The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was formed in San Francisco, California in 1955 by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon along with six other women. The author Marion Zimmer Bradley was a member of the group in the 1950s. It was conceived as an explicitly lesbian alternative to other homophile groups of that era such as the Mattachine Society. The downtown San Francisco skyline, looking east from the central part of the city. ... Del Martin (born May 5, 1921) and Phyllis Lyon (born 1924) are an American lesbian couple known as feminist and gay-rights activists. ... Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 - September 25, 1999) was a prolific author of largely feminist fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and was a steadfast encourager of equality (and quality) in writing. ... A lesbian is a homosexual woman. ... The word homophile is a synonym for homosexual or gay. ... The Mattachine Society of New York, Inc. ...

"Daughters" was meant to evoke association with other American sororal associations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. "Bilitis" is the name given to a lesbian contemporary of Sappho, by the French poet Pierre Louÿs in his 1894 work The Songs of Bilitis. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a sororal association dedicated to historic preservation, education, and patriotic endeavor. ... The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) is a sororal association dedicated to perpetuating the memory of Texas pioneer families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas. ... The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is a sororal association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served and died in service to the Confederate States of America (CSA). ... Ancient Greek bust of Sappho the Eresian. ... Pierre Louys (1870 - 1925) was a French author, writer and poet. ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Songs of Bilitis (Les Chansons de Bilitis; Paris, 1894) is a collection of poetry by Pierre Louÿs (1870-1925). ...

The regular DOB publication was called The Ladder, started in 1956 with the help of ONE, Inc. and the Mattachine Society, with whom the DOB retained friendly relations. In 1970 the mailing-lists and production facilities for The Ladder were secretly seized and relocated by separatist feminists, and as a consequence the magazine ceased publication in 1972. The name of the journal refers to Plato's pedagogic hierarchy, "the ladder of beauty". 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ONE, Inc. ... The Mattachine Society of New York, Inc. ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Separatism involves setting oneself or others apart. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Statue of a philosopher, presumably Plato, in Delphi. ...

DOB was influential throughout the 1950s and 1960s but was torn apart by factionalism in the 1970s. Its members split over whether to give more support to the gay rights movement or to feminism. One chapter of DOB survives to this day in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially in terms of their social, political, and economic situation. ... City Hall - Cambridge MA Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. ...

External links

• A short article on DOB
• The Songs of Bilitis