Daughters of Bilitis

advocacy group

The Daughters of Bilitis /bɪˈltɪs/, also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first[1] lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States.

The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955 by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, was created to be another hangout area for lesbians other than lesbian bars. This was to avoid raids and police harassment. It later gave support to women who were afraid to come out.

The DOB educated them about their rights, and about gay history.

The Daughters of Bilitis lasted for 14 years, becoming an educational resource for lesbians, gay men, researchers and mental health professionals.

References change

  1. Perdue, Katherine Anne (June 2014). Writing Desire: The Love Letters of Frieda Fraser and Edith Williams—Correspondence and Lesbian Subjectivity in Early Twentieth Century Canada (PDF) (PhD). Toronto, Canada: York University. p. 276. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.