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FOCUS journ:i
for gay women
SEPT.'74
BOS T ON DAUGHTERS
of BILITIS
60¢
�FOCUS: A JOURNAL FOR GAY WOMEN
SEPTEMBER
FOCUS is published monthly by
Boston Daughters of Bilitis
Room 323, 419 Boylston Street
Boston, Mass. 02116.
Copyright
1974 by Daughters of Bilitis,
Boston, Mass.
Subscriptions are $6 /year, samples 60¢
Give us you r zip number. If you
move, let us know; the post of-fice will
not forward 3rd class mail to you.
This publication is on file at the
International Women's History Archive,
2325 Oak St., Berkeley, Calif . 94708. It is
available on microfilm from Bell & Howell,
Wooster, Ohio to October 1971 and from
IWHA from October 71 on.
1974
FOCUS Staff
reviews: J .S.
features: Wendy Bauman
editing: Janine Bernier
poetry and fiction:
Gerry Azzata, J.S.
cover: Terri
layout: Maggy
type: Lois Hurst
distribution: Gerry Azzata
production: Geri Bidwell
staff: Peg, Candy
DEADLINE
FOR OCT.: SEPT,EMBER 15
FOCUS welcomes contributions from
everyone, including drawings. Include a
self-addressed, stamped envelope for return.
All letters must be signed, but names can
be with held for publication.
In this issue
Features
Poems
" The Revolving Closet Case Door"
Janine Bernier ...........
, . 5,6
Cover Story ... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Crossword solution .... .... .... 14
Just Friends
by Liane Esstell .....
...
2 poems by Kathy Hruby ..
untitled by Judy .........
untitled by Paula Bennett , .
News
DOB Upcoming Elections .......
7
Conference '74 news ...........
8
Conference '74 application .. .. . , . 9
Classified ad ................
DOB Calendar .....
. .....
. ....
. ...
, ....
,.,,
3
.4
6
,7
11
10, 11
Revievvs
PURR, BABY, PURR
by Barbara Picirilli .......
13,14
WOMAN HATING by J.S . . .. . . 12
Last month's illustration in story "LESBIAN
HEARTBREAK"
accredited to THREE-Ill
magazine .
Cover : photograph by Terri, (see story page 7)
�1
NEWS
Prostitutes
convene.
The first
National Hookers' Convention was
held June 26 in Glide Memorial
Church in San Francisco . Margo St.
James, an organizer of COYOTE (a
lobbying group concerned with the
civil rights of prostitutes), said "If
you're born poor there ain't no in
between: you can be a slave, or an
outlaw. If you're a woman, you can
be a whore . Having money set me
free-to love who I wanted to , not
who I needed to." Representatives
from sister organizations in New
York and Seattle were present.
(Marin Women's Ne w journal, San
Rafael, Calif., August 1974)
Lesbian wives and mothers in
England . This spring the first
gathering of lesbian wives and
mothers in England brought to gether some two dozen women who
discussed their mutual problems for
the first time. The excitement burst
forth on the pages of the May issue
of Sappho as articles and letters.
(Sappho,
BCM/Petrel,
London
WC1V, 6XX, single copy 75p) in
the D.O.B. library).
Lesbianism and legislation in Puerto
Rico. As part of a proposed new
penal code revision, the definition
of homosexuality
(which has always been illegal) has been expanded to include sexual acts
between two women. (Majority Report, July 25, 74)
Lutherans . Lutherans Concerned
for Gay People has formed in the
American
Lutheran
Church. The
address is P.O. Box 15592, Salt
Lake City, Utah 8411 5.
Nebraska. The state Democratic
party platform
here includes a
plank calling for equal rights and
full
dignity
for
gay persons.
(Advocate, August 14, 1974)
Presby teri ans. The address of the
newly -formed
Presbyterian
Gay
Caucus is Box 2073, Chicago , Ill.
60690.
-----
--
--
- -
Unitarians. The General Assembly
of
the
Unit arian
Universal ist
Association voted in June to give
$38,000 to establish an office in
Boston for the Gay Caucus. It is the
first church of the 10 with gay
caucuses to provide regular funding.
Candidates fo r the position of
director (salary $12,000) should
write : UUGC , GCN Box 1000, 33
Bromfield St., Boston, Ma. 02108.
Albany . The Capital District Gay
Community
Counc il operat es a
newly-bough
three story
com munity center at 332 Hudson Ave .,
Albany, N.Y . (Adv ocate, August
14 , 1974)
--
--------
Feder aI legislation . Reps. Bella
Abzug and Edward Koch, both
from New York, have introduced
HR 14752 in Congress on May 14.
