BOOTS OF LEATHER, SLIPPERS OF GOLD

by Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky; Davis, Madeline D.

• ISBN13: 9780415902939
• ISBN10: 0415902932
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1993-03-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

When most lesbians had to hide, how did they find one another? Were the bars of the 1940s and 1950s more fun than the bars today? Did black and white lesbians socialize together? Boots of Leather, Slippers of Goldis a groundbreaking account of the growth of the lesbian community in Buffalo, New York from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. Drawing on oral histories collected from 45 women, it is the first comprehensive history of a working-class lesbian community. These poignant and complex stories provide a look at black and white working-class lesbians as powerful agents of historical change. Their creativity and resilience under oppressive circumstances constructed a better life for all lesbians and expanded possibilities for all women. Based on 13 years of research,Boots of Leather, Slippers of Goldranges over topics including sex, relationships, coming out, butch-fem roles, motherhood, aging, racism, work, oppression, and pride. Kennedy andDavis provide a unique insider's perspective on butch-fem culture, and trace the roots of gay and lesbian liberation to the determined resistance of working-class lesbians. The book begins by focusing on the growth and development of community, culture, and consciousness in the bars and open house parties of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. It goes on to explore the code of personal behavior and social imperative in butch-fem culture, centering on dress, mannerisms, and gendered sexuality. Finally the book examines serial monogamy, the social forces which shaped love and break-ups, and the changing nature and content of lesbian identity. Capturing the full complexity of lesbian culture, this outstanding book includes extensive quotes from narrators that make every topic a living document, a composite picture of the lives of real people fighting for respect and for a place that would be safe for their love.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
"To cover up the truth would be a waste of time": Introduction	p. 1
"I could hardly wait to get back to that bar": Lesbian Bar Culture in the 1930s and 1940s	p. 29
"A weekend wasn't a weekend if there wasn't a fight": The Tough Bar Lesbians of the 1950s	p. 67
"Maybe 'cause things were harder...you had to be more friendly": Race and Class in the Lesbian Community of the 1950s	p. 113
"We're going to be legends, just like Columbus is": The Butch-Fem Image and the Lesbian Fight for Public Space	p. 151
"Now you get this spot right here": Butch-Fem Sexuality During the 1940s and 1950s	p. 191
"Nothing is forever": Serial Monogamy in the Lesbian Community of the 1940s and 1950s	p. 231
"It can't be a one-way street": Committed Butch-Fem Relationships	p. 278
"In everybody's life there has to be a gym teacher": The Formation of Lesbian Identities and the Reproduction of Butch-Fem Roles	p. 323
Conclusion	p. 372
Notes	p. 389
General Index	p. 425
Index of Narrators	p. 433
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.