| Formation | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Type | Lesbian organization, disability rights organization |
| Legal status | inactive |
| Location |
|
The Disabled Lesbian Alliance (DLA) was an organization founded by disability rights activist Connie Panzarino in New York City in 1978. [1] [2] [3]
The first meeting of the Disabled Lesbian Alliance was held on July 15, 1978, in Panzarino's New York University student housing apartment. It was attended by six women, including Panzarino's aide, Nancy Robinson, and Rosalyn Richter. Other early members included Lyda Schoenfield and Gwen Elliot, who went on to participate in the later Lesbian Illness Support Group. [4]
The organization's early efforts focused on increasing accessibility in lesbian spaces through ASL interpreters, the inclusion of Braille on printed materials, and physical spaces without stairs. [1] They were successful in spurring the Women's Liberation Center to move a slideshow screening by Tee Corinne from the third to the first floor. In the early 1980s, the DLA began expanding their reach to a national level, publishing an open statement about the necessity of accessibility in lesbian spaces. The statement was circulated in various feminist newspapers, including Sojourner , New Women's Times, off our backs , and Big Mama's Rag, and encouraged able-bodied lesbians to form consciousness-raising groups and prioritize the inclusion of disabled lesbians in community spaces. [4]
The records of the Disabled Lesbian Alliance, along with correspondence between Panzarino and other lesbian disability advocates, are housed at the Lesbian Herstory Archives. [4]
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