The Moonspeaker:
Where Some Ideas Are Stranger Than Others...
Homophile, Gay Lib, Women's Lib, and Les/Fem Publications List
NOTA BENE: This list is being signal boosted from its reproduction at saidit. My hope is to find who actually compiled it to credit them, as well as to add entries and pass those on as I find them. Blurbs for each one are usually quoted from each publication's front matter. A few items have been pruned because they were not in fact lesbian, gay, or bisexual focussed. Many of these are also available at JSTOR for free as well in a format that is a bit easier to navigate.
- Ain't I a Woman (1970-1974): "A midwest newspaper of women's liberation. Published by the Publications Collective, Iowa City WLF." Intended to improve communication and add a locally produced movement paper.
- Amazon, The (1972-1984): "The Amazon is thought carried into action. It begins at [University of Wisconsin Milwaukee] as the first attempt to meet the needs of women to communicate with each other citywide." Published by the Amazon Collective.
- Amazon Quarterly - A Lesbian-Feminist Arts Journal (1972-1975): "We want to explore through the pages of Amazon Quarterly just what might be the female sensibility in the arts. Freed from male identification, lesbians are obviously in a very good position to be the ones to cross the frontier Doris Lessing has told us the 'free woman' stands at."
- Big Mama Rag - A Women's Journal (1973-1984): "We are your newspaper and we're here to serve the needs of the women in the Denver Community. We think what women have to say is important and it's about time women had a chance to communicate their ideas and feelings to one another and to the Community."
- Blazing Star (1975-1979): "Blazing Star is a newsletter for the lesbian community. As lesbians and bisexual women who are active in the women's movement, we want to educate all women about the oppression that people face because of their sexual orientation. We also want to keep our sisters informed about local and national events that affect us. Blazing Star is produced by an all-women's chapter of the New American Movement. NAM is a socialist-feminist organization of women and men throughout the United States."
- Body Politic, The (1971-1987): Gay liberation newspaper published in Toronto and providing coverage of news, events, and political debates across Canada with some material from abroad.
- Broadsheet New Zealand's Feminist Magazine (1972-1997): "[For our women's liberation newspaper w]e want letters (for and against), articles, news, instances of discrimination, suggestions, personal stories, in fact anything."
- Chrysalis - a magazine of women's culture (1977-1980): "Chrysalis, like The New Woman's Survival Catalog and The New Woman's Survival Sourcebook from which it grew, takes its form and content from the women's movement itself. Feminism is not a monolithic movement, but rather includes the experiences, values, priorities, agendas of women of all lifestyles, ages, and cultural and economic backgrounds."
- Come Out! (1969-1972): Gay newspaper founded and published in New York, covering social issues, general news, and arguing for readers to come out of the closet.
- Common Lives/Lesbian Lives - a lesbian feminist quarterly (1981-1996): "Common Lives/Lesbian Lives seeks to document the experiences and thoughts of lesbians as we claim our past, name our present conditions, and envision our evolving futures. CL/LL will reflect the complexity and richness of those experiences and thoughts by describing the lives of ordinary lesbians, women who have always struggled to survive and create a culture for ourselves. The magazine is a forum for developing and clarifying our women-defined social and political relationships."
- Conditions - a magazine of writing by women with an emphasis on writing by lesbians (1977-1990): "...edited by Elly Bulkin, Jan Clausen, Irena Klepfisz, and Rima Shore. We work collectively to select and edit material which will reflect women's perceptions of themselves, each other, the conditions of their lives, and of the world around them."
- Daughters of Bilitis Newsletter - san francisco chapter (1959-1970): A basic chronicle of events published on a monthly basis by the largest chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis.
- Detroit Liberator (1970): Published by the Gay Liberation Front of Detroit, "The PRIMARY purpose of the Detroit Liberator is to serve the local homosexual community in its battle for total liberation and freedom. We intend to report on any and a I I homosexual happenings in the local area as well as the rest of the world. The Detroit Liberator will always provide a section of the paper for its readers so they may speak up on any and all subjects."
