W S
C N. Y.
FLASHES
A RE A CALE
ND;, R
Send $3 (for 12 issues) to: Majority Report,
74 Grove Street, New York. N. Y. 10014
¾
d
�The History Project
http://www.historyproject.org/
info@historyproject.org
Thank you for using the manuscript collections of The History Project.
Copyright restrictions may apply. If you have questions or wish to request removal of a
document in this collection from our digital repository, please contact The History
Project.
This PDF file contains images of an issue of the publication Maiden Voyage, produced
by the Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis from
The Daughters of Bilitis (Boston chapter) records
Collection #0011
Recommended Citation:
[Item description including title, author, and date if known], Daughters of Bilitis
(Boston chapter) records, The History Project: Documenting LGBTQ Boston.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Focus/Maiden Voyage, a publication of the Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, 1969-1983
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1969-1983
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Daughers of Bilitis (Boston, Mass.)
Description
An account of the resource
The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was a lesbian organization founded in 1955 in San Francisco by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon for the purpose of self-knowledge and self-acceptance, public education, involvement in research, and lobbying to change the laws criminalizing homosexuality. Starting primarily as a private social group for lesbians focused on the integration of the lesbian into mainstream society, the aims of the group shifted during the 1960s due to the changing political, social and economic conditions of the decade. The DOB took up political activism to lobby for the rights of lesbians, promoting individualism with a decreased emphasis on societal conformity. During the 1960s many regional chapters were chartered around the country and globally, continuing the organization even after the closing of the San Francisco national office in 1978.<br /><br />The Boston chapter was founded in 1969 during a period when many homophile organizations were forming in Boston. Early leaders of the Boston DOB included Lois Johnson, Shari Barden, and Laura Robin/McMurry, who were prominent promoters of the group and its activities.<br /><br />The Boston chapter published a newsletter, originally entitled <em>Maiden Voyage</em>, until 1971 when it was renamed <em>Focus</em>. The publication runs from December 1969 to October 1983.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Focus: A Journal for Gay Women, 1974 February
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1974-02
Description
An account of the resource
An issue of the newsletter of the Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis. Page 8 of the newsletter is missing.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Daughters of Bilitis (Boston chapter)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lesbian newsletters; Newsletters (LGBTQ); Boston (Mass.); Cambridge (Mass.); Daughters of Bilitis
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The History Project: Documenting LGBTQ Boston
Rights
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Copyright restrictions may apply. Visit https://historyproject.omeka.net/rights-and-reproductions for more information and to review The History Project's takedown policy.
Type
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Text
Format
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application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
THP-0011-focus-197402