ABSTRACT
The existence of social networks of lesbian friends and acquaintances in the United States dates from the 1920s and 30s (Bullough & Bullough, 1977; D'Emilio, 1983; Katz, 1976). The rise and greater visibility of lesbian meeting places and organizations, however, are later developments. Gay bars that included women among their clientele first appeared in the 1930s, and by the '50s there were lesbian bars and a well-established lesbian and gay bar scene in places such as Greenwich Village in New York City. These bars were the visible setting for many social networks of friends, and for the developing gay subcultures of many cities. The bar subculture maintained well-defined norms of behavior, which included feminine and masculine role-playing. The '50s also saw the beginning of lesbian organizations. The Daughters of Bilitis, the first exclusively lesbian organization, was founded in 1955 in San Francisco as an alternative to the bar scene and the drinking and role-playing associated with it (D'Emilio, 1983).
