User:Ncarril4/Lesbian Avengers

Lead
Original : The Lesbian Avengers was founded in 1992, in New York City, as "a direct action group focused on issues vital to lesbian survival and visibility." Dozens of other chapters quickly emerged worldwide, a few expanding their mission to include questions of gender, race, and class.

Newsweek reporter Eloise Salholz, covering the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, believed the Lesbian Avengers were so popular because they were founded at a moment when lesbians were increasingly tired of working on issues like AIDS and abortion while their own problems went unsolved. Most importantly, lesbians were frustrated with invisibility in society at large, and invisibility and misogyny in the LGBT community.

Though some groups continue to hold demonstrations on an irregular basis (San Francisco Avengers demonstrated against Proposition 8), one of the Lesbian Avengers' most enduring legacy may be the annual Dyke March.

Edit : The Lesbian Avengers was founded in 1992 in New York City, the direct action group was formed with the intent to create an organization that focuses on lesbian issues and visibility through humorous and untraditional activism. The group was founded by six individuals: Ana Maria Simo, Ann MaGuire, Anne-Christine D'askey, Marie Honan, Maxine Wolfe, and Sarah Schulman.

The founding members of the Avengers attempted to address the lack of visibility lesbians had throughout the media. Multiple members claimed that the lack of diversity and the focus on white men in the gay rights movement is one of the reasons that inspired them to create a movement for lesbians.

There were multiple chapters of the Lesbian Avengers within different cities such as: New York, San Francisco, and Denver. Different chapters of the Lesbian Avengers expanded their missions to focus on issues of race, class, and gender.

The Lesbian Avengers engaged in different forms of activism. One of the most notable accomplishments is the formation of the annual Dyke March. Other notable forms of activism include fire-breathing and protests against Proposition 8.

Founding:
Original: The Lesbian Avengers was conceived by Ana Maria Simo, Sarah Schulman, Maxine Wolfe, Anne-Christine D'Adesky, Marie Honan, and Anne Maguire, six longtime lesbian activists who were involved in a variety of LGBT groups from the Medusa's Revenge lesbian theater to ACT-UP (the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) and ILGO (the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization). Their first recruiting flyer, handed out at New York's Pride March, invited "LESBIANS! DYKES! GAY WOMEN!" to get involved. "We're wasting our lives being careful. Imagine what your life could be. Aren't you ready to make it happen?"

Edit:

The Lesbian Avengers was founded by six women: Ana Maria Simo, Ann MaGuire, Anne-Christine D'askey, Marie Honan, Maxine Wolfe, and Sarah Schulman. Each of these women had experience in advocating for gay rights and equality under different organizations such as ACT-UP and the ILGO. The co-founders sought to create an inclusive movement that focused on lesbian issues, something they felt was not properly addressed in other organizations.

Their first recruiting flyer, handed out at New York's Pride March, invited "LESBIANS! DYKES! GAY WOMEN!" to get involved. "We're wasting our lives being careful. Imagine what your life could be. Aren't you ready to make it happen?"

The Lesbian Avenger handbook was an important foundation that gave the Avengers their ability to organize meetings, fundraise, and responses to media. The handbook "made it possible for lesbians across the world to start Avenger chapters without having a huge pool of experienced activists." The handbook played an essential role in the organization and was a tool used by the experienced and newcomers of the group.

Growth:
Original: The original group grew quickly,[when?] dozens of chapters appeared nationally,[where?] and even a handful internationally. The London group emerged from OutRage!. One activist told Salholz, "When a lesbian walks into a room of gay men, it's the same as when she walks into a room of heterosexual men ... You're listened to and then politely ignored." Lesbian Avenger Ann Northrop underlined the point. "We're not going to be invisible anymore ... We are going to be prominent and have power and be part of all decision making." Her assumptions were largely proved in interviews with Avengers in the 1993 documentary film, Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire, Too edited by Su Friedrich and Janet Baus. Some members, though, joked they also joined to meet women.

Edit: The New York chapter started with an estimated 50 members. Eventually new chapters were introduced in multiple locations, over 35 chapters emerged worldwide. Additionally a handful chapters were present internationally. The avengers garnered attention through their use of demonstrations which were combined with flyers and memorable catchphrases. The lesbian avengers designated members to focus on different tasks such as event organizing and designing flyers for events. A notable artist within the group was Carrie Moyer, an American painter who designed some the posters and logos used by the group.

Additionally, in 1993 a documentary film The Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire, Too was released, the film documents the first year of activity within the group. The film includes interviews with the members of the New York chapter

New York Chapter:
The New York Chapter was the beginning of the Lesbian Avengers. The Avengers in New York worked from 1992-1995, their last action involved protesting comments Jospeh Bruno made toward the LGBT community. The first official action of the New York Lesbian Avenger Chapter was protest against right-wing opposition to New York's Rainbow Curriculum. The Avengers marched on the first day of classes in opposition to those who refused to the curriculum. Many of the actions taken by the New York Chapter were in relation to politicians who made homophobic remarks, actions to increase lesbian visibility, and volunteer work across different organizations.

