< Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay >

Lesbian Mothers National Defense Fund holds first benefit fundraiser on October 19, 1974.

HistoryLink.org Essay 1173 : Printer-Friendly Format

On October 19, 1974, the Lesbian Mothers National Defense Fund holds its first benefit fundraiser at the Crescent Tavern, a lesbian bar, located in Seattle at 1413 E. Olive Way. The group, which had been meeting for some months, scheduled the fundraiser two days after founding member Geraldine Cole's 21st birthday, because "We thought it would be fun to be legal" (Cole).

This was one of the first organizations in the United States to offer legal advice, support, and other resources to lesbians involved in child custody battles.

Sources:
Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project, “Claiming Space: A Historical Map of Lesbian and Gay Seattle,” Seattle: Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project, 1996, Capitol Hill, Map position and Note 9; Geraldine Cole, founding member LMNDF, Email to HistoryLink.org, February 16, 2004.
Note: This file was corrected on February 16, 2004.

By Greg Lange, May 31, 1999