International Women's Day Special 2024

Special Broadcast: Public Affairs

International Women’s Day 2024: Chicana Lesbians

Today for IWD host Lisa Dettmer talks to guest who celebrate and remember the seminal anthology “Chicana Lesbians: The Girls our Mother Warned us About” which was first published in 1991 and was the first out and proud Chicana lesbian book ever written and is described on amazon as the most important book ever published about Chicana lesbians. The book shares poetry, testimonios and essays by well known and newer Chicana Lesbian voices that look at the experience of Chicana Lesbians and they took up some of the work Chicana feminist’s had produced previously and added their analysis as Chicana lesbians to deconstruct those archetypes and ideas to show how sexuality and homophobia was so intricately interwoven with patriarchy, racism and classism. Now over 30 years later Chicana Lesbians scholars are re-examining this seminal book in the Journal of Lesbian studies in two issues called “Re-Engaging the Iconic Text “The Girls Our Mothers Warned Us About.” And today we are joined by 4 Lesbiana and Queer scholars to help us talk about this important book and issues. We are joined by Liliana C. Gonzalez & Stacy I. Macias, who are the editors of those issues in the journal of lesbian studies. And we are joined by Carla Trujillo who is the editor of the original book “Chicana Lesbians: The Girls Our Mother’s Warned Us About.” And lastly, we are joined by Ellie Hernandez who is a contributor to the 1991 anthology and to the issues in the journal of lesbian studies that are appreciating and honoring this seminal book. We will look at the importance of these writings to feminist and women of color scholarship and movements and to Chicana lesbian’s lives.