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When We Were Outlaws by [Jeanne Cordova]

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Jeanne Córdova

When We Were Outlaws Kindle Edition

by Jeanne Cordova (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 54 ratings

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Lambda Literary Award Winner - Lesbian Memoir 2011

A sweeping memoir, a raw and intimate chronicle of a young activist torn between conflicting personal longings and political goals. When We Were Outlaws offers a rare view of the life of a radical lesbian during the early cultural struggle for gay rights, Women’s Liberation, and the New Left of the 1970s.

Brash and ambitious, activist Jeanne Córdova is living with one woman and falling in love with another, but her passionate beliefs tell her that her first duty is “to the revolution” –to change the world and end discrimination against gays and lesbians. Trying to compartmentalize her sexual life, she becomes an investigative reporter for the famous, underground L.A. Free Press and finds herself involved with covering the Weather Underground, Angela Davis; exposing neo-Nazi bomber Captain Joe Tomassi, and befriending Emily Harris of the Symbionese Liberation Army. At the same time she is creating what will be the center of her revolutionary lesbian world: her own newsmagazine, The Lesbian Tide, destined to become the voice of the national lesbian feminist movement.

By turns provocative and daringly honest, Cordova renders emblematic scenes of the era—ranging from strike protests to utopian music festivals, to underground meetings with radical fugitives—with period detail and evocative characters. For those who came of age in the ‘70s, and for those who weren’t around but still ask ‘What was it like?’ –Outlaws takes you back to re-live it. It also offers insights about ethics, decision making and strategy, still relevant today.

With an introduction by renowned lesbian historian Lillian Faderman, When We Were Outlaws paints a vivid portrait of activism and the search for self-identity, set against the turbulent landscape of multiple struggles for social change that swept hundreds of thousands of Americans into the streets.
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Print length

456 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

November 1, 2011
File size

1789 KB
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Mungi Ngomane
360
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $14.99
Jill Gutowitz
314
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
Lillian Faderman
58
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1 offer from $18.99
Morgan Rogers
2,211
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1 offer from $10.99
Mark Mathabane
48
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1 offer from $16.99
Refiloe Moahloli
1,132
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cordova’s previous books include Kicking the Habit, A Lesbian Nun Story, and Sexism; It’s a Nasty Affair. Her essays appear in numerous anthologies such as Persistent Desire; A Femme Butch Reader, and Love, West Hollywood. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"A riveting unique first hand telling of a dangerous, fractious, creative lesbian time, the lesbian feminist 70s with their messy, sexy, bold social and personal visions live again on Cordova's pages; she was thick in the middle of things, as a journalist, as an activist, as a lover."
--Joan Nestle, editor of A Persistent Desire, A Femme Butch Reader and GENDERqUEER, Voices from Beyond the Sexual Binary.

For LGBT people who care about activism, especially those young enough to have no memory of those iconic times, Córdova's "memoir of love and revolution" should be a must-read.”
--Filed By Patricia Nell Warren

"When We Were Outlaws is content-rich and driven by a compelling plot. These two things make reading When We Were Outlaws a joy."
--Lambda Literary, The Gay &Lesbian Review by Julie R. Enszer

"When We Were Outlaws, is such an important addition to the literary cannon of LGBT non-fiction. The book manages to be captivating, heartbreaking, and gratifying all at once.”
--The Advocate by Diane Anderson Minshall --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B006AY4QN2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spinsters Ink (November 1, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1789 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 456 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #207,198 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #639 in Biographies & Memoirs of Women
- #2,643 in Women's Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.6 54 ratings

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Jeanne Córdova

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Jeanne Cordova's 'When We Were Outlaws' is a triple award-winning memoir. Honored with the prestigious 'Lammy' (Lambda Literary Award), Publishing Triangle Award and a Golden Crown Award.

She's a pioneer rabble-rousing activist and is one of the founders of the West Coast LGBTQ movement. Cordova also edited 'The Lesbian Tide', "the national voice of record for the lesbian feminist era of the 1970s."

