Transcribe
Translate
Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971
1970-09-25 "Ain't I a Woman?" Page 12
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
NEWSLETTER Women's Liberation Kansas City, Missouri Women's Liberation 3800 Magee Kansas City, Missouri 64111 WHERE WE'VE BEEN... During this first year, a core group of a dozen women have met weekly, trying to "get it together." At first, the time was spent concentrating on the design and development of a slide and tape show to be used in raising the issues of Women's Liberation. This has been used to speak to more than thirty groups in the city and nearby towns. Involvement in the planning for a Day-Care Center at UMKC and participation in a group to deal with women with unwanted pregnancies, formed the main thrust of action undertaken by the group. Two six-weeks study ssessions were held in the spring on the East side made up of women students and seminary wives. This group planned and sponsored an intensive three-day school-wide event, using national and local resource persons. Finally, in May, seven women attended a regional Women's Liberation Conference in Mississippi sponsored by the Southern Female Rights Conference. WHERE WE ARE NOW... We have been struggling! In June, the group spent a whole day evaluating the past year. In some ways, there seemed to be little progress. It was hoped that many small groups would be organized and going strong by now. BUT there have been scores of contacts made and some of these women are beginning to call in and seem ready to go. We have sending out literature constantly filling orders from all over the United States. There is now a Women's Liberation Office (in the Ecstatic Umbrella, 3800 Magee) complete with telephone (756-0843). We are being approached frequently now for statements and interviews by area newspapers and local talk shows. There has been a proposal submitted for a WOMEN'S CENTER with hope of expanding in that direction. We have had two seminars this summer (topics: sexuality, Woman as Consumer and Commodity), providing an open forum for any interested women who want to question, probe or become involved. We are now in the process of organizing the files, the resource materials and making personal contacts with individual women. Finally, we have re-grouped ourselves in "areas of interest" to provide the broadest range of options for women who want to become involved in the Movement. Therefore, we come to the next part... Subscriptions are powerful $4.00 for 24 copies box 1169 Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Ain't I A Woman? is published by the Publications Collective of the Iowa City Womens Liberation Front. We are a group of 10 women. Sisters Take a Stand Elsa Gildow In February the Second Bay Area Women's Coalition Conference brought together a dozen or more groups and organizations concerned with different aspects of women's liberation. About 200 women participated. The age spread appeared to be from teens to seventies, with the majority probably in their twenties and thirties.... Of particular interest was the late afternoon panel discussion of lesbianism with representatives of NOVA, DOB, and Gay Women's Liberation participating. This inclusion on the program was an advance over the first Caucus held last autumn when lesbians were kept invisible so far as the program was concerned... The lesbian panel climaxing the Conference's' afternoon session... proved to be highly dramatic. More than one woman avowedly "straight" said she found the frank talks of the panelists and subsequent audience interchange the profoundest part of the program.... Closing her talk, Alice Malloy said, "I was going to do something here, but was told it might not be advisable." As she paused and smiled over her audience one could sense a feeling of expectation" the women present wished her to go on. After a silence, Alice said, "I'll tell you what I had in mind and leave it to you. I was going to ask if every woman in the hall who had ever felt she could be erotically attracted to another woman would care to stand up." After the electric statement the silence was tensely felt. Several women stood. A few more slowly followed. Then, like a dam bursting, practically every woman of the 200 or so in the hall was on her feet. Since the majority undoubtedly thought of themselves as "straight" and were living heterosexual lives, this could be seen as an expression of acceptance of sisterly solidarity, beautiful in its spontaneity. Perhaps also it was something of a group confession, for the atmosphere of relief was evident, and reflected in the frank give-and-take of the platform-audience interchange that followed.... reprinted from WOMEN, Sum. '70 AIN'T I A WOMAN? is published on the second and fourth Fridays of each month by the Publications Collective of the Iowa City Women's Liberation Front, P.O. Box 1169, Iowa