 Vol. 1, Issue 1 cover | |
| Publisher | Gutter Dyke Collective, East Bay Queers |
|---|---|
| First issue | May 1973 |
| Final issue | 1976 |
| Country | USA |
| Based in | Berkeley, California |
| ISSN | 2573-6183 |
| OCLC | 213859226 |
Dykes & Gorgons was a lesbian feminist and lesbian-separatist magazine founded in 1973 in Berkeley, California. Its publication ended in 1976.
The publication was critical of racism and classism within the lesbian-feminist movement, critiqued male-dominated socialist groups, and opposed the presence of trans women in lesbian organizations. [1] Dykes & Gorgons also encouraged lesbian-feminists to reject traditional femininity, advocating that women reject restrictive female clothing and cut their hair short as an expression of feminism and lesbian visibility: "The time has come to stop blending in with the 'feminized' masses of women, to stop being that invisible minority." Many members of Dykes & Gorgons chose to reject submissive femininity by eschewing purses, blouses, and heels, wearing practical clothing instead, often men's clothing, such as Levi jeans with pockets and men's boots. One member explained that the intent was to empower women rather than imitate men: "It wasn't a masculine image I was keeping. It was convenience and practicality. The clothes I wear help me to know my own power." [2]
Autostraddle described Dykes & Gorgons as a lesbian-feminist publication which had "faded into obscurity or barely breathed at all, unfortunately", "particularly tragic" because Dykes & Gorgons had an "amazing name". [3]
Dykes & Gorgons has been digitized and added to the digital collections of Bryn Mawr College. [4]
Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a radical re-ordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts, while recognizing that women's experiences are also affected by other social divisions such as in race, class, and sexual orientation. The ideology and movement emerged in the 1960s.
Tomboy is a term referring to girls or young women with masculine traits. It may include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and engaging in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men.
Butch and femme are masculine (butch) or feminine (femme) identities in the lesbian subculture that have associated traits, behaviors, styles, self-perception, and so on. This concept has been called a "way to organize sexual relationships and gender and sexual identity". Butch–femme culture is not the sole form of a lesbian dyadic system, as there are many women in butch–butch and femme–femme relationships.
Femme is a term traditionally used to describe a lesbian woman who exhibits a feminine identity or gender presentation. While commonly viewed as a lesbian term, alternate meanings of the word also exist with some non-lesbian individuals using the word, notably some gay men and bisexuals. Some non-binary and transgender individuals also identify as lesbians using this term.
The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, often referred to as MWMF or Michfest, was a lesbian feminist women's music festival held annually from 1976 to 2015 in Oceana County, Michigan, on privately owned woodland near Hart Township referred to as "The Land" by Michfest organizers and attendees. The event was built, staffed, run, and attended exclusively by women, with girls, young boys and toddlers permitted.
On Our Backs was the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature lesbian erotica for a lesbian audience in the United States. It ran from 1984 to 2006.
Lesbian Connection (LC ) is an American grassroots network forum publication "for, by and about lesbians". Founded in 1974 by the lesbian-feminist collective Ambitious Amazons "to address the lack of safe, reliable, and targeted information channels for lesbian groups and individuals", it is the longest-running periodical for lesbians in the United States. LC is run by the Elsie Publishing Institute, a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. In 2021, its total revenue was $1,412,061.
Feminist separatism is the theory that feminist opposition to patriarchy can be achieved through women's separation from men. Much of the theorizing is based in lesbian feminism.
A soft butch, or stem (stud-fem), is a lesbian who exhibits some stereotypical butch traits without fitting the masculine stereotype associated with butch lesbians. Soft butch is on the spectrum of butch, as are stone butch and masculine, whereas on the contrary, ultra fem, high femme, and lipstick lesbian are some labels on the spectrum of lesbians with a more prominent expression of femininity, also known as femmes. Soft butches have gender expressions of women, but primarily display masculine characteristics; soft butches predominantly express masculinity with a touch of femininity.
Sinister Wisdom is an American lesbian literary, theory, and art journal published quarterly in Berkeley, California. Started in 1976 by Catherine Nicholson and Harriet Ellenberger (Desmoines) in Charlotte, North Carolina, it is the longest established lesbian journal, with 128 issues as of 2023. Each journal covers topics pertaining to the lesbian experience including creative writing, poetry, literary criticism and feminist theory. Sinister Wisdom accepts submissions from novice to accredited writers and has featured the works of writers and artists such as Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich. The journal has pioneered female publishing, working with female operated publishing companies such as Whole Women Press and Iowa City Women's Press. Sapphic Classics, a partnership between Sinister Wisdom and A Midsummer Night's Press, reprints classic lesbian works for contemporary audiences.
Common Lives/Lesbian Lives (CL/LL) was a collectively produced lesbian quarterly which published out of Iowa City, Iowa, from 1981 to 1996. The magazine had a stated commitment to reflect the diversity of lesbians by actively soliciting and printing in each issue the work and ideas of lesbians of color, Jewish lesbians, fat lesbians, lesbians over fifty and under twenty years old, disabled lesbians, poor and working-class lesbians, and lesbians of varying cultural backgrounds. Common Lives/Lesbian Lives was a cultural milestone in the lesbian publishing world, as it was one of the first lesbian journals or magazines published from outside the urban/coastal New York/Los Angeles/Berkeley scene.
Anna Livia was a lesbian feminist author and linguist, well known for her fiction and non-fiction regarding sexuality. From 1999 until shortly before the time of her death she was a member of staff at University of California, Berkeley.
Dyke is a slang term, used as a noun meaning lesbian. It originated as a homophobic slur for masculine, butch, or androgynous girls or women. Pejorative use of the word still exists, but the term dyke has been reappropriated by many lesbians to imply assertiveness and toughness.
Autostraddle is a queer and trans-owned online magazine and social network for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, as well as non-binary people and trans people of all genders. The website is a "politically progressive queer feminist media source" that features content covering LGBTQ and feminist news, politics, opinion, culture, arts and entertainment as well as lifestyle content such as DIY crafting, sex, relationships, fashion, food and technology.
Jeanne Córdova was an American writer and supporter of the lesbian and gay rights movement, founder of The Lesbian Tide, and a founder of the West Coast LGBT movement. A former Catholic nun, Córdova was a second-wave feminist lesbian activist and self-described butch.
Butch is Not a Dirty Word (BINADW) is an Australian biannual magazine for butch lesbians and their supporters, the only magazine in the world specifically dedicated to gender nonconforming women. The magazine's motto is "A queer magazine for butch dykes, butch lesbians, butch women, trans butches, non-binary butches & all those who love them."
Lincoln Legion of Lesbians (LLL) was a lesbian feminist collective in Lincoln, Nebraska, that sought to destigmatize lesbianism and build lesbian community. The collective sponsored community events open exclusively to women and girls, advocating feminist separatism.
DYKE: A Quarterly of Lesbian Culture and Analysis was a New York-based lesbian separatist magazine published by Tomato Publications. The magazine was active from 1975 to 1979. Liza Cowan and Penny House created the periodical, functioning as the publishers and editors during its run.
