Phyllis Lyon Biography: Pioneering Activist and Advocate for LGBTQ+ Rights
Phyllis Lyon was a renowned American gay rights activist, feminist, and journalist. She was born on November 10, 1924, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and passed away on April 9, 2020, in San Francisco, California. Lyon is best known for co-founding the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States.
Lyon’s early life and education were marked by her passion for writing and journalism. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, she worked as a reporter for various publications, including the Chico Enterprise-Record and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. It was during her time at the Post-Intelligencer that she met her lifelong partner, Del Martin. Together, Lyon and Martin went on to become pioneering activists in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Throughout her career, Lyon was a vocal advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. She co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955, which became a leading voice in the fight for lesbian and gay rights. Lyon also co-authored the groundbreaking book “Lesbian/Woman” in 1972, which explored the experiences of lesbian women in America. Her tireless activism and advocacy helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States.
Key Takeaways
- Phyllis Lyon was a pioneering American gay rights activist, feminist, and journalist.
- She co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States.
- Lyon’s advocacy and activism helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States.
Early Life and Education
Phyllis Ann Lyon was born on November 10, 1924, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of Delbert Lyon and Elsie (née Wand) Lyon. Her family moved to Sacramento, California, when she was a child. Lyon attended Sacramento City College before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a degree in journalism in 1946.
During her college years, Lyon worked as a reporter for the student newspaper, The Daily Californian. After graduation, she worked as a reporter for the Chico Enterprise-Record in Chico, California. Lyon then moved to Seattle, where she worked as part of the editorial staff of two magazines, The Seattle Union Record and The Modern Woman.
Lyon’s interest in activism began during her time in Seattle, where she became involved in the labor movement. She joined the Communist Party USA and was active in the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), a federation of unions that organized industrial workers. Lyon left the Communist Party in 1953, citing concerns about its leadership and ideology.
Career and Activism
Phyllis Lyon started her career as a journalist in the 1940s. She worked as a police reporter in Fresno and as part of the editorial staff of two Seattle magazines during the 1950s. In 1950, she met Del Martin, who would become her partner and lifelong collaborator, while they both worked as journalists for the same Seattle publication 1.
Lyon and Martin became well-known lesbian rights activists during the 1950s and 1960s. They were the founders of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. DOB was established in 1955 in San Francisco and aimed to provide a safe space for lesbians to meet and discuss their experiences. Membership numbers remained relatively small, but during the late 1950s, other DOB chapters were founded across America and in Australia too 1.
Lyon and Martin led DOB for many years and were instrumental in shaping the lesbian rights movement. They fought for legal protections for lesbians, including employment and housing discrimination laws, and worked to increase visibility and acceptance of lesbians in society. In 1964, they founded the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, which aimed to promote dialogue between religious leaders and the LGBTQ+ community 2.
In addition to her activism, Lyon worked as a librarian at the University of California, Berkeley, and later as an assistant professor at California State University, Sacramento. She retired in 1991 but continued to be involved in activism and advocacy until her death in 2020 3.
