Disabled Lesbian Discrimination by National Gay & Lesbian Task Force as well as their overall dismissal of Lesbian issues as a whole

My partner is the third disabled Lesbian I've been with, and I've known Patty Overland for many years, she was my first Bay Area partner's ex, when we met...though she was always friendly with her(Mary Gennoy). Also I know Patty has been supportive of the Butch group, when it went to Pacific Center. I"ve known many Disabled Bay Area Lesbians throughout the years, and admire their activism, despite the daily struggles they go through to thrive and survive.


I find this situation absolutely disgusting, but there is a larger issue of basic Lesbian noninclusion, and Lesbians threatened to girlcott Creating Change this past year, because there were NO Lesbian specific workshops for bio female Lesbians, except one for Old Lesbians. So, because of the threat of girlcotting, they had ONE other Lesbian workshop for the overall Lesbian community called "Lesbian Caucus". Out of that developed a 600 strong Lesbian Caucus Facebook group with intelligent and thought provoking conversations, as well as a Google presence. I have really enjoyed this group. They have dialogued with Sue Hyde(Lesbian sellout with Creating Change) on if there would be a suite for Lesbians at Creating Change, when so many other communities within the alphabet soup get their space. There were at least 20 trans workshops. So, this is a community wide shut out. That political hack, Sue Troutman sounds just like Sue Hyde when confronted with noninclusion of Lesbians and their issues, same ole smooth talking b.s. With Lesbian "sisters" like that, who needs enemies?

This is something as WBW Lesbians, whether Disabled, Butch, Racial Minority, Working Class or any other Lesbian aspect we must confront these political smooth operators with.


NGLTF does NOT represent the Lesbian community overall...this woman is a typical NGLTF politico hack with no sincerity whatsoever. I know both Patty and some of the others involved in this video. All one would need is two heavy pieces of plywood to get in that house! I thought at first they'd have to go up those stairs! It's disgusting. Not only that, but their fundraisers are so expensive oftentimes that most working class Lesbians cannot afford their event, and this year Lesbians threatened to girlcott the Creating Change conference because there were NO Lesbian workshops exclusively BY AND FOR Lesbians, except one Older Lesbian meeting. So, one meeting called 'Lesbian Caucus' was held and out of that, 600 Lesbians signed up on the Lesbian Caucus Facebook site, threatening to continue the girlcott unless NGLTF began addressing Lesbian issues and holding Lesbian workshops for bio female(wbw) Lesbians. There were something like 20 trans workshops, many gay male ones, and more generic ones as well. Even Lesbians like Sue Hyde in leadership at Creating Change did NOT address the Lesbian Caucus issues, and there is still ongoing dialogue with our group and NGLTF in holding workshops that take Lesbian issues into account, whether they be issues for Lesbians of Color, Disabled Lesbians, Butch Lesbians or the general overall WBW Lesbian community. There always will be Lesbian sellouts when they get these cushy movement jobs, who have gotten theirs, or who have money and comfort at the expense of their less fortunate Dyke Sisters. I find this DISGUSTING, and it's one reason I HAVE NOT contributed to NGLTF in years, because they dont' represent wbw Lesbian interests, much less Disabled Lesbian interests as well. This situation could have EASILY BEEN amended by just a few good construction carpenter Dykes of which there are plenty in the community, or community members that would have made sure the plywood was heavy enough to hold the wheelchairs(5/8" thick, probably no problem, 4ft by 8ft, or cut down to appropiate size for the doorframes.) This was NOT an insurmountable issue! Geez, we're only talking 4-5", not a full staircase or two! I mean, after all what is REAL community supposed to be all about? Or is 'community' only for those willing to pay big bucks for it?????? Yep, that's it, don't include either Disabled or Working Class Dykes cuz we don't have the big bucks or the passing hetero lookgood!


It all comes down to economic privilege, and the question of what community really means. REAL community means WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, NOT JUST THOSE WHO CAN EASILY AFFORD IT, or AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!!