Redstockings

Redstockings, also known as Redstockings of the Women's Liberation Movement, is a radical feminist organization founded in New York City in January 1969. It emerged after the dissolution of New York Radical Women, with Ellen Willis and Shulamith Firestone among its founders. The organization took its name from a combination of “red,” referring to revolutionary left politics, and “bluestocking,” a historically dismissive term for women intellectuals. Its stated purpose has been to defend and advance the women's liberation agenda. Redstockings became known for treating women’s firsthand experiences as politically authoritative. Its activism was particularly influential in the abortion-rights movement. In February 1969, members disrupted a New York State legislative hearing on abortion-law reform, objecting to a panel dominated by male speakers and arguing that women who had experienced abortion were the relevant experts. The following month, the group held a public abortion speakout at Washington Square Methodist Church, where women described their experiences with illegal abortions. This event helped establish the speakout as a model of feminist political testimony and is widely associated with the movement’s principle that personal experience could expose the political structure of women’s oppression. The group’s organizing methods included consciousness-raising, public testimony, “zap” actions, demonstrations, and street theater. Its central theoretical concept was the “pro-woman line,” which interpreted women’s accommodation to male supremacy as a rational response to unequal power rather than as evidence of female weakness or ideological conditioning. Redstockings argued that women should collectively develop an analysis of their oppression and that social institutions, rather than individual women, should bear responsibility for maintaining male dominance. Redstockings’ politics combined radical feminism with elements of Marxist class analysis, while rejecting both liberal feminism and socialist feminism as insufficiently focused on male supremacy. It also criticized cultural feminism and lesbian separatism, arguing that political struggle involving men remained an important arena of feminist change. Some of its positions concerning lesbianism and male homosexuality have subsequently been criticized as homophobic, reflecting conflicts within the broader radical-feminist movement of the period. The original organization experienced a division and became inactive in 1970. It was formally re-established in 1973 by Kathie Sarachild, Carol Hanisch, Patricia Mainardi, and Barbara Leon, although Willis participated only peripherally in the re-formed group. A separate Redstockings West organization was established in San Francisco in 1969 and was independent of the New York group. Redstockings also had activity in Gainesville, Florida. The refounded organization published Feminist Revolution, a journal that circulated essays on feminist theory, housework, consciousness-raising, and movement strategy. A substantial anthology of material from the journal appeared in 1979. In 2001, Redstockings published Confronting the Myth of America: Women's Liberation and National Health Care. In later years, the organization developed the Women's Liberation Archives for Action, making radical-feminist papers, organizing documents, and historical materials available for activist use while continuing to produce theoretical work. Public reference material described the group as active in 2006, with Kathie Sarachild identified as the only original member still active at that time; its present operational status is not established here.

Redstockings was formed in New York City in January 1969 by Ellen Willis and Shulamith Firestone after New York Radical Women broke apart. Early participants included Kathie Sarachild, Patricia Mainardi, Barbara Leon, Corrine Grad Coleman, Lucinda Cisler, Irene Peslikis, and Alix Kates Shulman. Rita Mae Brown participated briefly in 1970. The group’s name linked revolutionary-left politics with the earlier “bluestocking” label used to disparage learned women. Its early organizing centered on abortion rights and the proposition that women’s experiences should be treated as political knowledge. On February 13, 1969, members interrupted a New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Public Health hearing on abortion-law reform. They protested the panel’s heavy reliance on male speakers and rejected reform as an adequate solution, calling instead for repeal of restrictive abortion laws. Approximately one month later, Redstockings organized an open meeting at Washington Square Methodist Church where twelve women testified about illegal abortions. The event became an important example of a feminist speakout, a format that connected consciousness-raising with public political action. Redstockings later used speakouts, demonstrations, zap actions, and street theater to campaign around abortion and women’s liberation. Its political theory emphasized the “pro-woman line,” which held that women’s apparent submission to patriarchy was an adaptation to unequal power rather than proof that women had been ideologically brainwashed. Consciousness-raising was therefore both a method of organizing and a way to develop collective theory from shared experience. The group described women as an oppressed class and male supremacy as the oldest and most fundamental structure of domination. It criticized liberal feminism for pursuing institutional reform without sufficiently confronting men’s interpersonal power. Although influenced by Marxism, it rejected socialist feminism when it appeared to subordinate women’s liberation to class politics. It also opposed cultural feminism and lesbian separatism, maintaining that engagement with men was a necessary site of political struggle. These positions produced controversy, particularly its analysis of lesbianism and male homosexuality, which later commentators criticized as homophobic. The original group split in 1970. In 1973, Sarachild, Carol Hanisch, Mainardi, and Leon formally refounded Redstockings; Willis was involved only peripherally in this later phase. Redstockings West emerged in San Francisco in 1969 as an independent organization, while related activity also occurred in Gainesville, Florida. The refounded group published Feminist Revolution, and a large anthology of the journal’s material appeared in 1979. The anthology’s treatment of material concerning Gloria Steinem and a liberal youth organization contributed to a lasting disagreement between Redstockings members and feminists associated with Steinem. The organization’s historical and educational work later expanded through the Women's Liberation Archives for Action. This project sought to preserve radical-feminist papers and original organizing materials for activist use while also supporting new writing on women’s oppression and political strategy. Redstockings published Confronting the Myth of America: Women's Liberation and National Health Care in 2001. Reference material described the organization as active in 2006 and identified Sarachild as the only original member still active at that time. The group’s present status is not confirmed by the available material.

