2010 Articles

Sex and Laughter in Women's Music, 1970-77

Doughter, Sarah

The women's music movement of the early 1970's was created by and for women who came to political consciousness as a result of the women's liberation movement. The music culture that emerged was originally called "lesbian music", but later gained the less controversial descriptor "women's music". Outside of this music movement music produced during this period rarely made explicit links with emerging feminist consciousness.What differentiated "women's music" from other music made by women of the period was its lesbian focus (in both lyrics and performance contexts). Women's music was created for a lesbian audience to describe lesbian experiences and desires. Key organizers of the women's music movement used music as their tool to raise consciousness through new venues for women to create, experience, and consume women's culture.