Guy Lochhead, 21/05/10
The first lesbian-rights organisation in the world. Founded in 1955 in San Francisco as a community centre, partially in response to the contemporary ‘witch hunt’ of gay bar closures, the organization provided a safe place for gay women to meet. The DOB intended to educate and support its members (and the public), campaign for gay rights, and aid legitimate research into homosexuality. They published a monthly magazine called ‘The Ladder’, which acted as a network tool for lesbians all over the country to communicate through. I think the best way to include this group is through the book from which they got their name, ‘Les Chansons De Bilitis’. This reflects the organisation’s flourishing from a group of eight women who wouldn’t wear jeans, to a worldwide organisation of women in a more tolerant society. The book will be used to steady a ladder in the programmes.