General
lavender menace
What does lavender menace mean?
Started as an insult and got worn as a badge. The phrase is tied to Betty Friedan, who saw lesbians as a 'lavender menace' that would discredit second-wave feminism. So in 1970 a group of lesbian radical feminists stormed the Second Congress to Unite Women in tie-dyed lavender tees reading exactly that, handed out the manifesto 'The Woman-Identified Woman,' and took the stage. They reclaimed the slur on the spot. Now it reads as a founding moment of lesbian feminism, not a smear.
"She showed up to the panel in a hand-dyed Lavender Menace shirt — knew her history and wanted everyone else to."
Origin
Phrase associated with Betty Friedan / NOW c. 1969–70; reclaimed by lesbian radical feminists at the Second Congress to Unite Women, New York, May 1970.
Frequently asked questions
What does lavender menace mean?
'Lavender menace' was a 1970 slur aimed at lesbians in the feminist movement, then reclaimed as a battle cry within a year.
Where does lavender menace come from?
The phrase is attributed to feminist leader Betty Friedan, who reportedly used it to describe lesbians as a threat to the movement; activists quickly reclaimed it, wearing 'Lavender Menace' shirts in 1970.
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