- Detroit Gay Liberator (1970-1971): "The Gay Liberator is an open community forum with the policy of no sexual or commercial exploitation. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the attitudes of the publishing board or the positions of the Gay Liberation Front Of Detroit."
- Dimensions (1987-1997): Lubbock, Texas lesbian magazine, "...mostly on the lighter side, with a bit of national news, poetry, book reviews, advice columns, horoscopes, etc. 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Running mostly around 40 pages, with colorful covers, it was begun by Roxanne Hunter (Editor, until March 1989), Kelly Chambers (Assistant Editor, and soon Managing Editor). Tasha Sumner did Art and Advertising."
- Distaff - New Orleans Monthly Feminist Forum (1973-1982): "When the preview issue of DISTAFF appeared last month it was greeted by many people as a positive addition to the press in New Orleans; a chance for women of the city to control their own media, to be heard on common issues and to communicate with each other."
- DYKE (1975-1978): "We want to publish a magazine that fulfills our need for analysis, communication and news of Lesbian culture. We believe that 'Lesbian culture' presumes a separatist analysis. If Lesbian culture is intermixed with straight culture, it is no longer Lesbian; it is heterosexual, or heterosocial because energy and time are going to men. Lesbian community – Lesbian culture – means Lesbian only. DYKE is a magazine for Dykes only! We will speak freely among ourselves."
- Dykes and Gorgons (1973): "We hope this paper will be used as a vehicle for those dyke/separatists whose articles have either been chopped up and distorted or have been refused publication through other coast to coast Lesbian/Feminist newspapers and magazines. We are open to articles, comments, stories, graphics and poetry from dyke/separatists around the world."
- Echo of Sappho (1972-1973): "This paper is for lesbians, feminists, and men who wish to free themselves from sexism..." Snippets of Sappho in translation, opinion, and articles on lesbianism and feminism. (Comes across as somewhat nervous.)
- Feelings from Women's Liberation (1970): A magazine of reflections on the women's liberation movement, poetry, and photographs. Most pieces are only one to two pages long.
- Feminist Alliance Against Rape (1974-1977): Washington DC newsletter covering legal and practical aspects of Feminist organizing against rape, including summaries of relevant news, proposed legislation, and papers.
- Feminist Art Journal (1972-1977): Quarterly summarizing issues women artists face and what they were doing to overcome them, including winning access to gallery space, challenging imposition of stereotypes on them and their work, stopping sexual harassment and abuse in working and display spaces, and problems of suppression and censorship.
- Feminist Bookstore News (1983-2000): "...a communications vehicle for the informal network of feminist bookstores. It reaches 110 stores in the US and Canada, as well as a number of libraries, women's studies departments, and feminist bookstores in Great Britain, Burope, Australia, and New Zealand."
- Feminist Voice (1971-1972): "Our newspaper will use the abundant talents of women to support other women in the women's movement, to help create women's history, straight from the viewpoint of women, setting down the events of what will be one of the great revolutions in the history of Western Civilization."
- Furies, The - lesbian/feminist monthly (1972-1973): "We welcome your comments, letters, articles, fiction, poetry, news, graphics, and support. We want to build a movement in this country and in the world which can effectively stop the violent, sick, oppressive acts of male supremacy. We want to build a movement which makes all people free."
- Gay Alternative (1972-1976): "The Gay Alternative is for and about the Philadelphia gay community. We hope to serve as a means of communication for all gay people in the Philadelphia area through information, opinion and discussion concerning the many aspects of gay life."
- Gay Flames - a bulletin of the homophile movement (1970-1971): "Gay Flames is meant to give the gay community news o£ itself which it can't find in other places. We plan to publish weekly so as to give you the news and our views on it as soon as possible. The Gay Flames people are all Gay Liberation Front males, but we do not represent GLF in any way. We speak only as one group within the organization. We are directed basically toward gay males, although we hope to be relevant to females as well."
- Gay Liberator (1971-1976): "The new Gay Liberator exists to promote a certain kind of gay organization... to promote an organization of gays formed around the issues of social discrimination against gay people. The focus of the paper will be on these issues – discrimination by the police, courts and laws, by employers and landlords. There will also be analysis of various aspects of gay oppression, and discussions of political and social ideas relevant to gay liberation written from a variety of political viewpoints."
