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Lilli Vincenz (September 26, 1937 – June 27, 2023) was a German-born American lesbian activist and the first lesbian member of the gay political activist effort, the Mattachine Society of Washington (MSW).
Vincenz served as the editor of the organization's newsletter and in 1969 along with Nancy Tucker created the independent newspaper, the Gay Blade, which later became the Washington Blade.
Vincenz invited women to meet every week at her home during the 1970s to create a safe venue for gay women to discuss gay activism and other lesbian-related issues, and her home became known as the Gay Women's Open House (GWOH). These meetings became the Gay Women's Alternative. She described her decision in an interview:
Vincenz was the only self-identified lesbian to participate in the second White House picket with Frank Kameny in 1965. A January 1966 photograph of Vincenz, taken by Kay Lahusen, appeared on the cover of the lesbian magazine The Ladder, making her the first woman with her face showing to do so. In 1972, Vincenz and Kameny headed one of the first LGBTQ+ fundraising groups for a presidential candidate, Gay Citizens for George McGovern.
Vincenz made an appearance on PBS' David Susskind Show in 1971, along with six other lesbians, including Barbara Gittings and Barbara Love. They were among the first open lesbians to appear on television in the US, and debated long-held about gays with Susskind.Bullough, Vern, ed. (2002) Before Stonewall: Activists for gay and lesbian rights in historical context. Page 247. Harrington Park Press; Vincenz and Gittings had also appeared on the Phil Donahue show in 1970.
In 2013, her papers, films, and other memorabilia were donated to the Library of Congress.
Vincenz died on June 27, 2023, at the age of 85.
External links
The Lilli M. Vincenz Collection at the Library of Congress includes her documentary films:
Categories: 1937 Births, 2023 Deaths, Civil Rights Activists From Washington, D.c., American Documentary Film Directors, American Lesbians, American Lgbtq Film Directors, American Lgbtq Rights Activists, American Women Documentary Filmmakers, American Women Founders, Articles Containing Video Clips, German Documentary Film Directors, German Emigrants To The United States, German Lesbians, German Lgbtq Film Directors, German Lgbtq Rights Activists
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