Lesbian Connection (LC ) is an American grassroots network forum publication "for, by and about lesbians".[1] Founded in 1974[1][2] by the lesbian-feminist collective Ambitious Amazons[3] "to address the lack of safe, reliable, and targeted information channels for lesbian groups and individuals",[4] it is the longest-running periodical for lesbians in the United States. LC is run by the Elsie Publishing Institute, a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. In 2021, its total revenue was $1,412,061.[5]
| Executive Director | Margy Lesher |
|---|---|
| Categories | Lesbian |
| Frequency | Bimonthly |
| Circulation | 15,000 (in 2024) |
| Publisher | Elsie Publishing Institute |
| Founder | Ambitious Amazons |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | East Lansing, Michigan |
| Website | lconline |
| ISSN | 1081-3217 |
| OCLC | 10734023 |
Lesbian Connection is published bimonthly[2] and although it has a suggested yearly subscription, it is notable for offering it on a sliding scale basis. LC is made available to incarcerated women, and mailed free of charge upon request to those unable to make a financial contribution.
A unique aspect of LC is the fact that its content is largely submitted by its readers. News and announcements of interest to the lesbian community include current affairs, places to live, travel, women's music festivals, womyn's land, special events, gatherings, reviews, and obituaries. It features special topics, reprints of the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, and an annual "Contact Dykes" directory[4] of national and international lesbians who volunteer to provide information about their local areas to lesbian visitors. It does not publish fiction, personal ads, or requests for pen pals.
From 1974 until 1995, the publication was folded and stapled in half to protect subscribers from harassment. LC circulation peaked in 2000 with 28,000 subscribers, and as of June 2024 it has 15,000 subscribers.[6]
In 2014, LC received the "Jeanine Rae Award for the Advancement of Women's Culture" by Women in the Arts Inc., the non-profit organization responsible for the annual National Women's Music Festival.[7]
Lesbian Connection has been instrumental in the building of national spiritual, political and social networks for lesbians.
Back issues from 1974 through 1989 have been fully digitized and are available to read online, for free, at JSTOR.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Magazines at Schlesinger Library: Lesbian Connection". Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- ^ a b "Feminist Magazines: Lesbian Connection". Feminist Majority Foundation. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ Whitt, Jan (2008). Women in American Journalism: A New History (1st ed.). Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. pp. 163–165. ISBN 978-0252033544.
- ^ a b Zimmerman, Bonnie, ed. (2000). "Lesbian Connection (by Laurie J. Baker)". Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Garland Publishing. p. 455. ISBN 0-8153-1920-7.
- ^ "Elsie Publishing Institute". Nonprofit Explorer. ProPublica. 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Wilson, Lena (4 June 2024). "Celebrating 50 Years of 'Lesbian Connection'". Pride Source. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "National Women's Music Festival" (PDF). Women In The Arts, Inc. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ Halley, Catherine (12 July 2019). "I Could Spend All Day Looking at the Covers of These LGBTQ Publications". JSTOR. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
Further reading
edit- Charles, Raenu (June 22, 2022). "6 LGBTQ-owned businesses to try out this Pride Month". The State News. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- Kucharski, Eve (June 15, 2017). "Print Thrives in the Lesbian Community". Pride Source. Between The Lines. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- McVannel Erwin, Terry (Winter 2006). "A qualitative analysis of the Lesbian Connection's discussion forum". Journal of Counseling and Development. 84 (1). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: 95–107. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2006.tb00383.x. ISSN 0748-9633.
- Morris, Bonnie J. (2016). The Disappearing L: Erasure of Lesbian Spaces and Culture (1st ed.). SUNY Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-6177-9.