About Bev Jo
I’ve been a Lesbian from my earliest memories and am proud to be a Lesbian. Lesbians are my people and my blood. My life’s work has defending Lesbians and our culture and existence against those who oppress us. Working-class, ex-catholic, mostly European-descent (with some First Nations, probably Shawnee, ancestry), from poverty class culture. I’m a Lifelong Lesbian, born near Cincinnati, Ohio in 1950. I became lovers with my first lover in 1968, became part of a Lesbian community in 1970, and became a Dyke Separatist in 1972. I helped create Radical Lesbian Feminist and Separatist community and worked on some of the earliest Lesbian Feminist projects, such as the Lesbian Feminist Conference in Berkeley in 1972, the newspaper “Dykes and Gorgons” in 1973, the women’s bookstore, Lesbian coffeehouse, and taught self defense to women and girls for ten years.
I’ve been published in journals and anthologies, including “For Lesbians Only,” “Finding the Lesbians,” “Lesbian Friendships,” “Amazones d’Hier, Lesbiennes Aujourd’hui,” “Mehr als das Herz Gebrochen,” the Journal for Lesbian Studies, Lesbian Ethics, Sinister Wisdom, Trivia, and Rain and Thunder. With Linda Strega and Ruston, I co-wrote our book, “Dykes-Loving-Dykes: Dyke Separatist Politics for Lesbians Only” in 1990.
Our book and my more recent articles have been updated at my blog https://bevjoradicallesbian.wordpress.com/
I’ve been disabled since 1981 with ME/CFIDS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) and MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.) I love nature and plants and animals — and especially the animals who are feared and hated and killed by people who don’t even know them, just as Lesbians are. I’ve learned to love rats especially, who I do not consider inferior to humans. I’m a spiritual atheist, but I’ve found out that there is definitely life after death because a little rat returned from the dead for three days to comfort us. These hated little animals are so kind and loving, and willing to die for someone they love. I say, in our fight to protect the earth — distrust all “truths” we are taught by patriarchy. The true truth is often the opposite.
The Opioid “Crisis” or Business As Usual Bev Jo This is dedicated to everyone who is suffering and those who have committed suicide from has being denied pain relief, and the few caring doctors who are being punished for helping … Continue reading →
Posted in Dykes-Loving-Dykes: Dyke Separatist Politics, Our book 25 years later with extensive additions
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Tagged addiction, alcohol, dependence, doctors, drugs, health, illness, medical system, opioids, pain, tolerance, unfair laws.
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UNFORTUNATELY, WE NEED AIR TO BREATHE Support Women’s Health, Not the Chemical Industry Bev Jo I want an end to patriarchy and all oppression. But sometimes, I just want to smell clean air. Well, not really clean air, which is … Continue reading →
Chapter One The Crimes of Mankind Bev Jo (Based on the Original Version by Bev with Ruston and Linda) (This chapter was originally the beginning of Chapter Two, Heterosexuality/Selling Out Is Not Compulsory, in our book, Dykes-Loving-Dykes, 1990.) All males … Continue reading →
Chapter Four 2015 Update, 25 Years Later SUPPORTING BUTCHES SUPPORTS ALL LESBIANS Bev Jo (My update is the introduction for our edited original chapter on Butch oppression, BUTCH-HATRED IS LESBIAN-HATRED, published in 1990. That three-part chapter follows this section.) We … Continue reading →
Posted in Additional Radical Lesbian Feminist writings
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Tagged Butch oppression, Butches. Butch identity, Dyke identity, Dyke Separatism, Dykes-Loving-Dykes, Fem privilege, Fems, Heterosexual privilege, heterosexuality, Lesbian community, Lesbian culture, Lesbian history, Lesbian identity, Lesbian oppression, Lesbian politics, Lesbian-hatred, Radical Lesbian Feminism, trans cult
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Kink = Leather = S/M = BDSM — It’s All Still Sadism and Masochism Bev Jo (This is an update of our chapter against sado-masochism from our book, Dykes-Loving-Dykes, which I co-wrote with Linda Strega and Ruston, and which we published … Continue reading →
Chapter Seven: Motherhood: The Ultimate Feminine Role Bev Jo Linda Strega Ruston (Originally published in 1990, I, Bev, have updated this to share online.) Radical Feminism is about questioning everything we are taught is sacred and unquestionable in patriarchy, from … Continue reading →
This is an update to previous work at my blog. Part One should fit onto one double-sided leaflet for distributing and sharing. Part Two is an explanation of the brief questions and comments in Part One, with many links to … Continue reading →
Defining Lesbians Out of Existence PART TWO Better to Be Anything than a Lesbian: “Transmen” Are Still Women Shouldn’t anyone be able to do what they want? Too many women seem to have lost touch with reality in this liberal/right … Continue reading →
Posted in Additional Radical Lesbian Feminist writings
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Tagged Butches, Dyke Separatism, Fems, gender politics, Lesbian culture, Lesbian history, Lesbian identity, Lesbian politics, Lesbians, transcult, transgender
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CLASSISM Bev Jo Class is a subject we are forbidden to talk or even think about. It’s like a big dirty secret in our US culture, and the punishment is severe for breaking the rules of silence and obedience. That’s … Continue reading →
Posted in Additional Radical Lesbian Feminist writings
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Tagged classism, Dyke Separatism, equality, equality among Lesbians, feminism, justice, Lesbian culture, Lesbian history, Lesbian identity, Lesbian politics, Lesbians, Radical Feminism, Radical Lesbian Feminism
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Working Class Radical Feminism: Telling the Truth for a Change Bev Jo This is a new blog I’ve started that has shorter, more condensed and ongoing articles. I’m posting here to spread the word…. https://keepingreallesbianfeminismsimple.wordpress.com/ This space is for women-born-women … Continue reading →
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A CHANCE TO SURVIVE CANCER Doctors Are Not God Bev Jo I am dedicating this to my best friend, who has inspired women with her choices in dealing with cancer. She had three unrelated cancers, starting in 1993, for … Continue reading →
Who Does Lying about Voting Benefit? Bev Jo I I usually don’t focus on the US or US politics, but we are in a crisis and what happens with the US, unfortunately, affects the rest of the world.
Ageism A Radical Lesbian Feminist Perspective Bev Jo This article is updated, 5 years later, 2017…. A good way to not “other” or marginalize women is to not call them something you would never want to be called. In terms … Continue reading →