Women's Advocates

588 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN (1974-2010)

Information for this page is a summary of Anne Enke's extensive research on the shelter, availible in pages 181-196 of Finding the Movement: Sexuality, Contested Space, and Feminist Activism. As a confluence of racial backgrounds, a blended site of public and private space, and a paramount place of feminist history in Minnesota, the Women’s Advocates shelter was both fortress and arsenal. The organization began as a helpline and counseling service that created pamphlets for women experiencing divorce and child custody issues. Organizers witnessed horrifying accounts of mistreatment—this led them to raise funds and open a physical space for women escaping abusive relationships.(1) The local and state governments offered 37 shelters for men at the time—women were permitted one option: a subsidized motel where victims could stay for one night only.(2) Inspired to alleviate this disparity, a group of women with activist backgrounds bought an old mansion on Grand Avenue. The shelter’s location was immensely successful, as it sat within walking distance of the Ramsey Co. Courthouse/St. Paul City Hall, within steps of the Cathedral of St. Paul, and blocks from The Noble Roman (a popular site for the shelter’s residents).(3) Though immersed in a vibrant section of St. Paul, the shelter made every attempt to present a barrier between the street and the women inside. With alarms, drawn curtains, and wire mesh, the old house came to look like a prison. (4)

Cover of "Finding the Movement: Sexuality, Contested Space, and Feminist Activism."by Anne Enke. Cover designed by Jennifer Hill.

This changed as time progressed—the shelter switched from volunteers to paid and trained staff, who made a well-reasoned decision to “open up” the house, both physically and by advertising themselves in local papers.(5)

Another change led to Women’s Advocates significance to local queer history. By 1978, the shelter had to revise its understanding of abusive relationships. Men were long considered the perpetrators of violence—feminists blamed patriarchal society for the mistreatment of women in battering relationships. When presented with instances of abuse inflicted in lesbian partnerships, the women had to revise their thinking.(6) To date, the organization offers service for female victims of domestic abuse, regardless of their partner's gender.(7)

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(1)Enke, Anne. Finding the Movement: Sexuality, Contested Space, and Feminist Activism. North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2007. Page 183.

(2) Ibid.

(3) Enke, pages 183, 197, and 188.

(4) Enke, page 189.

(5) Enke, page 195.

(6) Enke, pages 195-196.

(7) http://www.wadvocates.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={9E25BB8C-2CDA-427E-89FB-B18AECFF4DAE}

Part of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: 100 Queer Places in Minnesota History, (1860-1969), (1969-2010)