Women's Spaces and Lesbians in Feminism

Women’s spaces and women-centric spaces have historically played a very significant role in the lesbian community, especially in lesbian feminist circles. In the early ‘60s, they served as legal alternatives to frequently-raided lesbian bars—but even since raiding such establishments largely ceased in the ‘70s and ‘80s, women-only and women-centered spaces have played a similar and important role in Bloomington.

Social Centers and Events

Bloomington has served as a center for events in the women’s community since the ‘70s. Bloomington and Indiana University together served as long-time hosts of the National Women’s Music Festival, one of the first music festivals run “by and for women” (though it does not exclude men from attendance). Women’s music festivals have a long and important history as networking opportunities in the feminist community, and some (the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, for example) attract primarily lesbian feminists.

Bloomington and IU have also served as hosts to several local events and travelling non-music events, including the National Women’s Festival in more recent decades, and occasional local, repeating events like 1974’s “Women’s Week”, consisting of panels and workshops to raise consciousness on lesbian and feminist issues.

A Women’s Center existed and operated in Bloomington between 1970 and 1975 at 414 North Park Avenue, often involving itself in feminism and acting as a gathering place and social center for lesbians, hosting meet-and-greets and support groups.

The lesbian community also had counterpart organization to the Gay Liberation Front in Bloomington. After women complained of sexism in the group, lesbians formed a Gay Women Liberation Front as a lesbian alternative to the mostly gay male GLF. This group operated in tandem with the GLF as a partner organization. This allowed lesbian women to engage with one another in a woman-centered space, and distribute information and organize events.

Resources

Throughout the community’s history, Bloomington has played host to many resources primarily created for and by women.

The Middle Way House, originally a center for drug-addicted teens, became a safe space for women coming out of abusive relationships in 1981. Middle Way House has historically been available to lesbian women, and an official policy affirming the House’s availability to transgender and transsexual women is currently being drafted by a committee appointed to research the subject.

Several local information sources on feminist issues were also founded by women in the Bloomington community. The Women’s Center published a feminist newsletter during its 1970-1975 operation called Front Door, and several feminist bookstores and gathering spots have existed in Bloomington over the years, including a bookstore/gathering spot called A Room of One’s Own, which existed during the mid-‘70s and sponsored feminist consciousness-raising events and activism, in addition to selling feminist books. In 1986 another feminist bookstore, Dreams and Swords, opened, but changed its name to Aquarius Books in 1988. Aquarius Books continued into the mid-nineties, when it closed its doors.

Indiana University

The Bloomington campus of Indiana University also served as a center of activism for and by women.

In 1972, the University established an Office of Women’s Affairs to handle concerns primarily expressed by women students (though its doors certainly weren’t closed to men with relevant concerns) and in 1973 established a Women’s Studies program. Students involved in the program published another feminist newspaper, Womansource, between 1977 and 1981. The OWA frequently worked with local organizations (including Middle Way House, for example) to promote feminist causes and events, such as Take Back the Night marches. Several activist organizations were also formed by and primarily supported by students, as well, including Bloomington Women’s Liberation and the Bloomington National Organization for Women.

Berry, Jae. June 24th, 1974: Women’s center mural reflects liberated mood. Indiana Daily Student, 1st page.

Hinchion, Gail and Jae Berry. March 25th, 1974: Women’s week: Workshops draw varied response. Indiana Daily Student.

Marilyn , Moores. "Lesbians Seek Solidarity." Indiana Daily Student, 11 February 1976, sec. c, p. 1.

Simon, Cheryl. September 2nd, 1974: Women’s center hosts lesbian dinner. Indiana Daily Student, 11th page.

Staggenborg, Suzanne. “The Survival of the Women’s Movement: Turnover and Continuity in Bloomington, Indiana,” http://mobilization.metapress.com/media/80ppqgqhumh31y32wmf0/ contributions/j/1/5/6/j156r9529q553166.pdf.

Toby Strout, e-mail message to author, December 4, 2009.