The bill wou ld amend the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, which covers
discrimination
in public accommodations, public facilities, public
education , and federally assisted
programs, to include marital status
and sexual orientation as forbidden
grounds
for
disc r imination.
It
would also amend a 1968 federal
law about discrimination in housing
and a 1972 law about education
aid. (Advocate, August 14, 1974).
This is the first time to the knowledge of FOCUS that a gay rights
bill has been introduced on the
national level.
Manuscripts are being sought for
Gay A cademic: An Interdisciplinary Collection of Essays by
Gay Academics Writing as Gay
Academics. ETC. Publications will
The
�2
NEWS (continued)
publish the volume as edited by Dr .
Lou ie Crew, Professor of English
and co-editor
with
Dr. Rictor
Norton of the special issue of
College English o n The Homosexual
Imagination . Each essay in The Gay
Academic will be a showcase of the
positive achievements of a Gay
scholar when she or he uses her or
his special vantage as a Gay person
in pursuing a specific discipline.
The volume will celebrate the
honesty and insight made possible
by open Gay sexual orientation.
Interested scholars will find it
useful to quer y with their plans
before beginning their manuscripts.
Manuscripts should be from 10-30
typed ; pages and should conform to
the MLA Style Sheet, 2nd Edition.
Writers whose essays are accepted
may elect either a modest payment
or a pro rata share of the annual
royalties . Deadline fo r submissions
is January 1st, 1975. They should
be sent with a stamped addressed
envelope to Lou ie Crew, FVSC Box
1203, Fort Valley, GA 31030.
Detroit 's new city charter took
effect July 1 with provisions that
make it unlawful to discriminate
against homosexuals : the areas are
not specified. The Detroit law is the
strongest among t hose of the 10
cities which have passed such laws,
because it's in a charter passed by
referendum, not in a mere ordi nance passed by a city council and
easily revokable . The tenth town to
have anti-discrimination
legislation
is Alfred, New York (population
3800) on May 6. (Gay Liberator,
Jun e 7974)
Women interested in contributing
to a women's songbook should
contact
Debra
Silverstein , 20
Gerald Rd., Brighton, Mass. 02135.
The group is interested in traditional and contemporary songs and
historical
information
about
songs.
SAGARIS, an independent institute for the study of feminist
thought, will open in the summer
of 1975, in Burlington, Vermont.
SAGARIS will function as a think
tank and school where feminist
political theories can be studied and
reexamined, and where women
with prior experience in feminism
can
explore
the
connections
between feminist theory and individual skills and disciplines.
New Jersey N.O .W. sponsors
th e Wonder Women Conference
Sept 6,7,8
Atlantic City, N_J_
See flyer in office
A new fem ini st quarterly magazine
"WomanSpirit"
will
be
published at the Fall Equinox. A
six-woman collective states the new
journal
will
be "consciousness
raising in the spir itual sphere of
women's culture ." They are looking
for work of women writers and
artists dealing with feminist inner
experience with a psychic, religious
and philosophical emphasis. Write
the collective at Box 263, Wolf
Creek, Oregon 9497 to contribute
material or subscribe, $6 for four
issues.
The Women 's Center of Los
Angeles presents womens assertiveness training workshops at the
POWER OF WOMEN conference
September 20-22, 1974. Also workshops dealing with employment and
radical therapy. Welfare recipients
may pre-register without charge and
we encourage women to bring their
daughters age ten and up. Flyer in
DOB office.
�3
NEWS (continued)
Church in the U.S.A. PGC draws
participants from both denominations, with about 60 participants in
its first half year . They are pledged
to work
against discrimination
based on sexual preference .
Presbyterian Gay Caucus (PGC),
a national caucus which has been
organizing since January, 1974, met
for the first time in Louisville ,
Kentucky,
site of the General
Assemblies of the Presbyte rian
Just Friends
I knew when I had met her, I had met someone
to drink tea with,
someone to laugh with
and write to .
Our minds had met,
I had hopes our hands could
but her eyes said, "No".
Forcing myself to sit back quietly,
gathering strength from an honest moment
knowing we would only
touch
with words and laughter .
Recognizing the subtleties of
a kind rejection,
Never again to ask or hope
for more so I could continue seeing her .
Caring enough not to touch-No matter how much I
reached for her existence.
Settling for the simple things we could share,
for sensitivity without illusions,
with peace of mind sitting back more
comfortable than before,
sharing the same space,
Enjoying
the simplicity of just being with her
And I knew
we would be
just friends .
