ABSTRACT
Shirley Willer was a heavyset woman who wore mannish attire and a short haircut. The clothes, she claimed, fit her ample figure better than standard women’s clothing. She had a deep voice and the commanding demeanor of a leader. As a nurse she exhibited the caring and nurturing manner of her profession. She objected to being called “butch,” which to her was stereotypical role-playing. She was fated to take on the role of Robin Hood during her stint as national president of the Daughters of Bilitis—a role that led to her downfall and the downfall of the organization and its magazine, The Ladder.
