Join us for what is going to be a fascinating conversation with author Sarah Boyer about the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) the earliest known lesbian organization in the country. Learn about the Boston chapter of this organization along with the national organization through her oral history interviews from former DOB members.

About the Book:

An oral and written history of the Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). Founded in San Francisco in 1955, DOB was the earliest known lesbian organization in the United States and the Boston chapter was the longest lived. 

In 2015, Lois Johnson, former president of the Boston Daughters of Bilitis, invited oral historian Sarah Boyer to help interview former DOB members. Together they interviewed 21 lesbians who were part of the emerging gay liberation movement. Johnson, who died in 2020, wanted a book on the history of Boston-Cambridge DOB. Coming Out, Becoming Ourselves: Lesbian Stories from the Boston Daughters of Bilitis, 1969-1999, ensures that these stories of courage and love for other women become part of the historical record in the struggle of all queer people to live their lives without fear.

About The Author: 

Sarah Boyer served as oral historian at the Cambridge (MA) Historical Commission from 1997 to 2015. She authored four books on Cambridge neighborhoods and one on World War II and the Home Front in Cambridge. Boyer was inspired to record the extraordinary stories of “ordinary” folks to ensure their voices would be heard and their lives celebrated as an integral part of the history of Cambridge. 

Questions? Contact Kerry: keodonnell@somervillema.gov