Copyright
1974 by Liane Esstelle
�4
in awe
we told the high school we were eloping
only one bed where we went
I wonder what two women do in bed
you said
I reached
across
the abyss glorious skin touching
skin incredible stomachs rising against each other arms
encircling thighs pressing eyes wide all night after
night yes yes yes yes
12 o'clock yes
1 o'clock yes
3 o'clock yes yes yes
and then the sun
next morning we could be arrested you said we had not
so much as kissed I was 15 I knew I was a criminal my
body straightened out I threw my head back with laughter
never put it down again my hands were mine nevermore
clumsy my body never stopped singing
II
everywhere I turned you startled me almost touching me touch
me you pleaded I will I smiled but we will be in different places
then I who had never touched a woman except in bed but you would
not have it so we hugged on our doorsteps every day till it hurt
till we couldn't stand up months and months trying to smell you
in English class see your breasts in the locker room brush against
you in the hall hold hands on field trips so excited holding
hands it felt like we were fucking publicly no question it was
sexual you wore patchouly and black skimpy dresses I felt you
down them and felt you up them all on the steps of my house kissed
you on the new year lights exploding swimming in champagne so
scared by it we didn't touch for days month after month then
we escaped barefoot through the snow unbuttoned your shirt to
find tiny breasts snuck an hour while your parents were in church
an hour there cut school to make love to Janis Joplin seems like
I was always undressing you you talked in strange terms like
clitoris and orgasm wanted to know what I felt but I couldn't
remember anything except I groaned in bed with you we were always
getting caught your father almost destroyed you my mother tried
to put me in a mental hospital you left me for your sanity
you said
Kathy Hruber
�5
"The Revolving Closet-Case Door"
(affectionately
dedicated to S. for her not-so-divine
inspiration)
by Janine Bernier
Sandy: "You're
in new, right?"
Jackie: "Yah."
S. When did you go in?
J. When we turned down Huntington Ave. I work down here you
know?
S. Oh, I forgot. Would it help if we
got back to Copley Square?
J. Yah, that'd be better - it's nearer
419.
S. Well, are you sure it would help?
I haven't got gas to do this all
night you know?
J. It might if I don't run into
Connie, Polly , or Lori. There 's a
rap tonight, you know?
S. What difference does that make?
J. San, I'm still seeing Connie - sort
of. And Polly says I'm promiscuous. Its embarassing. And then
I like Lori. Wouldr't want to give
her the wrong impression. You
understand?
S. Jesus Christ S. Look, if we can't snuggle here
because you work with these
straights, and we can't there
because you're seeing those gays,
where can we go? Hurry up.
Decide . We've got a green I ight.
J. Turn left, I need another block .
S. Okay, okay.
J. San, let's stick with Back Bay.
S. Didn't you use to live here?
J. Yah, shit, can't do it. Those
wierd-does might be still there.
You know - the ones who hung
around my doorstep and read my
mail for kicks?
S. Groan - sometimes being with
you, Jackie, is a pain .
you
want
from
J. Well, between the straights and
the gays I don't want to run into,
its really tough you know?
S. Al right, alright, the straights are
everywhere. Can't be helped. But
besides Connie, Polly, and Lori
what gays are there?
J. Well, we can't go to the Saints.
That couple crowd
is there
tonight.
You know the dual
groupie that thinks that if you're
over 21 and don't have a monogamy you're sick. Some sort of
example of the non-stable homo
hanging in a straight mind.
S. Jesus, Jackie, they live everywhere in the city. Be positive,
will ya?
J. I'm trying, aren't I?
S. Sure, sure, I can see your face
turning lavender with the effort.
J. Why don't you get off my back?
J. What did you expect anyway?
J. What do
anyway?
S. Just tell me where you want to
go. Any place in the city you can
feel comfortable driving around
normally.
Isn't the place big
enough?
me
S. Look, honey, I can't even hold
your hand - you're so paranoid
- let alone do anything with
your back.
J. Don't get cute. It isn't easy being
a closet-case.
S. Shit - it might be easier if you
were consistent. You're coming
in and out all the time - doesn't
even make sense.
J. Makes sense to me, and since
when do I have to e'xplain my
every move to you?
S. Groan - give me a break, Jackie,
I'm on empty as it is.
J. Oh, alright, what about parking
near my place.
S. Does the
you?
neighborhood
bother
(cont. page 6)
�6
J. Naw, they don't know me yet.
Just moved in last week.
S. Great! Cambridge it is then!
(30 minutes later in a Lesley
College parking lot-)
J. Feel better now.
S . ahaa .
J. Feel okay?
S. ahaa.
J . Have enough to go home?
S. Have to stop somewhere?
J. San?
S. uhuh .
J . Are you lighting a cigarette?
S. Nope , why?
J . What's the Iight then?
S. Maybe just someone in the parking lot.
J. Let me see.
S. Christ, you're so uptight .
J . San - its a security cop! Oh,
Christ, its a cop!
Cop : "Hello, girls."
