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Exhibition Join In: Voluntary Assocations in America

Join In: Voluntary Assocations in America

Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis

New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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New York City Mattachine Society Survey, January 1965. Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (053.00.00)
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The Ladder, A Lesbian Review, January 1966 (publication for Daughters of Bilitis). Lilli Vincenz Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (054.00.00)
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Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis

The Homophile Movement refers to the local, national and international social-political movement for gay and lesbian rights which emerged following World War II. The Mattachine Society (founded 1951) and the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB, founded 1955) were two of the most notable organizations representing the gay and lesbian communities during this period; both began in California and soon spread nationally. Published by DOB beginning in 1956, The Ladder became the first nationally distributed magazine aimed at lesbians. Lilli Vincenz (b. 1937), whose image appears on the January 1966 of its cover, also participated in the Mattachine Society as a member of the Washington, D.C., branch.