The New York Chapter partnered with The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP), to protest the violence that queer people were faced with during Halloween Celebrations. Additionally, much of the activism the Avengers engaged in addressed the murders of gay people. Their first protest was in regard to the murders of two gay people Hattie Mae Cohens and Brian Mock, the avengers held a press conference in Manhattan City Hall to bring awareness to the situation.

San Francisco Chapter:
The San Francisco Chapter of the Lesbian Avengers was founded in 1993 and actively engaged in different forms of activism until 1997. The San Francisco chapter is responsible for creating the biggest avenger event; The Dyke March. According to co-founder Kelly Cogswell the march mobilized approximately 20,000 lesbians and the success of the event led to the opening of around 60 new chapters.

Another major action the Avengers took was in response to Exodus International and their use of conversion therapy. On February 9th, 1995 a group of five avengers entered the headquarters and proceeded to demonstrate against the organization. The avengers came with posters and began chanting in the building. The Avengers brought 1,000 crickets which they released into the headquarters causing alarm among from members of Exodus International.

The issues that this chapter targeted varied, they held protests, brought awareness to the AIDS crisis, and organized events to mobilize lesbians.

International Chapters:
The Lesbian Avengers grew outside of the borders within the United States. There were chapters located within different cities in Canada, Europe, and Australia. The most well-known international chapter was located in London, England. Members of the London chapter were also ex members of the group OutRage! Members of the London chapter would focus on different issues, many of their actions aimed to increase lesbian visibility. Members re-created Romeo and Juliet will a full lesbian cast and protested homophobic groups and organizations across London. Despite the presence of international chapters, the documented activity of these chapters are limited.

Fire-Eating:
Original: Use of fire and fire-eating became something of a symbol for the Lesbian Avengers, and spread from the New York group to many others. The New York Times, in one of its few articles on the Avengers, explained:"[It] grew out of tragedy. Last year, a lesbian and a gay man, Hattie Mae Cohens and Brian Mock, burned to death in Salem, Ore., after a Molotov cocktail was tossed into the apartment they shared. A month later, on Halloween, at a memorial to the victims in New York City, the Avengers (then newly organized) gave their response to the deaths. They ate fire, chanting, as they still do: 'The fire will not consume us. We take it and make it our own."At the Washington Dyke March held during the anniversary celebrations of the Lesbian and Gay March on Washington in 1993, the Lesbian Avengers ate fire in front of the White House surrounded by a crowd of an estimated 20,000 lesbians.

Edit: Use of fire and fire-eating became something of a symbol for the Lesbian Avengers, and spread from the New York group to many others. The first time the Avengers engaged in fire-breathing was on October 30th, 1992 in New York. This was done in honor of Hattie Mae Cohens and Brian Mock, to "...transform the image of their deaths by learning to eat fire." The New York Times, in one of its few articles on the Avengers, explained:"[It] grew out of tragedy. Last year, a lesbian and a gay man, Hattie Mae Cohens and Brian Mock, burned to death in Salem, Ore., after a Molotov cocktail was tossed into the apartment they shared. A month later, on Halloween, at a memorial to the victims in New York City, the Avengers (then newly organized) gave their response to the deaths. They ate fire, chanting, as they still do: 'The fire will not consume us. We take it and make it our own."At the Washington Dyke March held during the anniversary celebrations of the Lesbian and Gay March on Washington in 1993, the Lesbian Avengers ate fire in front of the White House surrounded by a crowd of an estimated 20,000 lesbians.

The Dyke March:
Original: According to co-founder Sarah Schulman, "It was at the 1993 March on Washington that the Avengers and ACT-UP Women's Network created the first Dyke March -- with 20,000 women, marching together with no permit. These participants brought the marches home to their cities and countries and created a new tradition."

The second New York City Dyke March, coinciding with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Gay Games IV, and international human rights conferences, was actually an International Dyke March, attracting as many as 20,000 marchers from all over the world. The Dyke March tradition continues in many cities, including Mexico City.

Edit:

The first Dyke March was initiated by the San Francisco Lesbian Avengers chapter in 1993, it was done during the 1993 March on Washington. Around 20,000 lesbians attended the first march. Eventually, the New York chapter followed and began holding their own Dyke march. The march was held in Washington, the success of the initial march led to marches across other cities such as: New York, West Hollywood, Chicago, and many more locations nationally and internationally. Currently, the marches still exist and are held in June and are done in honor of the Stonewall riots and other notable events in LGBT history.