November 1971 would mark the release of the very first lesbian underground newspaper in Chicago Illinois; Lavender Woman. It started as a reoccurring column in the feminist newspaper The Feminist Voice, which was written by members of the Women's Caucus of Chicago Gay Alliance, a prominent group of feminist activists in the 1970s. However, Lavender Woman would expand and become an independent newspaper in 1971.
The late 1960s and early 1970s marked a massive growth in LGBTQ+ movements across the U.S., although a particularly influential one is called the “Stonewall riot,” which took place in New York city. During the 60s, homosexuality was considered a criminal offense all over the United States, and many gay bars were subject to police brutality at this time. On June 28, 1969, the police would overtake one of the most popular gay bars in New York called the Stonewall Inn. All of the guests were locked inside by police for interrogation; however, unbeknownst to them, a large-scale riot formed outside of the inn, and thousands of protesters joined to fight back against the police. Many consider this the birth of the gay liberation movement, and it would inspire new movements across the United States, including the Chicago Gay Liberation group, who marched June 27th, 1970, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the stonewall riot. These movements would soon lead to the production of Lavender Woman; created as a new form of protest, and a means to empower lesbians across Chicago.
Not only was Lavender Woman the first lesbian centered underground newspapers, it was also entirely run by lesbian volunteers. These volunteers oversaw every process of the newspaper’s production, from writing, illustrating, editing, printing, production, and distribution. Additionally, they worked much more casually than other newspapers, creating and publishing without a studio. Volunteers would meet up at each other’s apartments or homes, sit on the floor or at the table, and cut out pasteups, create block prints, and use mimeograph machines to create each issue. Because of how many volunteers and different designers were contributing, there would often be inconsistencies with each layout. However, this only played into their principles, and they continued to allow new volunteers to participate as much as they wanted. Lavender Woman aimed to highlight the lives, experiences, talents, and knowledge of lesbians in Chicago, and was made specifically for lesbians. This created a powerful sense of community, connecting intimately with its audience.
Each issue of Lavender Woman shared stories, poetry, illustrations, resources, and helped create a safe community of support. Lavender Woman would release a total of 26 issues before ending in 1976. Since it was purely volunteer based, it would eventually come to an end as its number of creators slowly dwindled, and participants began feeling like they were documenting the community from the outside rather than directly being involved in it. While it did have an abrupt end, Lavender Woman remains an important example of how graphic design can be a powerful tool to bring people together, highlight and share the lives and experiences of a large number of people, and influence positive change.
REFERENCES
The New England Literature Program. (2026). LGBTQ+ Midwestern Print Culture. New England Literature Program. https://umsi580.lsait.lsa.umich.edu/s/the-new-england-literature-program-at-the-university-of-michigan/item-set/2976
Woman and Leadership Archives. (2020, June 4). A Voice for Themselves: The Lavender Woman and the Lesbian Community in Chicago. Woman and Leadership Archives. https://libblogs.luc.edu/wla/2020/06/04/a-voice-for-themselves-the-lavender-woman-and-the-lesbian-community-in-chicago/
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. (2017). Lavender Woman. The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. https://chicagolgbthalloffame.org/lavender-woman/
Library of Congress. (2026). 1969: The Stonewall Uprising. https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/stonewall-era
