View source for Consciousness-Raising

First introduced to the [[Gay Liberation Front]] by women who had been active in the women’s liberation movement, consciousness-raising (C-R) became a central activity for many gay liberationists and radical lesbians.  Structured as small groups, C-R sessions centered on a single topic, with every participant '''“giv[ing] testimony”''' from his or her personal experiences.   C-R served as a tool for activists to share their individual experiences in order to uncover their '''“common oppression”'''—to expose the ways that the personal was in fact political.<ref>“Notes," August 5, 1970, Radicalesbians, NY Organizational File, Lesbian Herstory Archives, Brooklyn, NY.</ref>  The intimate setting of the groups encouraged equal participation and strong bonds among members, although individuals of different backgrounds sometimes had trouble understanding each other's experiences.<ref>Rosalyn Baxandall and Linda Gordon, eds., ''Dear Sisters: Dispatches from the Women’s Liberation Movement'' (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 67; Karla Jay, ''Tales of a Lavender Menace'' (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 61.</ref>  

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXVF78wXfUc| '''Ellen Shumsky talks about some of the difficulties] her [[Radicalesbians]] C-R group faced:'''


While C-R was criticized by some as merely '''“a therapy session,”''' it was an important way for gay men and women to understand their oppression, create new forms of theory, and develop a basis for political action.<ref>“Notes." </ref> 


'''Karla Jay, who helped to introduce consciousness-raising to the [[Gay Liberation Front]], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B-WDzt_ciQ| talks about her experiences with C-R] in the women's liberation group [http://www.redstockings.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=77 Redstockings].''' 


Return to [[Gay Liberation in New York City]] 

===Categories===
Women's liberation, Consciousness-Raising, Gay Liberation.

===Contact===
Lindsay Branson: lindsay.branson@gmail.com

==References==

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