The Furies Collective
Encyclopedia
The Furies Collective began in Washington, D.C.
in the summer of 1971 to give a voice to lesbian separatism through its newspaper, The Furies. In the first issue in January 1972, contributor Ginny Berson gave voice to their view that:
The Furies collective, one of whose main sites was at 219 11th St SE, was, along with the Gay Liberation House and the Skyline Collective, among Washington, DC's best known communal living groups in the early Seventies. The twelve women meeting on 11th Street SE constituted an experiment in lesbians of diverse social and economic backgrounds living together and working to make their political and social beliefs a day-to-day reality. Most of the members of the collective wrote for the newspaper.
From January 1972 until mid-1973, the collective published its newspaper, The Furies, and distributed it nationally.
According to Rita Mae Brown
in Rita Will, the members of the collective were: "Rita Mae Brown, Charlotte Bunch
, Tasha Byrd [sic], Ginny Berson, Sharon Deevey, Susan Hathaway, Lee Schwin [sic], Helaine Harris, Coletta Reid, Jennifer Woodull [sic], Nancy Myron and Joan E. Biren
." (J.E.B.) The names indicated by [sic] are actually: Tasha Petersen or Peterson, Lee Schwing, Jennifer Woodul.
The collective did not last long. The first two to be asked to leave were Joan Biren and Sharon Deevey, followed shortly thereafter by Rita Mae Brown. The newsletter survived the disbanding of the collective in the Spring of 1972 by about a year.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in the summer of 1971 to give a voice to lesbian separatism through its newspaper, The Furies. In the first issue in January 1972, contributor Ginny Berson gave voice to their view that:
"... Sexism is the root of all other oppressions, and Lesbian and woman oppression will not end by smashing capitalism, racism, and imperialism. Lesbianism is not a matter of sexual preference, but rather one of political choice which every woman must make if she is to become woman-identified and thereby end male supremacy."
The Furies collective, one of whose main sites was at 219 11th St SE, was, along with the Gay Liberation House and the Skyline Collective, among Washington, DC's best known communal living groups in the early Seventies. The twelve women meeting on 11th Street SE constituted an experiment in lesbians of diverse social and economic backgrounds living together and working to make their political and social beliefs a day-to-day reality. Most of the members of the collective wrote for the newspaper.
From January 1972 until mid-1973, the collective published its newspaper, The Furies, and distributed it nationally.
According to Rita Mae Brown
Rita Mae Brown
Rita Mae Brown is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Published in 1973, it dealt with lesbian themes in an explicit manner unusual for the time...
in Rita Will, the members of the collective were: "Rita Mae Brown, Charlotte Bunch
Charlotte Bunch
Charlotte Bunch is an American activist, author and organizer in women's and human rights movements.A Board of Governor’s Distinguished Service Professor in Women's and Gender Studies, Bunch founded Washington D.C...
, Tasha Byrd [sic], Ginny Berson, Sharon Deevey, Susan Hathaway, Lee Schwin [sic], Helaine Harris, Coletta Reid, Jennifer Woodull [sic], Nancy Myron and Joan E. Biren
Joan E. Biren
Joan E. Biren or JEB , is an internationally recognized documentary artist. Her photographic and film work has chronicled the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people for more than 30 years, bringing them a new visibility.-Filmography:JEB’s films include No Secret Anymore: The Times...
." (J.E.B.) The names indicated by [sic] are actually: Tasha Petersen or Peterson, Lee Schwing, Jennifer Woodul.
The collective did not last long. The first two to be asked to leave were Joan Biren and Sharon Deevey, followed shortly thereafter by Rita Mae Brown. The newsletter survived the disbanding of the collective in the Spring of 1972 by about a year.