• 2001

  Health-care publication released

  [1]Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org

  Redstockings published Confronting the Myth of America: Women's Liberation and National Health Care.

• 1979

  Feminist Revolution anthology published

  [1]Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org

  A substantial collection of articles from the group’s journal was published by Random House.

• 1973

  Organization refounded

  [1]Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org

  Sarachild, Hanisch, Mainardi, and Leon formally re-established the group.

• 1970

  Original organization splits

  [1]Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org

  The first phase of Redstockings ended in a split and period of inactivity.

• 1969

  Organization founded in New York City

  [1]Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org

  Ellen Willis and Shulamith Firestone established Redstockings after the breakup of New York Radical Women.

• 1969

  Abortion hearing protest

  [1]Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org

  Members challenged the male-dominated New York State abortion-law hearing and demanded repeal rather than limited reform.

• 1969

  Washington Square abortion speakout

  [1]Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org

  Twelve women gave public testimony about illegal abortions at a Redstockings-organized meeting.

A radical feminist movement organization focused on collective consciousness-raising, women's firsthand testimony, opposition to male supremacy, abortion rights, and preservation of women's liberation history.

• Manifesto · 1969

  The Redstockings Manifesto

  A foundational statement presenting women as an oppressed class, identifying male supremacy as a basic structure of domination, and calling for collective female consciousness and political action.

• Journal and anthology · 1973

  Feminist Revolution

  A journal associated with the refounded organization that published writing on consciousness-raising, housework, feminist theory, movement history, and political strategy. A substantial anthology of its articles appeared in 1979.

• Book · 2001

  Confronting the Myth of America: Women's Liberation and National Health Care

  A Redstockings publication that applied the organization’s women's-liberation analysis to the politics of health care in the United States.

• Archive and educational project

  Women's Liberation Archives for Action

  A project intended to make radical-feminist papers, organizing documents, and source materials available for activist research and historical education, alongside newer writing on women's oppression.

• 1979

  Dispute over Gloria Steinem-related material

  The publication of the Feminist Revolution anthology, which omitted a controversial report concerning Gloria Steinem and a CIA-funded liberal youth organization, contributed to a continuing rift with feminists close to Steinem.

  Source

• Criticism of positions on sexual orientation

  Redstockings’ historical opposition to lesbian separatism and male homosexuality has been criticized as homophobic by later commentators.

  Source

Read more

• 1989Abortion: Women Tell It Like It Is, Was, and Ought to Be

  United States

  Redstockings reconvened at Washington Square Methodist Church to mark the twentieth anniversary of its 1969 abortion speakout.

  Outcome. The event connected historical testimony with continuing abortion-rights activism.

  Source
• 1970Abortion-rights zap actions and street theater

  United States

  The group used disruptive actions, demonstrations, and street theater to publicize abortion rights and expose what it viewed as the sexist basis of abortion law.

  Outcome. These tactics influenced later pro-choice direct-action organizing.

  Source
• 1969Abortion speakouts

  United States

  Redstockings used public testimony by women who had undergone illegal abortions to challenge male-dominated legislative expertise and advocate repeal of restrictive abortion laws.

  Outcome. The Washington Square event became a frequently cited model for feminist speakouts and consciousness-raising.

  Source

• 1973

  Refound the organizationStrategy

  Background

  After the original group split in 1970, activists sought to continue its radical-feminist political work.

  Action taken

  Sarachild, Hanisch, Mainardi, and Leon formally re-established Redstockings.

  Aftermath

  The refounded group published Feminist Revolution and continued archival, theoretical, and movement activity.

  Source

• 1969

  Adopt firsthand testimony as feminist political evidenceStrategy

  Background

  Redstockings argued that women who had experienced illegal abortion were more authoritative witnesses than male legislative experts.

  Action taken

  The group organized a public speakout and made shared personal experience a central organizing method.

  Aftermath

  The speakout helped popularize consciousness-raising and public feminist testimony.

  Source

1. 1Redstockingsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Redstockings official websiteredstockings.org