The National Organization for Women, the Equal Rights Amendment, and California NOW chapters' lesbian feminist activism

Available as

Online

Summary

In 1971, lesbian feminists from around the country gathered at the National Conference of the National Organization for Women (NOW). In the wake of internal attacks against lesbians within NOW, les...

In 1971, lesbian feminists from around the country gathered at the National Conference of the National Organization for Women (NOW). In the wake of internal attacks against lesbians within NOW, lesbian feminists were thrilled to hear that the organization was formally recognizing them and their rights; but this was not the end of the story. For the next decade, NOW focused the feminist struggle on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed amendment to the Constitution which would have made men and women equal under the law. Several scholars have since argued that this move came at the cost of supporting lesbian rights, pointing to a lack of committed action within NOW for a majority of the 1970s. Meanwhile, in California, local NOW chapters seemed to defy this observation. This document project seeks to explore the relationship between NOW's national structure, local NOW chapters in California, the Equal Rights Amendment, and lesbian rights.

Show More