S. Jack ie, he kept going didn't he?
It's okay, Jackie. Jackie, are you
okay?
Jackie - you're in for good now,
right?
J. Yah.
S. Strike Cambridge?
J. Yah.
S. Want to go home?
J. Yah.
S. Want me to pick you up tomorrow?
J . Not home, my roommate.
S. At 419?
J. Connie, Polly will be there again.
S. Jackie?
J. Yah.
S. Just call me if you come out
again, okay?
J . Could be a while. Maybe if I
moved again --
Dead grass is April love, dying love, winter killed,
Choking out new blades, new life.
Rake out the winter remains,
Pile them up, bag them,
Haul them away.
Let the warm sun and fresh rains bring
New life and new love.
Clear out the dead, bitter grasses.
If love must go, let it go in spring.
Judy
�7
COVER PHOTO: THE INSIDE STORY
by J.S.
The feature theme of th is issue
was to be "Closet Cases," and for
our cover we decided to take a
picture of FOCUS staff members,
disguised
in an appropriately
closety
manner.
Without
any
particular discussion about what we
would wear, other than a lot of
joking about masks and kooky
clothes, we arrived at the photography session to discover that
every one of us had worn a dress!
This says something. It says that
when we think of being in the
closet - of trying to 'pass' in the
heterosexual world-we
think of
skirts and pantyhose and high heels.
A dress is a disguise, a costume, a
camoflage, and to wear a dress is to
be something other than our real
Nothing fits,
not the shoes with the dress,
not the hat with the pocketbook,
nothing right.
You go through life
always slightly off
for want of time or money or finesse
selves.
Taking this picture put us in
touch with a lot of old feelings
about semi-straight or semi-closet
days. We discovered that we were
exhausted from the effort of wear ing these dresses for even an hour
or so, that we were very uncomfortable in the nylon stockings and
other trappings . But beyond simple
physical
discomfort,
we were
reminded of another kind of suffering we had always associated with
dresses: clothes as a measure of
success, dressing as competition - a
game we didn't want to play ·and
weren't very good at, but didn't
know quite how to avoid.
The lesson we learned from all
this was very simple. You are what
you wear. A dress can be a closet.
but the girl
with the magazine smile
looks out and winks at you
from those bright pages,
just to let you know
somewhere someone's
got it straight.
-Paula Bennett
- - D.O.B. ELECTIONS - are strongly urged to give notification and submit platforms to
Elections will be held Sunday,
October 20, 7 :30 pm at the office.
According to the new by-laws,
there will be no proxy votes .
Absentee ballots must be filled out
and signed by the voter, and must
be received by the Election Committee in a sealed envelope. Candidates for the offices of President,
Vice-President,
Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, and Recording
Secretary must give written notification to the D.O.B. office by
October 5 at the latest. Candidates
FOCUS by Sept. 15 : the October
issue will include statements of not
more than 300 words . from all
office-seekers.
Candidates
who have given
notification as of this date are: for
the office of
Vice . President:
Judy S., for the office of'Treasurer:
Peggy Wilson and Paula Bennett,
for the office of Corresponding
Secretary: Laura Robin.
�8
CONFERENCE 74: AN AMAZON EXPEDITION
If you haven 't been looking
around , you
might not hav e
noticed . It 's been goin g on for
awhil e now quietly. Th e Ama zo ns
have returned , come ba ck to claim
their sist ers.
Firm and gentle , hands reach ou t
to wom en restless under th e yok e
of mal e tradition
and history.
Women say to other women ,
untether your lives, explore yourselves. And join us , on our Amazon
Expedition - to redi scover th e
legend of ourselves that will not
die .
A
conference-celebration
for
woman-identified
women
will
happen this October on Columbus
Day weekend
October
11-14) .
Organized by a group of Boston
lesbians and oriented toward lesbians, it is a meeting for Amazons.
For women self-reliant or want to
be. For women daring and courageous or wanting to be . For women
claiming their power or wanting to.
For women loving women or wanting to. CONFERENCE 74: An
Amazon Expedition welcomes all
women - all women are Amazons .
CONFERENCE
' 74:
AN
AMAZON EXPEDITION will be
held in the Berkshire mountains in
Western Massachusetts. The location that has been chosen has been
named "Amazonia " for the weekend and consists of 350 acres of
wooded countryside surrounded by
1000 acres of state forest. This
assures us all the freedom and
privacy we could ask for.
The camp houses facilities for
600 . These include cabins , function
halls, theaters , lake area , soccer ,
football, and baseball fields. Because of the limit of 600 , the costs
for each child will be the same as a
woman 's. For this reason CON-
\
FERENCE ' 74 appeals to women
t o arrang e to leave their children
with friends or famil y. We sear ched
for an area with unlimited faciliti es
so that women could feel fre e t o
bring th eir children , unfortunately
none could be found . So , wh ene ver
possible , children
remaining at
home would allow another woman
to attend .