- Gay Pride Crusader (1972-81): Basic news sheet based in San Francisco west, bringing together a combination of short political and news articles with a wide range of advertisements. Primarily gay men oriented.
- Heresies - a feminist publication on art and politics (1977-1993): "HERESIES is an idea-oriented journal devoted to the examination of art and politics from a feminist perspective. We believe that what is commonly called art can have a political impact, and that in the making of art and of ail cultural artifacts our identities as women play a distinct role. We hope that HERESIES will stimulate dialogue around radical political and esthetic theory, encourage the writing of the history of femina sapiens, and generate new creative energies among women. It will be a place where diversity can be articulated. We are committed to the broadening of the definition and function of art."
- Her-Self Community Women's Newspaper (1972-1977): "her-self, a news journal, was created to provide information, timely news, and features about what is happening woman-wise in the Ann Arbor community. It will focus on the activities, projects, and interests of local women's groups, her-self will provide a comprehensive listing of all women's groups, as well as legal, medical, educational, and social services for women in the community. It will discuss the concerns of all Washtenaw County residents – school and property taxes and how they are spent, problems at City Hall, women's rights under the State of Michigan Constitution, consumers' guide to Ann Arbor stores, children's summer recreation programs. But most important, her-self is about you – the women who write and read the newspaper."
- Hot Wire - The Journal of Women's Music and Culture (1984-1994): "...Hot Wire intends to: provide a wide range of articles that focus on women's creativity, especially women's music... circulate information, resources, energy, and inspiration to women everywhere; provide access to print for women writers, graphic artists, and photographers; work within the woman-identified women in print movement..."
- I Know You Know - lesbian views and news (1985): "A magazine written for lesbians by lesbians in their field. A magazine designed to meet lesbian needs not currently being filled by any one publication and to address the particular concerns of lesbians.... If you've been looking for good, solid news stand-quality articles and features, I Know You Know is the logical magazine for you."
- Impulse (1986): "...a monthly publication distributed in El Paso and the Southwest. Advertising or organizations or businesses in Impulse is not necessarily an indication of the sexual orientation of said organization."
- It Ain't Me Babe (1970-1971): Newsletter of Berkeley Women's Liberation, combining politics, calls to action, and fiction in an advertising-lite irregular publication.
- The Ladder (1960-1972): "Published monthly by the Daughters of Bilitis, Inc. The Ladder is regarded as a sounding board for various points of view on the homophile and related subjects and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the organization."
- Lavender Reader - News and Review for Santa Cruz County's Gay and Lesbian Community (1986-1990): "...published quarterly as a community project of Santa Cruz County's gay and lesbian political alliance, the Freedom Democratic Caucus. The reader serves our gay and lesbian community by providing a forum for discussion and analysis of those issues and topics that most concern our local and national community."
- Lavender Vision (1970-1971): "We are some lesbians involved in gay women's liberation who feel a need for a large lesbian community that gives us ways to meet together and be together and fight together. We're hoping that this paper can be a place to share feelings and experiences and news about what we are doing in our movement. This project and others that we mention in Ihe paper are open to all of you – contact us with your suggestions and help and criticism and just plain friendship."
- Lavender Woman (1971-1976): "The Lavender Woman is a collective attempt to stop running, to stand still and firm in our places, so that we can stop depleting ourselves with evasion, manipulation and all those other defenses we've needed for our survival. We have to stop running in order to grow. We have to stop running from ourselves, from our sisters, to turn around and face one another, confront one another, love one another. We need to let it be, let ourselves be. We need to say loud and clear, who we are, and where we are going. A Lesbian relationship, we are beginning to discover, is not a hazard, or a liability, but a gift and a virtue – a strengthening, redeeming relationship in which we mutually confirm our identities as women, in which we are free to let ourselves be real, rather than meet a male sexist stereotype which society is always holding up for us to clumsily imitate."
