(1970) - The Woman Identified Woman Manifesto - Radicalesbians
In their 1970 The Woman Identified Woman Manifesto, the Radicalesbians addressed the marginalization of lesbians within the broader feminist movement and society, focusing on how their identities were shaped by a patriarchal culture. They argued that lesbianism, like male homosexuality, was a product of rigid gender roles and male supremacy, and that being labeled a "lesbian" was a way to punish women who defied traditional female roles. The manifesto called for a revolutionary redefinition of womanhood, one that rejected male identification and emphasized the importance of women forming primary, empowering relationships with one another, free from heterosexual norms and the oppressive structures that shaped their identities.
When a woman hears this word tossed her way, she knows...that she has crossed the terrible boundary of her sex role...Lesbian is a label invented by the Man to throw at any woman who dares to be his equal, who dares to challenge his prerogatives..., who dares to assert the primacy of her own needs.