Lorraine Fontana oral history interview (part 1), March 14, 2019

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: Y015_FontanaL_20190314

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Lorraine Fontana oral history interview

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Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Andy Reisinger. In this interview, Lorraine Fontana describes her childhood and family background, and what prompted her to become active in various social justice groups such as ALFA (The Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance). Much of the interview is focused on her time spent working for both ALFA and the Great Speckled Bird in Atlanta during the 1970s.

Dates

Creation: March 14, 2019

Creator

Fontana, Lorraine (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Born in Queens, New York, in 1947, Lorraine Fontana became an anti-war activist and supporter of the Civil Rights movement early in life. After joining VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) in 1968, she came to Atlanta, and together with other feminists, founded the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance (ALFA - 1972 to 1994), and later DARII (Dykes for the Second American Revolution). She trained at the People's College of Law in Los Angeles (1976-79) and went on to work with the National Jury Project, Georgia Legal Services, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) in New York City (October 1999 to January 2004), and Georgia's Lambda Legal Education Defense Fund (2006-2012). She was a member of the short-lived Queer Progressive Agenda (QPA), and is currently a supporter of First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta's Social Justice Guild, the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, Charis Books, the Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace, SAGE Atlanta, and Southerners on New Ground.