BUILDING A LESBIAN COMMUNITY IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA ...

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philosophical basis oflesbian feminist history construction links the interface between patriarchy and discourse on sexuality. In recent decades, feminist presses and the emergence oflesbian history projects helped to formalize feminist lesbian history. As feminist writer Elaine Miller explains: "It [lesbianism] is concerned with women who loved and were loved by women in the context offeminist resistence to patriarchy ... [and] with women who loved each other passionately and sexually, whether or not this love was expressed through sexual contact .... ,,37 Essentially, feminist movements promoted a broader definition oflesbian, especially in nonsexual dimensions. The changes made assisted in greater development oflesbian cultural history, since more attention was given to socio-cultural aspects oflesbian experiences. The foundation ofidentity politics is the beliefthat all lesbians share a common identity. Lesbian-feminist ofthe 1970s emphasized the degree ofsolidarity among women, including their straight sisters. The term ''woman-identified-woman'' signaled a stance taken against the patriarchy.38 It is clear, nevertheless, that identities are multiple and complex. However, the idea that any woman can be a lesbian despite a heterosexual past opened the door for more women to claim a lesbian identity. The feminist movement rested in the beliefthat all females share an identity as "women." Nevertheless, in the process ofcreating a women-identified community lesbian feminism downplayed differences such as culture and class. By maximizing a common Advancement,1982), 46. 37 Elaine Miller, "Righting Our History," in All the Rage: Reasserting Radical Lesbian Feminism, ed. LYnne Harne and Elaine Miller (London: The Women's Press, Ltd., 1996), 118. 38 Vera Whisman, "Identity Crises: Who is A Lesbian Anyway?"in Sisters, Sexperts, Queers: Beyond the Lesbian Nation ed. Arlene Stein (New York: A Plume Book, 1993), 58. 10
lesbian identity, lesbian feminism controlled the ways in which an individual could be a lesbian. In so doing, lesbian-feminism ignored other competing identities, ethnic and racial affiliations, and thereby dismissing certain kinds oflesbian experience. 39 In a discussion concerning lesbian feminist theory, historian Katherine Arnup, a graduate ofthe Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, examines the development oflesbian feminist theory in the lesbian feminist movement. According to her, three theoretical developments evolved during this period in an attempt to explain the position oflesbians in the struggle for women's liberation. Radical lesbianism was the first current to emerge. This argument suggests that women's oppression originated from the influences ofpatriarchal structures ofsociety. Feminists regarded heterosexual women as "selling out" their feminism by associating with men and sharing in their male privilege. 40 In this regard, lesbians served as the vanguard ofthe women's movement since they choose not to live with men. The second theory refers to the lesbian rights perspective and identifies sexual orientation rather than gender as the major source oftheir oppression. This position entailed working alongside gay men to fight for civil and legal protection ofall homosexual persons. The third major theoretical work ofthe 1970s views heterosexism as an institution. Adrienne Rich's article "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" develops a critique ofheterosexual ideologies that confined and regulated female sexuality.41 The compulsory heterosexuality 39 Jagose, 65. 40 Katherine Arnup, ''Lesbian Theory," The Lesbian issue Resourcesfor Feminist Research/Documentation Sur La Recherche Feminist XlI, no. 1 (March,1983): 53. 41 Adrienne Rich, "Compulsory;Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence," Signs 5, noA (Summer,1980): 631-660. . 11
Page 1 and 2: WOMONSPACE: BUILDING A LESBIAN COMM
Page 3 and 4: ABSTRACT This thesis investigates t
Page 6: I would like to thank all my oral s
Page 10 and 11: In particular, lesbians, by various
Page 12 and 13: individual independent ofsocial or
Page 14 and 15: truly ourselves and "normal.,,18 In
Page 16 and 17: The search for personal identity an
Page 20 and 21: perspective focuses on the institut
Page 22 and 23: emain and challenge the universal d
Page 24 and 25: Within a lesbian community... indiv
Page 26 and 27: community became increasingly diver
Page 28 and 29: space and community identity. In Bo
Page 30 and 31: offered by the organization. This r
Page 32 and 33: Ofnecessity, this thesis uses pseud
Page 34 and 35: perceive their identities, experien
Page 37: Alberta established Womonspace afte
Page 40 and 41: lesbians.... We [Womonspace founder
Page 42 and 43: ar community, have no overt politic
Page 44: Village, New York. Enraged by count
Page 49 and 50: Damien, a jockey and racing steward
Page 51 and 52: community. ,,37 Four women, Jeanne,
Page 53: Jim Bentein ofthe Edmonton Journal
Page 56 and 57: sexual partners. In the context ofw
Page 58: movement needs in order to understa
Page 61 and 62: In 1974, during the first meeting o
Page 63 and 64: Protection Act. 72 GALA's Civil Rig
Page 65 and 66: CHAPTER TWO TOWARDS COMMUNITY: ALL
Page 67 and 68: a few individuals struck by the lac
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group:> the founders wrote a series
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emembers a list going around the da
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organizational work involved in est
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Because the newsletter linked the l
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their lesbian sisters and lesbian s
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stereotype you. ,,28 As a young les
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Women were invited to join a year l
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We gradually began to trust the peo
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The threat to Womonspace went well
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[Jackie's] partner at the time, [Li
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coming in from GATE or GALA to recr
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on creating organized social activi
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way into the eager hands oflesbians
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Women's Liberation Newsletter (1974
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times, and so did the content and s
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for lesbians to get together, to ge
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noteworthy exception was Karen's er
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was true that the issue ofviolence
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hard core underground market to ano
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participate. First and foremost, ho
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club with a large straight clientel
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Covers" featured critiques oflesbia
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would have remained isolated from t
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assessment ofthe actual relationshi
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APPENDIX I EXAMPLES FROM THE WOMONS
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APPENDIX II ORAL HISTORY PROJECT Th
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APPENDIX ill RESEARCH PROTOCOLS The
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Henry Abelone, Michele Aina Barale
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Miller;> 11-30. London: The Women;>
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Smith;> Miriam. Lesbian and Gay Rig
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