- Lesbian Connection - A National Lesbian Forum * News and Ideas For By and About Lesbians (1974-1989): "We see a real need for a national newsletter. There are many national feminist publications and several gay liberation newspapers. But there are no papers that we know of dealing with current news that is pertinent, and available, to all lesbians. We do not plan to include literary contributions as are found in the Amazon Quarterly; our emphasis is on news and political issues. We want and need news of court cases, festivals, cultural events, demonstrations, and lesbian resources."
- The Lesbian Tide (1971-1974), (1974), (1974-1980): "The Los Angeles Daughters of Bilitis is a non-political, non-profit organization which has as its goal, the actualization of personal pride in the lesbian. We intend to realize this goal by educating the lesbian to utilize her unique talents in ways most beneficial to herself and society. It is our purpose to educate the lesbian to appreciate her sexual orientation as freedom of choice, as well as to appreciate her differences of life style within her own community."
- Lesbian Voices (1974-81): "...published by 'Sisters of Sappha,' the Lesbian-Feminist Alliance of Santa Clara County,founded in November 1973.... Letters to the editor, subscriptions, manuscripts,poems, graphics, etc...."
- Maize - A Lesbian Country Magazine (1990-1998): "Maize invites lesbians to contribute articles, graphics, photos, interviews, letters, comments, news of Lesbians on the land."
- Maverick, The (1984): A satirical magazine directed to a primarily gay male audience in San Francisco.
- Motive (1969-1972) (Lesbian Issue): "Published monthly, October through May, with combined March-April issue, for the University Christian Movement by the Division of Higher Education of the Board of Education of The United Methodist Church." The featured issues focus on Feminism and lesbians.
- Musica (1974-1977): "Musica was the first publication about Women's Music. It was edited by Indy Allen, out of Troutdale, Oregon, and the first issue was a three-page newsletter (March 1974). By the fifth issue (Spring 1976) it had grown to 13 pages of news about festivals, new releases and artist info. The last issue is from Spring, 1977."
- New Gay Life, The (1977-1978): "Our journal is here to reflect and promote a new spirit which is becoming evident in gay living. It hasn't yet touched all gay people; but, this new sensibility is alive and affects many gays right now. More than just a mirror for what is—our magazine wants to reflect our hopes for what could be.... Each month we will try to keep you in touch with the trends and feelings of this new sensibility."
- New Directions for Women (1975-1993): Originally a New Jersey publication that shifted to national distribution in the united states in 1975, "...if you are involved... or want to be... or if you just want to keep informed about the women's movement... New Directions For Women is written for you. It is for all women, not just for feminists. It is filled with hard news and detailed information about every aspect of the movement – statewide, national and international. Since we started publishing in January 1972, we have experienced a fabulous increase in subscriptions, advertising and contributions."
- New Directions for Women in New Jersey (1972-1975): Issues from the earlier phase of this journal, all mimeographed pages dealing with basic political and action news in both the New Jersey area and across the united states.
- New Women's Times (1975-1984): "A woman trying to make it alone in this society is news. A married woman trying to make a marriage work is news. A woman filing a sex discrimination case is news. A woman who has become a plumber is news. A woman who feels her life has been unconditionally programmed is news. All women are newsworthy. All women make news. As Rochester's all women's newspaper, we plan to print all the news that is fit for print... for women. Women are the majority in this country, and yet it takes a magnifying glass to find out about us in the available media. Now, we plan to begin our own archives."
- New York Radical Feminists Newsletter (1972-1977): Provided focussed coverage on New York Radical Feminist actions alongside editorials and articles on women's issues and extensive selections from the organization's manifesto.
- Off Our Backs (1970-1976): "off our backs is a paper for all women who are fighting for the liberation of their lives and we hope it will grow and expand to meet the needs of women from all backgrounds and classes. In order to succeed we need you to use this paper to relate what you are doing and what you are thinking, for we are convinced that a woman speaking from the agony ot her own struggle has a voice that can touch the experience of all women. We intend to build a national network of correspondents and welcome women of all ages and from all parts of the country who will report regularly on the activities of their groups and cover the news they consider relevant to themselves and their sisters. Our bias should be clear. We intend to be just, but we do not pretend to be impartial."
