Feb Mar. 1971, Vol. 15 No. 04-05
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TH E UU9DER F E B R U A R Y /M A R C H 1971 $1.25 ! THE LADDER, published by Lesbians and directed to ALL women seeking full human dignity, had its beginning in 1956. It was then the only Lesbian VOLUME 15 No. 4 and 5 publication in the U.S. It is now the only women’s magazine openly supporting FEBRUARY/MARCH 1971 THE Lesbians, a forceful minority within the women’s liberation movement. Initially THE LADDER’S goal was limited to achieving the rights accorded LADDER heterosexual women, that is, full second-class citizenship. In the 1950’s women THE LADDER STAFF as a whole were as yet unaware of their oppression. The Lesbian knew. And sbe wondered silently when her sisters would realize that they too share many of the Editor .............................................................. GeneDamon Lesbian’s handicaps, those that pertained to being a woman. Director of Prom otion ...................................................................... Rita Laporte Production E d i t o r .......................................................................Hope Thompson THE l a d d e r ’s purpose today is to raise all women to full human status, with Circulation Manager ............................................................................Ann P. Buck all of the rights and responsibilities this entails; to include ALL women, whether Production Assistants ............................................. Lyn Collins, Kim Stabinski, Lesbian or heterosexual. Gladys Irma, King Kelly, Ann Brady, Robin and Dana Jordan OCCUPATIONS have no sex and must be opened to all qualified persons Secretary to the Editor.................................................... ..................Tracy Wright for the benefit of all. February/March, 1971 CONTENTS: < LIFE STYLES must be as numerous as human beings require for their On the Line — Editorial by Gene Damon ..........................................................4 personal happiness and fulfillment. Lifestyles for W'omen: A Comparative .Analysis by Nila Bowman McCormick .....................................................................6 ABILITY, AMBITION, TALENT - Caution to the Winds, Short Story THESE ARE HUMAN QUALITIES. by Gabrielle Civian Bertrand ................................................................... 14 Illustration by Kate McColl Head andTai\, A Fable by Wilda Chase .......................................................... 19 Illustration by Lynne THE LADDER, though written, edited, and circulated by volunteer labor, Journeys in Art by Jean Louise ......................................................................... 20 cannot survive without money. ITe Lesbians are perhaps more anxious than Book Reviews by Hope Thompson...................................................................... 22 other women to make our views known. We wish we could blanket the country A D o cu m en t..........................................................................................................25 and the world with free copies. But stern reality tells us that, more important Bright Particular Star, A Review by Lennox S tro n g ......................................... 29 even than mass distribution, is the need to keep alive the only real Lesbian Penelope Pitstop Isn’t Enough! by Marion Meade .............................................52 magazine in the world. Therefore THE LADDER will no longer be sold at Seven Poems by Cheri Abot ................................................................................34 newsstands. We will survive only if there are enough o f you sufficiently Lesbiana by Gene Damon ................................................................................... 36 concerned with the rights and the liberation of ALL women to spend $7.50 a Cross C u rre n ts...................................................................................................... 39 year to subscribe. (Sample copies are always available at $1.25.) Readers R espond...................................................................................................46 f ADVERTISING RATES COVER: “Surried Soul”Photo by June M. Smith Half Page ..................................J45 Back C over............................$100 Cartoons: “Equal Opportunity,’’ Idea by Jeri Leigh, Drawing by Candi Quarter P a g e ............................ $25 Page .............................. $ 80 McGonagle “ . and God Created . ” by Lynne Repeated Advertisements at Reduced Rates “Sally Bananas” by C. Barsotti. Published bi-monthly at Box 5025, Washington Station, Reno, Nevada, 89503. (ORGANIZATIONS OR GROUPS wishing to order bulk quantities o f THE All rights reserved. No part o f this periodical may be reproduced without the LADDER may do so at the rate o f 10 copies for $8.00, written consent o f THE LADDER. Oía Tk@ Urn EDITORIAL BY GENE DAMON At least once each month someone women to type manuscripts for us. This can writes to me to say, in effect, “1 was sure at be done by mail as it is done now by those least dozens of people were doing this for many women who a.s.sist us. Women, being you, so I never bothered to offer”. This poor by virtue of their oppression in the usu^y from a woman who has sent a working world, are often very busy, and far clipping or two and been thanked for it, loo busy to give much time. Therefore, we and asked to continue helping in thLs area need more of you to help spread the load of SECRETARY . Just one of the many areas where we labor more equitably among our volunteers. need, must have your help. We also need money to survive. If each As a matter of fact there are no areas of you will bring us only ONE other new where we do not need more help. We need suWriber you will help us immeasurably in $8gX)0 to $10.000 writers constantly . women writing our struggle to continue publishing. THE about and for women, in fiction, poetry, LADDER is the only magazine in the depending upon experience non-fiction, every area. We need artists able country dealing with Lesbians honestly and to draw an illustration on request from a with all women interested in obtaining full description of the material to be used. Wc human status in the world. If it ceases to need cartoonists and cartoon ideas. We need exist, you will all be the poorer for its clippings from all over the country con going. The anonymous “they” that get the Here’s your chance to live in sunny Fort cerned with Lesbian rights and women’s blame when anything goes wrong arc only rights. those who do not help when they can. And Lauderdale and become associated with a THF, LADDER is in a growing period. you can, all of you, in some way large or The quality of material in thus magazine small. We need you to help us help all of first-line, fast-growing publishing company. cannot be maintained, let alone improved you. without your talents and energies. We need Please d o . Truly exceptional opportunity for the right person. THE LESBIAN Please send in - depth resume, including IN LITERATURE phone number, to: a bibliography By Gene Damon and Lee Stuart DEPT. 505 AN ALPHABETICAL LISTING BY AUTHOR OF ALL KNOWN BOOKS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. IN THE GENERAL FIELD OF ALLIED PUBLICATIONS, INC. LITERATURE. CONCERNED WITH LESBIANISM. OR HAVING P.O. Box 23505 LESBIAN CHARACTERS. Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33307 T H E L A D D E R P.O. Box 5025. Washington Station. Reno. Nevada 89503 $2 plus 25c handling charge. Also have one editorial position open. Salary depends upon qualifications. SALLY BANANAS Illustrated by C. Barsotti' All inquiries guaranteed to be kept strictly confidential. ©1970, Newsday, Inc. Reprinted by Permission. JL find it profitable to fix their attentions children . .” If this fact is the Gallup poll briefly upon our psychic perversions, ratlier nominee’s most significant (“staggering”) than upon our more genital aberrations. accomplislimenl then prolific motherhood Life Styles for Women: There is a lot more to Lesbianism than an must be an achievement the Gallup poll, unusual taste in coital companionship; there hence American Opinion, usually endorses A Comparative Analysis is the Sapphic mind. Urihomogeneous as we in its popular female figures. If the press are, in ourselves can still be detected a and otlier news media may be held responsi By Nila Bowman McCormick I denominator, a constant, and in that con ble for public opinion, then we notice that stant - a treasonous social threat. the press hardly overlooks the reproductive “working-class” woman in the room, 1 was The best demonstrations of the .Sapphic traits in Mrs. Kennedy’s personality when “Because only if you understand just how it praising her. The New York Times Magazine is in this awful, aseptic citadel o f female the oidy woman who had taken the after mentality might be observed in our reac noon off from work to go to the doctor’s. tions to accepted role models. (In the goes on to say that ”... a reporter with a sexuality, primal and complacent, will you mathematical mind calculated that Ethel know why the girl in 42 is so important to Therefore, perhaps that was why 1 was less incident above, my particularized reaction patient than the others. It occurred to me to Ethel Kennedy.) 1 find no evidence to was pregnant 43 percent of her married life me,“ to doubt that the husbands of these women suggest that we as children or as adolescents ...” I also have a mathematical mind and 1 figured out that if the information .sup When I was new to this city, I found - busy executives, possibly lawyers, stock watched less television or attended fewer