In the ‘80s and ‘90s, LGBTQ periodicals and magazines often did important legwork. They provided some of the first publishing opportunities for gay and lesbian writers; they discussed complex issues with care; and before the internet, they were one of the few windows into a community that was often overlooked by mainstream media, including in Eugene.
The LGBTQ periodicals in Eugene were mostly published between the ‘70s and late ‘90s. They came in almost every format–from a newspaper to magazines to newsletters–and each had their own focus and intent.
One magazine, The Lavender Network, often covered in-depth complex topics. Articles ranged from racism among LGBTQ people, updates on AIDS research and a debate about the community’s responsibility in “telling gay stories.”
Gareth Fenly worked as an editor and writer at The Lavender Network for four years. She said it was important work that stemmed from care for the community.
“We did it because we loved our people and we loved ourselves,” said Fenley. “We wanted to celebrate and pass along the joy of living life with integrity.”
One topic Fenley covered at the Network was a hearing on a 1987 bill in the Oregon Legislature that would have made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. In her article, Fenley noted the bravery of people testifying, at a time where outing oneself often meant risking harassment or worse. She specifically remembers a woman who testified that she and her partner were evicted for living together.
“She said there were no protections for people like herself and I was very aware of that,” said Fenley. “I was very, very aware of that and I still am aware, even today, in many parts of the country there are no legal protections.”
After the Network closed up shop in 1992, Kelly Weinhold and Kate Conley decided to fill the gap left by the magazine. What started out as a magazine mockup for Weinhold’s journalism class eventually grew into “View” magazine.
“What we really wanted to do is serve the gay and lesbian community with news they could use, as well as portray our lives as the normal things that they are,” said Conley. “To me, it was kind of the journalistic version of ‘we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.’”
The magazine was distributed from Ashland to Portland and delved into topics like gardening, humor, business, and politics. One article, “Making Waves,” made a big splash.
It was a feature on lesbian mothers and their babies taking a swimming class together. Conley notes that even though it was a simple concept, it was humanizing.
“Sometimes just the normalness of something like moms taking their kids swimming can become newsworthy when you're talking about gay people at a time in a decade where we weren't as visible,” said Conley.
While the Network and View covered the broader LGBTQ experience, the Womyn’s Press (formerly known as Women’s Press) focused specifically on women. Although it was a periodical made for all women, many at the newsletter were lesbians who wrote for and about lesbians.
Kaseja Wilder worked as an editor and writer at the Press. She recalls writing about Karen and Sharon, a lesbian couple who were separated after Sharon became physically and mentally disabled from an accident. Although Karen took meticulous care of her partner, Sharon’s estranged father was offered full guardianship because Karen had no legal connection with Sharon. At the time of the article, in 1988, Karen was still fighting to see her partner.
Wilder said writing about the couple was important, even if they weren’t from Eugene, because it raised awareness about important issues that were not being talked about elsewhere.
“We had periodicals, we didn't have the internet. We didn't have, ‘Go Google it, you can figure out how to protect yourself from your conservative family,’” explained Wilder. “Instead, we had stories. ‘Oh, look at this couple, you know. One of them is in a coma and she can't access her lover.’ It was heartbreaking for us.”
For many of the editors and writers, working on a periodical for an LGBTQ audience was more than just writing. Carl Rodakowski, the volunteer coordinator at the Lavender Network, says it was also another form of community building.
“Our job was just to kind of put them out there in a magazine and just a layout that people could actually just kind of go through and feel a part of,” said Rodakowski.
Fenley believes writing about the LGBTQ movement of that era laid important groundwork. However, she believes there is still more work left to be done.
“We used to think that our movement had accomplished massive irreversible changes,” said Fenley. “I think it has. But, what's going on right now shows how fragile at least part of it may be.”
Copies of the Lavender Network and Womyn’s Press are available for viewing at the University of Oregon’s Special Collections and University Archives at the Knight Library.