- ONE: The Homosexual Magazine (1954-1966): "ONE claims positively that homosexuals do not have the civil rights assured all other citizens. ONE is devoted to correcting this. means to stimulate thought, criticism, research, literary and artistic production in an effort to bring the public to understand deviants and deviants to understand themselves as the two sides are brought together as one... is backed by no political or social group, leans toward none, is wholly and completely unfinanced. ONE has no paid employees yet and its growth is dependent entirely upon its readers. Your manuscripts, contributions, and work are welcomed. ONE is entirely yours."
- Out/Look - National Lesbian and Gay Quarterly (1988-1992): "OUT/LOOK was bom out of the need to bring together the diverse elements of the lesbian and gay communities. We come from all races, ethnicities, social classes, and political commitments. As men and women, we come out of different experiences and needs, but we also share a sexual stigma and history of resistance. OUT/LOOK is committed to providing a bridge between worlds which have often been quite separate. We need a national 'town meeting' in which we can hear a wide range of voices engaged in serious (but not always solemn) dialogue about the issues that touch our lives as lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people."
- Outweek - New York's Lesbian and Gay News Magazine (1989-1991): "For several years, the long-distinguished history of our chief competition has been marked by an editorial bias concerning the cause of AIDS.... WOmen have regularly been neglected in New York's gay press, both in coverage of pertinent issues and in representation among writers and reporters. People of color have been rendered virtually invisible."
- Ozark Feminist Review - Formerly 'Hard Labor" and "Up and Coming" (1980) and (1991-1998): A more political action oriented newsletter covering a range of court cases and other legal struggles dealing with child custody and enforcing laws against rape against perpetrators. The later version of this publication includes a wider range of material including poetry, coverage of new Feminist books, and reflections on contemporary culture.
- Paid My Dues - a quarterly journal of women and music (1974-1980): "'Paid My Dues' was a remarkable magazine of women's music information, reviews, interviews, etc. Volume 1 number 1 came out in early 1974, with an amazing 38 pages. 'Paid My Dues' lasted until 1980 and published 15 issues. Some of the people responsible were Dorothy Dean (founder), Kathryn Gohl, Karen Corti, Judy Erickson, Kathyrn Judd, Toni Armstrong Jr, and many others."
- Pandora (1970-1979): "This is an independent bi-weekly Seattle women's movement newsletter. Our purposes are two-fold: to maintain communication and sisterhood among the various groups, and to give fair and accurate coverage to events and projects which concern women's struggle for equality."
- Philadelphia Gay News (1976-1982): Very much what it says, with a span of articles very similar to mainstream papers of the time, but with actual coverage of predominantly gay men's political and social issues.
- Pointblank Times (1975-1978): "...a new effort in communication by a small group of lesbian feminists... we do have the know-how and the desire to create a vehicle through which women may be able to communicate. We welcome letters, articles, essays, poetry, short fiction, artwork, cartoons, photographs (...) and whatever lese you've got to offer."
- Rubyfruit Readher - a lesbian communiqué (1976-1978): "...a lesbian newsletter by and for lesbians... of the lesbian community of Santa Crua... a forum for the exchange of information and resources, the sharing of personal and political life experiences, a much needed literary outlet, and a place for a lesbian perspective on current events."
- Second Wave, The - a magazine of the new feminism (1971-1983): "The Second Wave is published by Female Liberation in Boston, Massachusetts. The title was chosen to remind us that our movement started well over a century ago and that we are the second wave of feminists in an ongoing struggle. The Second Wave will include political and personal articles, news and information exchange, suggestions for directions we might pursue in our research and activities, book and movie reviews, poetry, and graphics. When we began to discuss plans for the magazine our idea was to provide a forum for feminist ideas. We conceived of a publication that would present a variety of opinion from women within and without the movement on all topics that concern women. All readers are invited to submit contributions and letters."
