Lorraine Fontana oral history interview (part 2), June 26, 2019

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: Y015_FontanaL_20190626

Staff Only

Lorraine Fontana oral history

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Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Andy Reisinger. In this interview, Lorraine Fontana discusses her involvement with the Great Speckled Bird, her memories and perception of the staff, and the lesbian perspective she brought to the newspaper. She also provides significant insight into the formation and operations of the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance (ALFA) and its intersectional philosophy and actions.

Dates

Creation: June 26, 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.