The cost for th e three day
week end is $30 .00 a pers on $30 .00 each woman and $30 .00 for
ea ch child . This includes housing
and meals from Friday through
Monday. We realize that this is
expensive and we wish it could be
less, but this is the lowest amount
we could reach after intensive
negotiations. Start saving now!
We have established a sisterhood
fund to sponsor women who
cannot afford part or all of the
cost . Any woman who can afford
to help sponsor a sister or sisters is
asked to include whatever she can
in her check. Also some of our
fund-raising
proceeds
will go
toward this fund. Please help!
Sponsor a sister! Send a lesbian to
camp! Share your wealth. To our
sisters who cannot afford the cost,
send in your applications. We will
accommodate as many of you as
the fund permits!
Please join AMAZON EXPEDITION as soon as possible! Register
today . First come - first served .
Fees will be returned immediately
to those registering after the quota
is filled . We ask that registrations be
in by September 15th to allow time
for processing and correspondence.
Directions to "Amazonia " will be
sent to registered Amazons by
return mail. Please send your
applications in as soon as possible.
�9
Money orde rs/ checks sho ul d be made p ayable t o :
CONFEREN CE '7 4
Fill out the appli cation form attached and ret u rn to :
CON F ER ENCE ' 74 : AN A MAZON EXP
Box 200
c/o GCN
22 Bromfi eld St .
Boston, Ma. 0 2 108
Name-----------------------------
-
Address--------------
-
telephone no . _ _ _ ________
--------------
estimated t i me of arrival
at " Amazonia"----------
Enclosed:
D
D
$30.00 fee
D
Donation to Sisterhood Fund . (Please consider seriously.)
D
Please send more information . Specify:
I am willing to help out@ CONFERENCE
$30.00/child
attending
'74 with :
D
workshops (specify interests)
D
maintenance
D
child care
D
entertainment
For mo re in forma t ion on the campsit e, a complete listin g of work shops
suggested t o dat e, for more registrat ion for ms, an d information o n up- co ming
Confer ence '7 4 : An Amazon Exp editi on Fund -Raising event s and T-shirts ,
please writ e to : Box 2000
c/o GCN
22 Bromfield St.
Boston , Ma. 02108
�10
D.O.B. CALENDAR SEPT. 1974
419 Boylston St., Rm 323, Boston, Mass . 02116 --617 262-1592
All events are open to all women regardless of their membership in D. 0 .8.
All raps are 50¢ for non-members, and 25¢ for member s.
MONDAYS , TOPIC RAPS start at 8 p.m. in the D.O.B. office. Put
suggestions into the D.O.B. mailbox for topics. Sept.
16 - Our Religious Beliefs. what / where / is God,
morality, purpose of life, religion & being gay, etc .
TUESDAYS, 7: 30 pm Rap session on being gay for women. Share
feelings about being gay, everyone welcome. There
are always many new people every week. At the DOB
office, near th e Arlington MBT A stop, between
Arlington and Berkeley Streets.
WEDNESDAYS , 7:30 pm Rap session for lesbian mothers, and
phone- in time for lesbian mothers. Mothers with
grown children invited to share with other mother s.
At DOB office.
WEDNESDAYS, 1st & 3rd GA YBREAK radio program,
AMHERST, WMUA-FM 91.9
THURSDAYS, 8 pm Rap session for older gay women . No ages
are defined. Come if it sounds right for yo u.
THURSDAYS, 9-10 pm GAY WAY RADIO program. WBUR 90.9
FM.
SUNDAYS, 10:30-11 am CLOSET SPACE radio program,
WCAS-AM 740.
SUNDAYS, 1 pm, SOFTBALL. Bring bat, ball, glove and/or self;
informal games. Magazine Beach Field, Cambridge,
across Charles River from Cadillac-Olds and along
Memorial Drive west of the Boston Univ. bridge.
RAIN OR SHINE.
Tuesday, Sept. 3, FOCUS meeting 7: 30 pm at office.
Sunday, Sept. 15, **DOB PCINIC AT COCHITUATE STATE PARK
NA TICK. Ask at Raps about Rides!!!
There is a fireplace - bring fuel; do not depend on
others to feed you. Bring your own food unless you
want concession things - (expensive). Bring sports
things. There is swimming. Turnpike west to exit 13,
Route 30 east 1 ½ miles. Park is on right. By bicycle
from Boston 1½ hours on routes 16 and 30. Admission is $1/car, 25¢ bicycle. RAIN OR SHINE.