Her journalism and writing continued with books and essays in award-winning anthologies including 'Lesbian Nuns: Breaking the Silence' and 'Persistent Desire: A Femme-Butch Reader.' Most recently, Cordova chaired the Butch Voices LA Conference in 2010. She lives in the Hollywood Hills, and she and her pack of guerilla cultural activists - LEX: The Lesbian Exploratorium - create political, art and history happenings around Los Angeles.

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4.6 out of 5

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Leslie Absher

Loved this historical and personal document

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023

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This memoir took me back and taught me a lot. Cordova did so much for the modern gay & lesbian movement in the U.S. Her passion, commitment and hardwork to the liberation of her people moved me on every page. An important book about an essential time. I am grateful for her activism.

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2016

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I am a bit biased, but this book is an incredibly well written and fascinating view of the 1970s Lesbian and Women's Rights movement. Jeanne Cordova writes with incredible honesty about her own feelings and reactions to the time period without any hesitation or self promotion. The ugly personal thoughts are open and exposed along side of the hopes and loves of this woman.

The author shares her views on the politics of the time period with a first person account of the hard struggle for equality. For Cordova, the women's rights movement and the Lesbian movement are the same and are fought for the same reasons. The Civil Rights Movement and the anti-establishment are represented in the trenches and on the battlefield of the streets of Los Angeles, California.

The romantic struggle is as real for any gender or preference as it was for her. Torn between loves and making the same mistakes we all have between work, love and friendship.

4 people found this helpful

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Mama Doc

How it really was in the 70's in Los Angeles LGBT community

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2012

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I was a volunteer physician for the Gay Community Services Center in 1974 when they fired the women and some of the men who then started a strike against the Center. This is an accurate description of what happened and the few personalities that I can remember from that long ago. It's also a pretty accurate description of the types of relationships women were having in the community at the time, although I can't vouch for any of the specifics. I wasn't in on the gossip. But as a physician they'd come to me with their tales of woe when they broke up with someone and were having trouble sleeping, etc. Jeanne Cordova has done a terrific job conveying the feelings and facts of the time about LGBT issues, interpersonal issues, the Free Press, Lesbian Tide magazine and the radical groups of the time including the SLA and the Weathermen. Anyone with any political consciousness in the community had to ask ourselves how far we would go if confronted with a situation. Would we hide a fugitive from the SLA or Weathermen if asked? Jeanne describes it clearly and absolutely accurately as far as I remember.

10 people found this helpful

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Montreal

Fantastic!

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2012

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Wow, this book was so great! I used to read the Lesbian Tide journal back in the 70's, even up here in Canada. As an old activist myself, so much of this book resonated with me, and brought back a lot of memories--some good, some bad, some just nostalgic, etc. Very well written as well--a true pleasure to read on so many levels.

Jeanne Cordova should write more about this period; hell, she should just write more, period (no pun intended!). :)

6 people found this helpful

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ShaynaMadel

Jeanne Cordova account of Herstory is accurate

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2016

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Jeanne Cordova's account of herstory was accurate as I was there during much of those times. Jeanne captured the turbalence of her life and of our movement in Los Angeles herstory. These times will never be forgotten. Look at the strides we made in this city for gays and lesbians. If it weren't for movers and shakers like Jeanne who knows where we'd be?

2 people found this helpful

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Patricia Arrington

Herstory of the beginnings of the Lesbian awakening in the 1970-80's.

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016

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Honest and bold story of one creative and inspirational lesbian leader who collaborated with diverse groups in Los Angeles to form a strong grassroots lesbian presence politically, and socially.

One person found this helpful

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Orange

Jeanne Cordova gives her own personal history of being a ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2014

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Jeanne Cordova gives her own personal history of being a lesbian during the 70's. the personal is political as you will discover by reading this book.

One person found this helpful

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Teresa Gray-Benfield

Excellent Read

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2016

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This is a must read for women both straight and lesbian to understand the fight for the rights we often take for granted

One person found this helpful

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Xena

A Fascinating Read

Reviewed in Canada on June 25, 2019

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I, in turns, admired Córdova and shook my head at her. But I suppose that makes her a human like the rest of us. I admired her guts, determination and chutzpah in leading the cause for equality. I had a hard time putting this book down.

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