Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance

The Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance (ALFA) (1972 - 1994) was founded by a group of feminist radical lesbians who broke away from the Atlanta’s Women’s Liberation Center and the Gay Liberation movement as they felt that neither had adequately addressed their concerns. ALFA is one of the oldest lesbian feminist organizations in the United States. ALFA's monthly newsletter was the Atalanta. The organization also built and maintained the Southern Feminist Library and Archives (SFLA) to include archival records of ALFA and other southern feminist groups plus feminist, lesbian and activist periodicals. They also had a circulating library of books. The archival collections and a large portion of the periodicals collection is now held at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Books & Manuscript Library as part of the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture. Books relating to feminist theory are now held by Emory University. ^[1]

Timeline

Dates selected from timeline prepared by ALFA with contributions by Ian Lekus

June 23, 1972: First meeting
June 1973: First Gay Pride March with ALFA participation
July 1973: "Lesbian Women," a show on radio station WRFG, begins; ALFA pickets newspaper Journal and Constitution for refusing to print information about ALFA events
August 1973: Scarlet is set up (steering committee)
September 1973: Newsletter printed
June 1974: ALFA sponsors Gay '90s Carnival during Gay Pride Week
July 1974: Softball team the ALFA Omegas play their first league game
September 1974: Margaret Mead interviewed for newsletter; Housewarming at new ALFA headquarters
Fall 1974: ALFA Poetry Group
Mid 1978: Article by 2 ALFA women appears in “Our Right To Love,” a book produced by NGTF women.
April 1978: ALFA women active in planning the Southeast Conference Of Lesbians And Gay Men out of which emerges the Southeast Lesbian Network and the initial planning for a Lesbian Writer’s Conference
May 1978: “Lesbian Region” column in ALFA newsletter starts
June 1978: Anita Bryant speaks at the Southern Baptist National Convention and ALFA women join pickets at the World Congress Center
Nov. 1978: ALFA Intern speaks at a Press Conference with representatives of First Tuesday and ACLU celebrating the defeat of the Briggs Initiative in California; Alix Dobkin concert (Lucina’s); Council On Battered Women opens shelter
Feb. 1979: Library Committee starts organization of Archives; Atlanta Gay Center starts functioning
March 1979: Feminist writers Judith McDaniel and Maureen Brady of Spinsters Ink speak at the ALFA house
Aug. 1981: ALFA member, Margo George, receives the Gama “Humanitarian Award” for 1981; The Chamberpot performs at ALFA’s birthday party
Nov. 1981: Southern Feminist Library & Archives is incorporated; Matrix Music and Orchid Productions forms out of Lucina’s
Jan. 1982: Women’s radio group forms, instigated by ALFA women working at WRFG
May 1982: Ramp built to make ALFA headquarters accessible; First open meeting of Sisters, a support group for Black lesbians
Aug. 1983: First Southern Feminist Library & Archives Newsletter Printed
Oct. 1983: ALFA women at Women’s Peace Encampment near Savannah River Plant - Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) forms
Nov. 1983: Atlanta City Council passes three anti-discrimination ordinances; the Atlanta Anti-Discrimination Project (AADP) formed by BWMT and jointed by ALFA to address compliance with the new law
July 1984: ALFA representatives and other Atlanta lesbian and gay activists meet with Atlanta police commissioner and chief to discuss community-police relations
Dec. 1984: Evelyn Newman, staff member from National Anti-Klan Network (later the Center for Democratic Renewal), makes presentation at ALFA house
Mar. 1986: Lesbian Herstory Archives slide show at ALFA house
Mar. 1986: SFLA/ALFA purchases house at 64 Clay Street
Nov. 1986-Oct. 1987: ALFA women and other local activists publicize, sponsor benefit events, and debate platform for second National March On Washington For Lesbian And Gay Rights held Oct. 11, 1987
May 1987: ALFA helps host Atlanta March Committee’s Third National Conference Of March For Lesbian And Gay Rights. ALFA and Black and White Men Together/Atlanta co-sponsor benefit at The Bar on Peachtree