�11
Monday Sept. 16, Topic Rap: Our Religious Beliefs what/ where/
is God, morality, purpose of life, etc. (see above Mondays)
Thursday, Sept. 19, FOCUS meeting 7:30 pm office
Monday, Sept. 23, D.O.B. Business Meeting 7: 30 pm at office
Monday, Oct. 7 GAY MEDIA ACTION. Videotapes of news
coverage of legislative hearings, excerpts from "Nana"
series, from the "Good Morning Show" with John
Willis, and a sound tape of the first television program
in Boston featuring gays - Dr. Socarides vs. the
presidents ofD.O.B. and H.U.B. in 1970. Donation to
benefit G.M.A.
Sunday, October 20, DOB ELECTIONS 7:30 pm at office.
A Selected bibliography of Homosexuality,
6th edition, 1974 (4 pages) is available
for 35¢, 3 for $1, from the Homosexual
Information Center, 3473½ Cahuenga
Hollywood, Calif 90028. A copy is in the
DOB li.btary.
CLASSIFIEDS:
(5¢ per word)
Wanted - ONE SAILOR
Object - Sailing Lessons
In Return - Peaceful, Fun Day
Interested WriteCin Mutlow
109 South Main St.
Mansfield, Mass.
WHO WON THE DOB RAFFLE??
JOE from Weyland won the Raffle. Instead of a free all-expense paid
weekend in P-town, the winner preferred $100 cash. 277 tickets were sold,
so DOB made a profit of $177.
BY-LAWS
Copies of the new D.O.B. by-laws are available at the office, or by sending
a stamped, self-addressed envelope to D.O.B.
�12
W o 111anHatin g, Andrea Dworkin , E.P . Dutton & Co. , Inc. , New York , 1974 , $7 .95
WOMAN HATING: A REVIEW BY J.S.
111
111
Hating
is a
feminist
111.initl",to: it is a ca ll to revolution in
1, hich Andrea
Dworki n investigates
whl'rl' we are, how we got there , and
what we ca n do to get to so m eplace
els(' . She first exam ine s th e m y thol og ical heritage w hi ch m o lds our sense of
our,clves as female , turns then to the
hi,torical rea lity of mutilation and
rl'rsccuti nn of wo men , and finishes
with a rally ing cry for androg y ny as
the model for a mor e hum a nistic
luturc.
Tlw basic rremise of the boo k is th at
woman is--always has been--victim.
Thl' ,rnalvs is of fairy tales is the most
crc.itive a n<l persuasive por tion of th e
work Dworkin looks at the chief roles
in" number of co mmon fairy tales an d
c,,ncludes th at "For a woman to be
good . ,hl' must be dea d , o r as close to
it "' p,,ss ible. Cata to nia is th e goo d
1,·"m ,rn·s mos t w inning qualit y ." Th e
biologica l mo thers of heroin es such as
Sno\\'-V\ 'hite o r Cinderella a re alwa ys
").'. . rious , passi ve, a nd soon dead, "
'"'d
1, hl'rl'
the stepmothers , by way of
contrast. a re always "g reedy, am bitious . ruth less" a nd ve ry much alive.
To h.ive powe r , to act, as a woman, is
t" hl' wicke d. So it com es that women
,tri\'l ' lor passivity, which is equa ted
1, ith goodness, a nd w hich becomes the
1
1 .tsi, ol their romantic , erotic appeal
: , , men . The handsome y oung prince
1 the lairy tale, though he is n o t very
n
bright. always comes off well simpl y in
n1ntrast to the limp hero ine. "The
dl·adl'r she is, the better he is. " As for
thl' fa ir y-ta le father , remarkably
ern ,ugh he is never held respo nsible for
any nf the ev il action: "He is the
r.itriarch, and as suc h he is beyond
mo ra l law and hum an decency ." The
lessons Dworkin
dr aws from this
analys is are instructive and co nvincing: "We see that powerfu l wo men
are bad , and th a t goo d women are
inert. We see that men are always
good, no matter what they do , or do
not do. " She goes on to demon strate
that
po rno graphy
con tinues
the
definion of woman as victim ("He hits
her , a nd she lives happil y ever after. ")
Of particular interest is her insight that
The stereo type of the h omosexual ... is
not very diffe rent from the stereotype
of wo m an, " and that therefore "The
stru gg le for gay liberation
and
women 's libera tion is a common
struggle ."
The histo ric al po rtion of the book
foet ·ses on two specific forms of sexist
persecuti on: C hin ese foot-binding and
European witch hunts. The discussion
of foot-bi ndin g is well documented-fascinating--horrifyi ng . The section on
w itchcraft , however, is less scholarly ,
a nd too po litical to be persuasive as
histnrical comment.
