In 2000, Thayer Dietrich, a member of the Rhode Island LGBT Pride Committee, suggested a performance to raise funds for Pride events while showcasing the talents of local Lesbian musicians. Mary Ann Rossoni, a musician herself, joined the efforts and together they produced the first Goddess Show at the Avon Cinema in Providence. At this sit-down event, the audience of 200 (predominantly Lesbians) enjoyed the sounds of Lesbian solo and group acts singing in a variety of genres. Some songs were original pieces by the musicians themselves. The Goddess Show proved successful both in fundraising and in elevating the visibility of Lesbian artists within the Lesbian community.

In those days, for many, it was still too threatening to be out due to professional, family, and other community concerns. The performers were not ashamed of being Lesbian but worried about the repercussions. In the initial show, only Mary Ann Rossoni and Laura Berkson were formally out as Lesbians. The Goddess Show gave an opportunity for closeted Lesbians to safely perform. More importantly, their music could be heard and appreciated. They initially volunteered their performances, though Mary Ann, who believed musicians should always be paid for working, did insist they receive small stipends.

The Goddess Show offered a rare and unique opportunity for both Lesbian performers and audiences. While many of the event’s performers remained “closeted” for some years, the Goddess Show created a much-needed space for Lesbians to perform and for women to be together in a welcoming women-centered space. Generally, the musicians did not perform music with strong Lesbian themes, but there definitely were undertones of women’s love for each other.

Lesbian musicians, especially if they were out, had limited opportunity to establish broader audiences. Generally, they were underrepresented in most music venues. This was true even for most LGBTQ Pride events as well. Ironically, though these women would have “their night” at the Goddess Show and raised significant (and much needed) funds for Pride events, they weren’t usually invited to perform on the main stages at RI Pride events (a few were, sure, but those performances were generally very limited).

Andy Smith, a writer for the Providence Journal, interviewed Mary Ann about the event in 2001. Unfortunately, the headline read something like “a Rhode Island Pride event.” So, several residents of RI, not really aware of the meaning of Pride, mistakenly thought the show was music about proudly living in Rhode Island. What a shock for them when they entered a room filled with 200 Lesbians and heard the sounds of women musicians not really singing about Rhode Island!

Mary Ann Rossoni planned and organized the Goddess Show for nearly 13 years. She set up the musicians, created the schedule, and generally kept things moving while a crew of volunteers would assist with many other tasks. Over time, The Goddess Show shifted from a sit-down event into a more “club” type atmosphere (for example, at the Hi-Hat Club at Providence’s Davol Square). As more people got involved, the acts started to include a broader array of performers. The annual Goddess Shows continues today at Askew Bar and Lounge, though the focus has changed and it no longer highlights or includes only Lesbian performers.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

There have always been Lesbians who claimed feminism and proved to be strong supporters of rights for and equality of women. In Rhode Island in the second half of the twentieth century, Lesbians were critically involved in spearheading feminist activist organizations as well as support centers for women in general. Though not necessarily “out” or promoting Lesbian activities per se, Lesbians were actually, in many cases, the primary activists doing an enormous amount of the work. They participated in the founding and/or developing of important organizations such as the Women’s Liberation Union, the Women’s Center, community publications of resources and information, shelters for battered women, women’s health services, and other related social justice causes. The National Organization for Women (NOW) chapter in Rhode Island was also initiated by Lesbian women.

However, in those early activist days (1970-1980s), feminists did not always embrace Lesbians as allies. As mainstream media dismissed the women’s movement as “bra-burning Lesbians,” the national NOW organization, under the leadership of Betty Friedan, “purged” Lesbians from the organization in 1970. While Lesbians were advocating for women’s rights, the women’s movement did not necessarily acknowledge or accept the sociopolitical rights or needs of Lesbians. Lesbians were perceived by some feminists as threats, or at least, as divisive to the pursuit of women’s rights. Conservatives and anti-feminists also castigated those advocating for women’s rights, especially if Lesbians were involved.

But there came a time when those clever Lesbians and straight-women allies used this divisiveness to a strategic advantage, by using Lesbians as bait! The following story was energetically recalled by Cathy Gorman and M’lyn (Marilyn) Hines, Lesbians who attended these events.

In 1977, the United Nations officially recognized the first International Women’s Day, a movement that was built on the foundations laid by womens and labor movements at the turn of the twentieth century. In that same year, feminists in Rhode Island participated in developing the platform for the National Women’s Conference to be held in Austin, TX.. This organizing process took the form of a state conference held at the Meehan Auditorium at Brown University. Locally, the inclusion of Lesbian issues (as well as issues for elders and women with disabilities) were hotly debated. Several conservative churches opposed various positions but feminist activists wanted to come up with an inclusive platform. So, a strategy was developed to announce and hold a Lesbian-positive workshop. That Lesbian-focused workshop would (and did) attract religious far right opponents to protest there. The wording of resolutions on various controversial topics—pro-choice and Gay Rights, rights for women elders, minority rights, and other feminist position statements—was developed by feminists in various workshops in second-floor classrooms without distraction, while Lesbian women from the organization Gay Women of Providence and their allies captured the attention of an onslaught of conservative protesters. As a result, the feminist proposals emerged without disturbance and were brought to the conference floor where a supportive majority voted in favor of women’s equal rights proposals, including sexual and reproductive freedom. The Lesbian workshop had successfully served as bait for protesters, allowing the passage of these key proposals.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article