Lesbian Life Comparison through the decades

cathexis · 10-25-2017, 01:40 AM

Glad this thread was bumped. It's been great reading about everyone's coming out/socialization experiences and how things have changed over the years. 1974 was when I came out as a mid-teenager in Indianapolis. Remember that there were a few bars which we spent time trying to get in. We hoped no one would ID us, but truth be told none of us looked a day over 17.

We were relegated to hanging out at a Steak & Egg diner in the downtown area or hanging on the streets if the waitress found out we had no money.

Glad to runaway to Chicago where I got a fake ID, and started actually getting in clubs. The two I remember best were Augie's on Broadway (middle class, white, younger) and CK's on Diversey (decidedly working class). Backstory on these two bars was that Augie and CK were lovers who both open bars. Years later, the two bars joined together. CK's was butch/femme with a few of us hated kikis thrown in. A kiki was a lesbian who could go either way on the gender scale depending on desire or need. We weren't a defined value traveling between the binary extremes so it made many feel uncomfortable.

At that time, Chicago had another bar that I remember, Lost and Found, which mostly catered to the 40 plus crowd.

New Orleans was the next stop about mid-1976. Had a co-worker and male friend who took me to all his leather haunts. Unfortunately, there were no womyn (would have become a leatherdyke much sooner).

As for community attitudes toward lesbians, the only problem with bias I encountered was in Indy.

Got blown away the 1st year I went to Michfest when it was on the old land in the early eighties. Loads of naked dykes everywhere. Even more amazed in 1987 at the March on Washington. More dykes than I'd ever seen together in one area.

GeorgiaMa'am · 10-25-2017, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathexis

Even more amazed in 1987 at the March on Washington. More dykes than I'd ever seen together in one area.

I was fortunate enough to attend the March on Washington, and even more fortunate to be in a women's chorus that performed - the Atlanta Feminist Women's Chorus. I will never forget the thrill of looking out from the stage at the queers for as far as the eye could see, way to the back of the Mall.

We had several performances scheduled in D.C. during that time. People took to calling us the "kd lang contingent" because we were often seen out and about in our uniforms (teal "boyfriend"-type blazers with white shirts and black pants). I believe there were over 100 of us in the Chorus at that time.

I also remember getting star-struck by Kathy Najimy backstage.

I'm so dumb when i meet famous people - I have no backstage coolness factor. I squeaked out something like, "I just LOVE your show!" - at the time, she was on Broadway with The Kathy & Mo Show, with Mo Gaffney.

introverted1 · 10-25-2017, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgiaMa'am

I was fortunate enough to attend the March on Washington, and even more fortunate to be in a women's chorus that performed - the Atlanta Feminist Women's Chorus. I will never forget the thrill of looking out from the stage at the queers for as far as the eye could see, way to the back of the Mall.

We had several performances scheduled in D.C. during that time. People took to calling us the "kd lang contingent" because we were often seen out and about in our uniforms (teal "boyfriend"-type blazers with white shirts and black pants). I believe there were over 100 of us in the Chorus at that time.

I also remember getting star-struck by Kathy Najimy backstage.

I'm so dumb when i meet famous people - I have no backstage coolness factor. I squeaked out something like, "I just LOVE your show!" - at the time, she was on Broadway with The Kathy & Mo Show, with Mo Gaffney.

I LOVED the Kathy and MO Show!!!

DapperButch · 10-25-2017, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by introverted1

I LOVED the Kathy and MO Show!!!

Was just about to post the same thing! They were amazing together!!!!

DapperButch · 10-26-2017, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Was just about to post the same thing! They were amazing together!!!!

Ok, so I straight up ordered their DVD from $9.99 from Amazon right after I wrote this post!

Esme nha Maire · 10-26-2017, 10:44 AM

I'd never heard of them before, but looked them up on YouTube. I LOVE the angels sketch!

GeorgiaMa'am · 10-26-2017, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Ok, so I straight up ordered their DVD from $9.99 from Amazon right after I wrote this post!

Great idea! I bet I can think of one or two people who need that for Christmas.

10-25-2017, 01:40 AM	#1
cathexis Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Trotskyist, Anarcho-syndicalist Preferred Pronoun?: They, Them, Their, Sir Bitch Relationship Status: open Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Great White North! Posts: 4,332 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 16,812 Thanked 4,705 Times in 1,604 Posts Rep Power: 21474850	Glad this thread was bumped. It's been great reading about everyone's coming out/socialization experiences and how things have changed over the years. 1974 was when I came out as a mid-teenager in Indianapolis. Remember that there were a few bars which we spent time trying to get in. We hoped no one would ID us, but truth be told none of us looked a day over 17. We were relegated to hanging out at a Steak & Egg diner in the downtown area or hanging on the streets if the waitress found out we had no money. Glad to runaway to Chicago where I got a fake ID, and started actually getting in clubs. The two I remember best were Augie's on Broadway (middle class, white, younger) and CK's on Diversey (decidedly working class). Backstory on these two bars was that Augie and CK were lovers who both open bars. Years later, the two bars joined together. CK's was butch/femme with a few of us hated kikis thrown in. A kiki was a lesbian who could go either way on the gender scale depending on desire or need. We weren't a defined value traveling between the binary extremes so it made many feel uncomfortable. At that time, Chicago had another bar that I remember, Lost and Found, which mostly catered to the 40 plus crowd. New Orleans was the next stop about mid-1976. Had a co-worker and male friend who took me to all his leather haunts. Unfortunately, there were no womyn (would have become a leatherdyke much sooner). As for community attitudes toward lesbians, the only problem with bias I encountered was in Indy. Got blown away the 1st year I went to Michfest when it was on the old land in the early eighties. Loads of naked dykes everywhere. Even more amazed in 1987 at the March on Washington. More dykes than I'd ever seen together in one area. __________________ Insurrection is an art, and like all arts has its own laws. -----Leon Trotsky

10-26-2017, 10:44 AM	#6
Esme nha Maire Member How Do You Identify?: Tomboyish eccentric antique femme Preferred Pronoun?: She/her Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: UK Posts: 642 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,196 Thanked 2,078 Times in 541 Posts Rep Power: 19310770	I'd never heard of them before, but looked them up on YouTube. I LOVE the angels sketch!