Dworkin 's attempt to see th e witch cults as p os itive ,
counter- es ta blishment models for women , is pushed too far , and ultimately
lea ns mo re on rhet oric than on facts .
The book 's co nclusion suffers similarly
from a political
in sistence which
make s its posi tion appear more naive
and b iza rr e than it need . It is not
nece ssa ry , for exa mple , to assert that
hum an beings were once physiologically androgy nous in order to justify a
breaking down of pr esen t male and
·female role definitions . The search for
biologica l "evi dence " (parthenogenesis, virgi n births , and th e like) to
support cu ltur al changes seems to me
both mi sgu ided and misleading. The
changes Dworkin advo cates in the
( c (.,: t. on page 14)
_
�13
REVIEW:
"Purr, Baby, Purr" (You Can Be Feminine and Liberated)
by Lucianne
Goldberg and J eannie Sakal
Hawthorn Books , Inc., N.Y. 1971
Warm and Safe in the Oblivion of Numb
by Barbara Piccirilli
In '72, Shirley Chisholm didn 't
have a chance . A victim of "psyc hological limitations ", she was at the
mercy of a "raging hormonal imbalance". Shirley Chisholm would
have made a lousy President. And get
this,
future
female seekers
of
political office: You can't be trusted
either. According to Lucianne Goldberg and Jeannie Sako!, collaborators
on that Great Literary Masterpiece ,
" Purr , Baby, Purr", the reason why
little girls can't grow up to be
Richard Nixon is that pre-menstrual
and menstrual problems will impede
their already inferior judgement. ..
"How do we know in advance which
female candidates for President are
subject to menstrual edginess, and
which are not? "
Well, women candidates could be
made to sign sworn statements
testifying to their cyclic reliability ,
promise that they will not become
"irritable, depressed, and edgy especially on the days prior to the
onset of menstrual flow." But a
credibility gap would surely emerge:
After all, it's a known fact that we're
all crazy bitches 5 days each month
(at least!), and such a knowledgable
and credential-laden personage as Dr.
Edgar F. Berman , "friend, confidant
and personal physician to Hubert
Humphrey" and an "appointee to
the Democratic Party's Committee
on National Priorities", maintains :
"Suppose we had a President in the
White House, a menopausal
or
menstruating woman President who
had to make the decision of the Bay
of Pigs?" Well, Doc Berman had
better list memory prods on his
string of National Priorities because
as I have heard it, President Kennedy
didn't do such a hot-shot joh with
the Bay of Pigs. And what was his
excuse? Forget to take his Midol?
Dr. Berman is one of the heros (All
heros being predominantly male) in
"Purr, Baby, Purr", the book which
promises you the secret of "how to
be feminine and liberated".
Na mes of villi ans are Atkinson ,
Millet, Friedan, Steinem. Conservative organizations like NOW are put
down as urging "Instant Abortion,
Instant Equality, Instant Divorce,
and Instant Orgasm" . This book is
preposterously
written, so outrageously banal, so unvalidifying in
itself, that first impressions lead you
to laugh over it , then disregard it.
Examples are the cutsy-poo chapter titles such as "Flirtility Rights" ,
and " When Does Daddy Get A
Chance to Freak Out?" Details ot the
formation of the " Pussycat League"
are given, along with the list of
"Pussycat Do's and Don'ts" ... a sort
of senile version of a Girl Scout rule
book . The League boasts chapters
from " Portland Maine to Portland ,
Oregon ." And Pussycats believe:
"If a woman takes pleasure in
womanly things, if she adores her
husba nd, loves her children, tingles
all over when her souffle rises to
perfection, and feels that the entire
world is beautiful when · she has
finished with a spring cleaning, she
should wallow in her happiness and
not apologize for it to the bitter
woman who is trying to ·tear down
her world."
That about sums it up. That one
statement
could be analyzed for
centuries and you could fill a library
with its implications.
"Womanly
things",
such as "adoring
dear
�1--1
REVIEW (continued)
PU RR . BABY . PURR
hubby" (notice that adoration is one
up on ordinary worship ... adoration
being that profound
reverence reserved for Gods an d Males) and what
ca n compare with the ecstatically
the
rewarding
feat of preparing
perfect souffle? Th e world outside
the kitchen window is just as always
after the spri ng cleaning , and if
heaven
can be bought
in the
Supermarket
with the Ajax then
maybe it is possible to wallow in the
happiness of home-making. But the
laughter stops when the implication
of the last part of the sentence hits
home: ' ' Tearing down her world".
JOman Hating
(cont.