City, Iowa 55240 Dear Women and Sisters Some Cleveland women were involved in an action on August 26. We have gotten together a short summary and hope to follow later with an analysis but are sending this now so that perhaps it will reach you in time for your next issue. "Is this a talent show or Women's Liberation," was shouted to the people at the August 26 celebration on the Mall in Cleveland as seven Women's Liberationists in white face and several others took the stage from the chauvinist band enthroned there. The original program which had been planned by women's rights groups had been shortened from a series five minute speeches by women costumed as suffragettes to two minute speeches because Al Russ and orchestra wanted to play longer selections of sexist music ("Never on Sunday"). Master of Ceremonies, WJW announcer Carl Reese, agreed to let the women speak for five minutes but wrestled for controlo of the mike muttering "Have you ever been stepped on?" to the women around him. One of the women told the people "We're judged by the shape of our legs, whether or not we have hair on our legs, whether we wear mini's or maxi's, by our bodies not our minds. If you think minds are more important than bodies and people are more important than clothes, come to the back of the Mall." The women left the stage area and proceded to the rear of the Mall followed by a large portion of the crowd. They performed an original skit showing the stereotypes of women--a little girl ("Aren't I pretty?"), a highschool woman ("I wanted to take chemistry but I guess typing is more important."), a college woman ("I just got engaged"), housewife ("I'm just a household drudge"), waitress ("Don't pinch!), secretary ("If I'm here 25 years, I'll still be a secretary") and freak ("When the heavy shit comes down, I'm still just a chick."). Cleveland Women % Peggy 13997 Mont Avenue East Cleveland, Ohio 44118 If your group wants to receive bundles of AIN'T I A WOMAN?, send 15¢ per copy. Minimum bundle: 20 copies The voice of the Midwest needs to be heard in the Women's Liberation Movement. Ain't I A Woman? will print without editing any laid-out page from a Midwest (New Mexico thru Ohio) Women's Liberation group. We would like to encourage other women to start working collectively to avoid elitism and destructive power relationships that pit us against each other. We will send details on deadlines, page size, column length, etc. if you would like. 12 vol. I No. 6 September 25, 1970 [hand drawn arm] ain't I?
Saving...
prev
next
NEWSLETTER Women's Liberation Kansas City, Missouri Women's Liberation 3800 Magee Kansas City, Missouri 64111 WHERE WE'VE BEEN... During this first year, a core group of a dozen women have met weekly, trying to "get it together." At first, the time was spent concentrating on the design and development of a slide and tape show to be used in raising the issues of Women's Liberation. This has been used to speak to more than thirty groups in the city and nearby towns. Involvement in the planning for a Day-Care Center at UMKC and participation in a group to deal with women with unwanted pregnancies, formed the main thrust of action undertaken by the group. Two six-weeks study ssessions were held in the spring on the East side made up of women students and seminary wives. This group planned and sponsored an intensive three-day school-wide event, using national and local resource persons. Finally, in May, seven women attended a regional Women's Liberation Conference in Mississippi sponsored by the Southern Female Rights Conference. WHERE WE ARE NOW... We have been struggling! In June, the group spent a whole day evaluating the past year. In some ways, there seemed to be little progress. It was hoped that many small groups would be organized and going strong by now. BUT there have been scores of contacts made and some of these women are beginning to call in and seem ready to go. We have sending out literature constantly filling orders from all over the United States. There is now a Women's Liberation Office (in the Ecstatic Umbrella, 3800 Magee) complete with telephone (756-0843). We are being approached frequently now for statements and interviews by area newspapers and local talk shows. There has been a proposal submitted for a WOMEN'S CENTER with hope of expanding in that direction. We have had two seminars this summer (topics: sexuality, Woman as Consumer and Commodity), providing an open forum for any interested women who want to question, probe or become involved. We are now in the process of organizing the files, the resource materials and making personal contacts with individual women. Finally, we have re-grouped ourselves in "areas of interest" to provide the broadest range of options for women who want to become involved in the Movement. Therefore, we come to the next part... Subscriptions are powerful $4.00 for 24 copies box 1169 Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Ain't I A Woman? is published by the Publications Collective of the Iowa City Womens Liberation Front. We are a group of 10 women. Sisters Take a Stand Elsa Gildow In February the Second Bay Area Women's Coalition Conference brought together a dozen or more groups and organizations concerned with different aspects of women's liberation. About 200 women participated. The age spread appeared to be from teens to seventies, with the majority probably in their twenties and thirties.... Of particular interest was the late afternoon panel discussion of lesbianism with representatives of NOVA, DOB, and Gay Women's Liberation participating. This inclusion on the program was an advance over the first Caucus held last autumn when lesbians were kept invisible so far as the program was concerned... The lesbian panel climaxing the Conference's' afternoon session... proved to be highly dramatic. More than one woman avowedly "straight" said she found the frank talks of the panelists and subsequent audience interchange the profoundest part of the program.... Closing her talk, Alice Malloy said, "I was going to do something here, but was told it might not be advisable." As she paused and smiled over her audience one could sense a feeling of expectation" the women present wished her to go on. After a silence, Alice said, "I'll tell you what I had in mind and leave it to you. I was going to ask if every woman in the hall who had ever felt she could be erotically attracted to another woman would care to stand up." After the electric statement the silence was tensely felt. Several women stood. A few more slowly followed. Then, like a dam bursting, practically every woman of the 200 or so in the hall was on her feet. Since the majority undoubtedly thought of themselves as "straight" and were living heterosexual lives, this could be seen as an expression of acceptance of sisterly solidarity, beautiful in its spontaneity. Perhaps also it was something of a group confession, for the atmosphere of relief was evident, and reflected in the frank give-and-take of the platform-audience interchange that followed.... reprinted from WOMEN, Sum. '70 AIN'T I A WOMAN? is published on the second and fourth Fridays of each month by the Publications Collective of the Iowa City Women's Liberation Front, P.O. Box 1169, Iowa City, Iowa 55240 Dear Women and Sisters Some Cleveland women were involved in an action on August 26. We have gotten together a short summary and hope to follow later with an analysis but are sending this now so that perhaps it will reach you in time for your next issue. "Is this a talent show or Women's Liberation," was shouted to the people at the August 26 celebration on the Mall in Cleveland as seven Women's Liberationists in white face and several others took the stage from the chauvinist band enthroned there. The original program which had been planned by women's rights groups had been shortened from a series five minute speeches by women costumed as suffragettes to two minute speeches because Al Russ and orchestra wanted to play longer selections of sexist music ("Never on Sunday"). Master of Ceremonies, WJW announcer Carl Reese, agreed to let the women speak for five minutes but wrestled for controlo of the mike muttering "Have you ever been stepped on?" to the women around him. One of the women told the people "We're judged by the shape of our legs, whether or not we have hair on our legs, whether we wear mini's or maxi's, by our bodies not our minds. If you think minds are more important than bodies and people are more important than clothes, come to the back of the Mall." The women left the stage area and proceded to the rear of the Mall followed by a large portion of the crowd. They performed an original skit showing the stereotypes of women--a little girl ("Aren't I pretty?"), a highschool woman ("I wanted to take chemistry but I guess typing is more important."), a college woman ("I just got engaged"), housewife ("I'm just a household drudge"), waitress ("Don't pinch!), secretary ("If I'm here 25 years, I'll still be a secretary") and freak ("When the heavy shit comes down, I'm still just a chick."). Cleveland Women % Peggy 13997 Mont Avenue East Cleveland, Ohio 44118 If your group wants to receive bundles of AIN'T I A WOMAN?, send 15¢ per copy. Minimum bundle: 20 copies The voice of the Midwest needs to be heard in the Women's Liberation Movement. Ain't I A Woman? will print without editing any laid-out page from a Midwest (New Mexico thru Ohio) Women's Liberation group. We would like to encourage other women to start working collectively to avoid elitism and destructive power relationships that pit us against each other. We will send details on deadlines, page size, column length, etc. if you would like. 12 vol. I No. 6 September 25, 1970 [hand drawn arm] ain't I?
Campus Culture
sidebar
