Last weekend, a few Babes from our NYC Soho store attended the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies' conference on lesbians in the 70s, entitled "In Amerika They Call Us Dykes: Lesbian Lives in the 1970s." It was a diverse conference, from the standpoint of attendees as well as presenters from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The event, which took place at the CUNY Graduate Center, had panels on topics ranging from motherhood, spirituality and aging to the Academy, BDSM and sex work. Here's what the Babes had to say about it their favorite panels:

Sarah: I love nothing more than a well-formulated conference, and this one was definitely it.�I attended the panel on "Lesbian Sexualities in the 70s" and found it to be very informative. It's really amazing to discover that not only are there other women who have experienced the same things you have, but that they is a great history of women talking about and experiencing the same issues. For instance, I sometimes get frustrated that things aren't radical enough or moving forward at a fast enough pace, so I always thought of people such as Patrick Califia to be my best role models: people who push buttons and get things done. Yet listening to women speak about the difficult divides between BDSM culture and lesbian identity formation in the 70s made me realize how important it is to really educate oneself on what a truly diverse community we have as modern queers, so that I can speak to our past effectively into my own future.Rebecca: This conference was amazing. I love intergenerational conversations,�which was exactly what was happening at this conference. My favorite�panel was on Disability and Embodiment, where I learned (among other�things) that the 70s lesbian fat power activists in San Francisco were�the same people who were involved in starting the disability rights�movement. Those two movements mean an enormous amount to me and are�connected in my life, but I had no idea how connected they are�historically! �I also really enjoyed the panel called "Defining the Boundaries of Lesbian Identity." It brought up a lot of the�disagreements that are on-going in these communities and it was�fascinating to see those fights actually play out in person.Lauren: CLAGS was like an all star event, where the womyn from an era of consciousness-raising and radical identities were engaged in active discussion with womyn today - full reunion style! Conversations about lesbian identity, spaces, and bodies were at the forefront, and it was such a special and specific type of conference that made me realize how much I love talking about politics and identities with womyn of various ages and backgrounds. Working at the Lesbian Herstory Archives allows me to be able to keep these types of conversations alive with those who helped to create and sustain it, as well as the womyn who continue to protect and expand its legacy. Because of this desire to keep the story alive, one of my highlights at the conference was the "Black Lesbian Herstory in the 70s: South Afrika to Amerika". Two of the womyn who spoke, talked about their experience with A Queer Black MobileHomeComing, where they travel around the country "collecting and amplifying the social organizing herstories of black women, trans men, and gender queer visionaries" because of their "innovative and loving response to a deep craving for intergenerational connection." Check them out at their homepage.