)
name of sexua l, social , and political
frC'C'd0mspea k for themselves , and do
rn ,1 nl'cd biological justifications; to
,u ggl',I I hey do is to risk fighting the
', "I ,· ,,n l,1 lse grounds. It is also to risk
lo, ,,-_ ,~ ,11 ,ind Dworkin has not
..
i
entire ly escape d this pitfall. She has
wri tten an important book with a
strong feminist sta nd , a book which
speaks out loudl y for the gay
cnmmunity as well. She has written
with a good deal of humor and
creative insight in some instances, and
l ,,nlv regret that she also permits
hn selt an over-politicized rhetoric and
a sloppiness in scho larship which are
a t times embarass ing.
"The Enemy is trying to Tear Down
My World." "Purr, Baby , Purr" is
more
than
the mercenary-based
attempt
of two gold-digging opportunists to rip off• the Women's
Movement . It is a devastating and
insidious exhortation
to all women
to embrace the past , to love the
chains. It is insidious because it
divides us , makes one side the
Threat, one the staunchly threatened. It is insidious because my mother
bought it, read it, believed it , then
gave it to me, hoping that I could
believe it , because I have become her
Threat.
SOLUTION to last month's
WOMAN'S CROSSWORD by J.S.
�15
JOIN
DIGNITY
Everybody's Autobiography
...
A
GOOD GAY BUTTONS AND BOOKS...
NATIONAL
* " Rubyfruit .lungle" - Rita Mae Brown
* "On the Cusp" - Hertha (Boston's own!)
ORGANIZATION
OF
* "The Queens Vernacular" - -Bruce Rodgers
GAY
***
AND
CATHOLICS
MORE***
At
THE HCHS BOOKSTORE
Write :
419 Boylston, Boston, Ma.
755 Boylston St.
OPEN:
Boston, Mass.
Rm . 514
MONDAY-THURS
.
6-9 P.M.
02116
(RING THE BELL
4 TIMES FOR
FOURTH FLOOR)
gay
liberator
WANT
TO ADVERTISE
IN FOCUS
?
¼ page $5
½ page $1 0
Full
page $20
Send to:
D.O.B . Room 323
419 Boylston Street
Boston, Mass. 02116
Box 631-A
Detroit 48232
12 issues $4 in US
for
$5 outsideUS,$8 suppor
ting.
�16
WH IT,4(-'j=/
MEDICAL
PROBLEMS?
O~ITBS
t WHl+BH
:!;_
I
>
THE All Women's Rock Band
WENDY
~~~~
I
u
KAREN
t
:!;
S,
For Booking Information
Call ELAINE 289-8363
WHITCH
Cometo •••
GAY
HEALTH
NIGHT
at Fenway Community
Health Center
16 Haviland St.
Boston, Mass.
Phone: 267-7573
I
Every Wednesday
6:30-9:30 pm
for Medical help (inc.VD)
for Gay women& men
Co-sponsored by H.C.H.S.
266-.5477
GCN
is sponsoring a group CRUISE
Nov. 8, 1974
'8 DAYS
NEW YORK-
SAN JUAN -ST.
THOMAS
$312.00 per person (½ occupancy)
For More Information :
CALL BEACON TOURS 742 -1200
or write Box 9000 c/o GCN
The cruiseis aboardthe MAXIM GORKI Russian
registry
�FOCUS
is available in
the D.O.B. office
419 Boylston St.
and at these stores:
FOCUS
needs women
to help with
Distribution
and Advertising.
NEW WORDS
THE ESPLANADE BOOKSTORE
Prudential Paperback Booksmith
Hawkers also needed.
EVERYBODY'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
and
at the SAINTS
America's 1st non-sexist, nonexplotive weekly newspaper
for gay women and men.
10 weeks - $ 2.50
25 weeks 5.00
One Year - 10 .00
Write to GCN Subscriptions
22 Bromfield, Box F
Boston , Mass. 02108
Application:
DOB Membership or subscription to FOCUS
(FOCUS subscription inc. with membership)
Membership: $12/year
$18 for couples
FOCUS Subscription: $6/year
Single Sustaining Membership: $25
□
ENC . ___
for membership
D ENC.
for FOCUS
Name ____________
________________
Address ___________
____________
Signature-
I am a woman 18 years of age or o Ider:
Date : ______
_
_
_
�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
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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
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Dublin Core
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Title
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Focus: A Journal for Gay Women, 1974 September
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1974-09
Description
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An issue of the newsletter of the Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis.
Creator
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Daughters of Bilitis (Boston chapter)
Subject
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Lesbian newsletters; Newsletters (LGBTQ); Boston (Mass.); Cambridge (Mass.); Daughters of Bilitis
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The History Project: Documenting LGBTQ Boston
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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.
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Text
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application/pdf
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English
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THP-0011-focus-197409