Chapter 26: Women as Leaders in Lesbian Organizations

Karen O'Connor & Alixandra B. Yanus

Women as leaders in lesbian organizations Telling the story of lesbian leadership in the United States is a difficult task. Historically, since the first wave of the women's movement, it has been difficult to ascertain whether or not women, indeed, were lesbians. Anecdotal evidence is often useful in this task, but it may also promote speculation and discussion of uncertain truths. Still, written exchanges between women throughout history have led scholars today to posit that most leaders—not only in the first wave of the women's movement but also many of the early unmarried women in the professions—were lesbians. Even today, there appears to be reluctance on the part of many individuals to be associated with the term lesbian . In fact, when, in 2009, the editor of this handbook searched for a scholar willing to tackle this subject, she repeatedly came up empty-handed. By far, more potential authors were invited ...

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