Oct. 1987: ALFA takes part in National March On Washington, civil disobedience protests at U.S. Supreme Court against Bowers v. Hardwick decision
Fall 1988: SLFA issues promissory notes to finance mortgage from ALFA house purchase
Jan. 1989: Southeast Regional meeting held at Emory University to plan first National Lesbian Agenda Conference. In March, Atlanta outbids five other cities to win the right to host the conference. In April, Atlanta Lesbian Agenda Conference Committee (ALACC) forms and begins meeting at ALFA house to conduct host committee work
May 1989: ALFA co-sponsors speech by Ramon Cardona, a representative of El Salvador’s FMLN (Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberación Nacional), with the Atlanta Committee On Latin America and numerous other local social justice organizations
May 1989: Pam Martin, a leader of ALFA and Fat Dykes leader, dies at age 44, weeks after moving to Minnesota. Memorial services held in Atlanta, Minneapolis and at Southern Women’s Music And Comedy Festival, while Panther LL (gay male Levi/Leather club) holds fundraiser to support ALFA and to subsidize ALFA members’ participation in Minneapolis memorial service.
Nov.-Dec. 1989: Pro-Choice Coalition invites Metro Atlanta Council Of Gay And Lesbian Organizations (to which ALFA belongs) to join. Some gay men object to joining the abortion rights coalition, prompting protest from feminist members (both women and men) of MACGLO. The disagreement is one of several controversies that leads MACGLO to disband in Jan. 1991
Winter 1989/1990: Act-Up/Atlanta forms women’s committee and holds protest at state capitol against Georgia sodomy laws
Feb. 1990: AFLA/Boogiewimmin and Fourth Tuesday co-sponsor Winter Madness Dance
Mar.-Apr. 1990: ALFA and ALACC host ALACC’s state conference in advance of April 1991 national conference; ALFA’s annual spring Azalea Dance timed to coincide with state conference
Jan. 1991: Mab Segrest leads anti-racism workshop in lead-up to National Lesbian Conference
Jan. 1991: Four ALFA members take part in an Atlanta peace vigil on eve of Persian Gulf War
April 1991: National Lesbian Conference held in Atlanta, April 24-28
June 1991: In response to decreasing participation in the organization, ALFA hosts community potluck dinner to discuss whether to keep the group active
June 1991: 18 Queer Nation/Atlanta protestors arrested at major demonstration against Cracker Barrel restaurant chain’s policies to fire lesbian and gay employees. ALFA members take part in ongoing Cracker Barrel protests
June 1991: 30,000 people take part in Atlanta’s largest lesbian/gay pride march to date; ALFA marches in between Resist/Dissent and Digging Dykes of Decatur
Sept. 1991: To revitalize lesbian-feminist community interest in ALFA, Feminist Exchange committee forms and initiates Second Saturday Series on topics such as butch-femme politics, alternative health, and breast cancer
Oct. 1991: Five ALFA members arrested in Orlando at nursing home owners’ lobbyist convention for protesting in support of the rights of people with disabilities
Dec. 1991: ALFA co-sponsors Take Back Our Rights celebration/protest with 20 other community groups to mark the bicentennial of the federal Bill of Rights
Mar. 1992: Ecofeminist activist Barbara Rose offers Women’s Bicycle Workshop at ALFA house
Nov. 1992: To address limited increase in participation since June 1991 community meeting, 12 members attend ALFA general membership to vote upon whether or not ALFA should shut its doors. Members agree to keep ALFA open
Dec. 1992: ALFA member invited to join Fulton County Commission’s Gay and Lesbian Advisory Commission
Jan. 1993: ALFA takes part in pro-choice rally to mark 20th anniversary of Roe v. Wade; U.S. Representatives John Lewis and Cynthia McKinney lead the march
Fall 1993: ALFA begins negotiations with various southern libraries to find a new home for its archives
Apr. 1994: ALFA members vote to close down the organization. Archives sold to Duke University

^[2]

[1] "Guide to the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance Archives, ca. 1972-1994".

[2] "Introduction: Gay Rights Movement: Series 6: Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance Archives, ca. 1972-1994: Part 4: Periodicals Collection".

[1]

[2]