Feminist to Know: Rosalie Bamberger
Rosalie “Rose” Bamberger, a factory worker from San Francisco, is best known for founding the Daughters of Bilitis, commonly recognized as the first lesbian activist group.
In 1955, responding to frequent and violent police raids of gay and lesbian bars in San Francisco, Bamberger led a group of fellow working-class lesbians of color to found a private social group that they called The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB)––the name of the group was an intentionally obscure reference to a fictional lesbian poet. The group’s first meetings were held in Bamberger’s home, which she shared with her partner (and additional DOB founding member) Rosemary Sliepen. Forming this group was an exceptionally radical act, putting all of its members at the risk of immense personal harm were they to be found out. Despite this, the founding of DOB was thrilling. Author Marcia M. Gallo writes that, “Phyllis Lyon vividly remembers the phone call from Rose [Bamberger] in September 1955, ‘when she said, “Would you like to be a part of the group of six of us that are putting together a secret society for lesbians?”’ Lyon raises her voice as she tells the story. ‘We said, “YES!!” Because we would immediately know five more lesbians and we did, which was ... AMAZING.’”
The Daughters of Bilitis offered social and physical sanctuary for lesbians at a time when neither was easy to access. Though not initially founded for explicitly political aims, the group immediately found power in their solidarity. This led to an early fraction in the group: one faction prioritized the secret nature of the organization above all else, and another wanted to harness the group’s energy for activist purposes. Within six months, Bamberger and her partner––who both preferred that the Daughters of Bilitis fly under the radar––left the group.
A lasting effect of the Daughters of Bilitis is the archive of its publication (the first nationally distributed lesbian periodical), The Ladder. The Ladder included news, book reviews, creative writing, and minutes from DOB meetings, as well as political writing. The publication was an important way for lesbians to connect with one another at a time where that often was impossible, creating a web of lesbian connection across the country. As The Ladder’s charter read, the purpose of the magazine was:
“1. Education of the variant...to enable her to understand herself and make her adjustment to society...this to be accomplished by establishing...a library...on the sex deviant theme; by sponsoring public discussions...to be conducted by leading members of the legal psychiatric, religious and other professions; by advocating a mode of behavior and dress acceptable to society.
2. Education of the public...leading to an eventual breakdown of erroneous taboos and prejudices...
3. Participation in research projects by duly authorized and responsible psychologists, sociologists, and other such experts directed towards further knowledge of the homosexual.
4. Investigation of the penal code as it pertain to the homosexual, proposal of changes,...and promotion of these changes through the due process of law in the state legislatures." You can access past editions here.
Rose Bamberger was responsible for one of the most critical early acts of lesbian activism. The Daughters of Bilitis and The Ladder were foundational elements of lesbian solidarity and movement-building, and helped to create a sense of lesbian identity and community in the context of a time where doing so was extraordinarily risky.