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ORGANIZATION A PUBLICATION OF THE LEXINGTON GAY AND LESBIAN SERVICES ORGANIZATION
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'_' BLACK our past, I was particularly struck A Note to Our Readers
Redlsggxtaemng LESBIANS IN by a picture 0f “Stagecoach Mary,” Some of you have noticed that
HiStOR)’ AMERICA a large, powerful-looking woman I during the past two months, the
i _ "' immediately knew was a lesbian. GLSO has been late arriving to your
contributed by Mary Ciro“ (1 W35 “0‘ Y6‘ CV6“ 011‘ to myself, mailbox and to its distribution areas.
February ls Black. HIstory and “bulldyke” W35 “0t yet a word These delays have been caused ‘
Month. AS I was reflecting on thls with positive connotations in my by an inordinate amount of personal
I realized that African Americans vocabulary.) I did PUt her picture tragedies on the part of those
were prominent. 1" m‘y flrSt ”P in my seventh grade Classroom; associated with gathering ads and
awareness Of lesblans, bisexuals I did not share 3” my thoughts articles, formatting and typesetting,
and gays m American culture and about her With my students. We and with folding. Lee was hospital-
hIstory. .1 attended high school and did agree, however, that this ized in January, a few of Mary’s
college In the 60’s and only a few particular woman could drive a friends have been very ill, and
teachers acknowledged the sexual stagecoach because she was Elizabeth & Tammy’s house burned
preference Of SUCh well-known gay obviously someone you WOUld down. After all of this, though, we
authors as James Baldwm, think twice about attacking. feel certain that all of our bad luck
Langston Hughes, and Walt I later learned that Mary Fields, for the yearis done now.
Whitman. I wonder If there IS as who was born a slave in Tennessee, Elizabeth & Tammy especially
much acknowledgment m SChOO] dressed and passed as a man to want to thank the numerous persons
rooms today. _ become a stagecoach driver after in the community who have come
LesbIans were, and no dOUbt 51.1” the av“ War. At one pOinta she forward and contributed to their
are, much less Visible" A.S {1.506%} accompanied a group 0f nuns on a rebuilding. There’s nothing better
studIes teacher In Louisvrlle In tour of the West. She obviously in a time of tragedy than the
1971, l was given black hIstory gave up the pretense of passing, as support Ofa caring community! V
materials to supplement the to)“ she is remembered as a black
bOOkS we used. AS I shuffled woman who successfully occupied .lllt‘lSJEE :FEBE'UAE‘Y‘S
through cards showrng faces from a “man’s role” in our hiStOTY- A Call to Action 8
Please Contribute! Perhaps her reputation and her ,Christopher Robyn’s Homo
lfyou are knowledgeable about appearance made the pretense Hollywood 10
our historically overlooked unnecessary. It WOUld be progress EfimrguoWNews 8
homosexual predecessors and jiggimd also be remembered as 1 riftteretiiljzwwith the Vampire ........3
would hkehto contribute to the Other black lesbians came to my .6159 Calendar.I.....I.I..........I.6-7
RedIScoverIng Our History attention in the early 70,5- Gladys Mecha Mythology 2
series, please contact Peter: 273— Bentley appeared on stage in top .Recéllscpxinbng Q‘UI‘AHISIIOI'y Senesl.
584i Mammy: 275—3037 continued on pages