Drastic dykes: The new South and lesbian life

Two leading southern urban centers, Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia, are connected by their competing notions of metropolitan identities as put forward by city leaders. Both serve as home to lesbians who define themselves in accordance with their urban surroundings. In 1970s Charlotte and Atlanta, lesbian feminists established spaces, formed organizations, held conferences, created print media outlets, and worked to define a visible community essentially linked to the urban identity of each city. This article demonstrates that while Atlanta is often recognized as the primary location of southern women’s activism, equally important and enduring lesbian-feminist action took place in Charlotte. A small but overlooked group of activists in Charlotte left a permanent mark on the collective lesbian-feminist landscape, and by examining the development of lesbian-feminist groups in these two cities, we understand the significance of southern lesbian action on the national stage of women’s history.