lisa ben

i was fortunate enough to experience the absolute joy that is french pride yesterday. my heart is so full. here are some of my favorite signs: “pass through here, become a lesbian” and “god save the dykes” lyon, france, june 11, 2022

“LESBIAN MOMS ARE GREAT,” photographed by cathy cade, reprinted in i know you know: lesbian views & news vol. 2 no. 1, december 1985

here’s just a handful of FBI files from the ’50s through the ’70s released through FOIA wherein the FBI obsessively documented and surveilled lesbian bars and the Daughters of Bilitis if you’d like to explore and learn more about how the U.S. government stalked us for merely existing, click here

i'm currently researching butch identity in mid-century america! here's a fact about post-WWII LGBT communities in port cities that blew my mind today. from lillian faderman's odd girls and twilight lovers: a history of lesbian life in 20th century america

i just watched an amazing documentary on the iconic ruth c. ellis, a black lesbian activist, who was the oldest surviving open lesbian living to the incredible age of 101. watch her story, directed by yvonne welbon, here !

“‘a hymn to the love that dares not speak its name.’ not for all eyes but just for those women who have walked soft in the dark dark light. i give you my praise - a song of many textures and moods.”  from the cover of pointblank times: a lesbian/feminist publication, vol. 2 no. 5, june 1976

“want” from cold river: poems by joan larkin, october 1997 

a pin from the dr. madeline davis lgbtq archive of western new york

she recently suffered a stroke, and insurance will not pay for her healthcare. please help her fund her medical bills here.

"quelques femmes à bicyclette" by raymond de la nézière for la vie parisienne, september 1893

excerpt from who cares if it’s a choice? snappy answers to 101 nosy, intrusive, and highly personal questions about lesbians and gays by ellen orleans, june 1994

a quote from patricia bailey at the national women’s conference. patricia was a former catholic nun, bus driver, union steward, and lesbian feminist. published in the press and sun-bulletin, november 1977

it’s depressing enough, but femme does feel like a losing battle for lesbians sometimes, and the discourse can be unproductive. i’ve seen friendships lost over it, and threads with hundreds of comments arguing about it. i think that instead, we should focus our collective energy on getting straight people to stop commercializing femme (those godawful “femme forever” and “femme vibes” shirts), and to stop self-describing as a word we know they could not even begin to understand.