- Shifra - A Jewish Feminist Magazine #1 and #2 (1984-1985): "welcome to Shifra. we have come together as Jewish Feminists to produce a magazine which will provide Jewish women with a forum to understand our experiences in all their diversity. Exploring our experience of oppression is a form of resistance. Shifra is part of an ongoing resistance movement. Through articles‚ sharing personal experiences, history and poetry‚ we challenge the privileges of men over women, non-Jew over Jew, white over Black, heterosexual over Lesbian."
- Sinister Wisdom (1976-1996): "We believe that writing of a certain consciousness has greater impact when it's collected, when several voices give weight, harmony, and countermelody to the individual message. The consciousness we want Sinister Wisdom to express is – briefly – that of the lesbian or lunatic who embraces her boundary/criminal status, with the aim of creating a new species in a new time/space. We're using the remnants of our class and race privilege to construct a force that we hope will help ultimately destroy privilege."
- Sisters (1970-1975): Daughters of Bilitis - San Francisco newsletter under a new title, emphasizing that it is maintaining a lesbian focus in contrast to The Ladder which had shifted to a women's liberation movement coverage lens.
- Sojourner - voices from the MIT women's community (1975-1998): "It is easy for both women employees and women students to feel isolated from each other and from the Institute itself... By making us aware of women-related groups, events, and activities on campus, and by uniting us in work on a common project, SOJOURNER has the potential to bring us closer together than perhaps anything else could. I hope that the paper will be a voice for all women on campus, and that in time it will address itself to issues broader than those specifically MIT women."
- Spare Rib (1972-1992): "What we can do is reflect the questions, ideas and hope that is growing out of our awareness of ourselves, not as a 'bunch of women' but as individuals in our own right. It was startling to realise that we could not buy any publication which discussed what we felt to be vital issues and so Spare Rib is a beginning. We have tried to create a magazine that is fluid enough to publish work by contributors who have not written before as well as by women and men who are successful journalists and writers." Nota Bene the availability of this archive is in jeopardy due to brexit.
- Trivia - Voices of Feminism: A major journal covering feminist politics and spirituality that ran in its hard copy incarnation ran from 1982-1995, and after a hiatus returned in online form in 2004. It continues to be run on a collective basis, and provides hard copies of back issues from the twentieth century via mail order. The current issues are freely available.
- Up and Coming (1981-1991): "Re-creational activities, cultural events, and news of interest to hard-core feminists and lesbian sympathizers in N.W. Arkansas."
- Vice Versa (1947-1948): A remarkable first lesbian publication in the united states founded by Lisa Ben. "...a magazine dedicated, in all seriousness, to those of us who will never be able to adapt ourselves to the iron-bound rules of convention.... Here is your chance to utilize your creative urge by directing it into literary channels."
- Voice of the Women's Liberation Movement (1968-1969): General news and views from various events, actions, and organizations in the women's liberation movement in the united states.
- WomaNews (1980-1991): Women's newspaper based in new york city, again following the standard menu established by mainstream publications otherwise (basic news articles, cartoons, advertising, a few classified ads).
- Womanspirit (1974-1984): "What women are doing by exploring the spiritual sides of their lives is essential for the building of a new women's cullture. We must decide what we will take with us on this creative journey. What parts of our experiences are valuable and needed for our continued struggle? What behavior, thought patterns, values, images, illusions, and artifacts of the non-feminist culture will we choose to leave behind? As we continue to tear down the institutions and relationships that oppress us, we are also building making, creating. Because this process of taking and leaving, making a new culture, is so deep, profound, and all-inclusive we are calling it spiritual. The sharing and comparing in that process is the reason for this magazine."
- Women Against Pornography (1981-1987): The general news pamphlet of actions by women against pornography, prepared and published by Women's Liberation Writing Collective.
- Women Hold Up Half the Sky (1974): Not a periodical as such, but a digitized pamphlet apparently composed and distributed by feminist women married into or serving in the united states military.
- Women's Press - a women's news journal (1972-1981): Combining journalism, creative writing, and some advertising in order to cover items of interest both overtly and covertly Feminist, based in eugene, oregon.
- 13th Moon (1973-2003): "Publication of the Writing Organization for Women at the City College of New York." The material featured is mostly poetry.
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