Early History Of Alice Austen House: Lesbian Avengers In Conversation Virtual Lecture
LESBIAN AVENGERS IN CONVERSATION
A Humanities New York Virtual Lecture Series
Editor’s note: We recently covered the annual gala for the Alice Austen House which celebrated accomplishments and advancements for LGBTQ+ people nationwide. They also celebrated Women’s History Month with multiple programs exploring the life and work of the legendary photographer.
The Alice Austen House is excited to present Lesbian Avengers in Conversation, a virtual lecture series launching in December 2024. Over four weeks, members of the revolutionary activist group, the Lesbian Avengers—who held a powerful action at the Alice Austen House in 1994—will join in conversations that explore the significance of organizing, raising visibility for lesbians, and the critical role of archives in activism.
In 1994, wearing old fashioned bathing suits and life preservers labeled, “Dyke Preservers,” the Lesbian Avengers disrupted the annual Nautical Festival at the Alice Austen House. Inspired by the anti-AIDS group ACT UP, the Lesbian Avengers were dedicated to “fighting for lesbian visibility and survival” through direct action and humor.

Lesbian Avengers protest at the Alice Austen House, advocating for the museum to recognize Alice Austen’s 55-year relationship with Gertrude Tate, 30 of which were spent living together at this home.
July 31, 1994. Photo by Saskia Scheffer.
Learning that the Board of Directors had publicly denied Alice’s lesbianism, they proclaimed the Austen House Museum “a national lesbian landmark.”
What seemed like an outrageous demand in 1994 eventually came to pass. In 2017, the Alice Austen House Museum was declared a national site of LGBTQ history.
— The Gotham Center for New York City History
In this virtual lecture series, each week of this December, a different guest from the Lesbian Avengers will join Alice Austen House Executive Director Victoria Munro to reflect on the impact of their 1994 action, share insights into their organizing experiences, and discuss how their activism has shaped their subsequent careers. These discussions will offer unique perspectives on the intersections of activism, LGBTQ+ visibility, and public history.
This series marks the beginning of a larger initiative by the Alice Austen House to document and honor the legacy of the Lesbian Avengers and their contributions to authentic storytelling for innovators like Alice Austen. Generously supported by Humanities New York, Lesbian Avengers in Conversation aims to deepen understanding of LGBTQ+ history and inspire future generations of activists and allies.
The Lesbian Avengers began in New York City in 1992 as a direct action group focused on issues vital to lesbian survival and visibility. They refined media-savvy tactics, often creating actions for their visual appeal, and touched a nerve with the Lesbian Avenger Manifesto. The most enduring legacy of the Lesbian Avengers is the Dyke March, which catapulted the group into worldwide acclaim. In 1993, the Avengers organized a Dyke March for lesbian visibility on the eve of the Lesbian and Gay March on Washington that mobilized 20,000 lesbians. The Avengers also developed a civil rights organizing project that championed “out” grassroots activism, that not only fought homophobic initiatives, but worked to train activists for the long term.

Lesbian Avengers demonstrating for the museum holding copies of Alice’s photographs on the lawn of the House. Photo by Anne Maguire.
Banner Image: Lesbian Avengers protest at the Alice Austen House, advocating for the museum to recognize Alice Austen’s 55-year relationship with Gertrude Tate, 30 of which were spent living together at this home. July 31, 1994. Image Credit – Saskia Scheffer.
Decades ago I asked about this. Was Alice Austen queer?
I was told that I was imagining things. first of all, I was just asking.
Second of all, the “authorities” on this history told me there was no material even suggesting that Alice Austin lived as a lesbian.
Has something changed? When I suggested it, I was ridiculed and told I was projecting things. Now that’s the official line. What changed?