About Us

The idea for "Women of the Revolution" (WOTR) was born from our love of feminist bookstores, building women’s community and keeping lesbian voices loud and alive through books and periodicals - through modern voices and the voices from the past. As passionate supporters of feminist bookstores since the 1990s, we have watched some of the most beloved feminist bookstores, including Fan the Flames Bookstore in Columbus, OH, close their doors due to assimilation and lack of support. It has become a rare occurrence to come upon a bookseller at women’s festivals and gatherings in these times. We have also been hearing women discussing what they wanted to see happen with their own beloved personal book collections. The fear that their copies of the “Swashbuckler”, “Rubyfruit Jungle” and “Dykes to Watch Out For” would end up donated to a thrift store at best or thrown into a landfill had women looking for an option where their books could be donated, appreciated and treated with the love and respect they deserve. To have them placed into the hands of another generation of women was their desire. Combining our love of women’s books with women looking for a way to pass on their books led to the creation of Women of the Revolution, an Ohio recognized nonprofit. Our main project is the feminist mobile bookstore. Books and materials are donated by women and we then sell them at lesbian/women/feminist festivals and events. Who makes up the Women of the Revolution? They are the women who risked their lives as lesbians and feminists to protest and stand up for our rights in the 1950s and 60s. They are the women who put pen to paper and wrote the classic works of literature that are still beloved today. They are the women in the 1970s who gathered in the woods for festivals and in the cities to organize community centers, bookstores and CR groups to begin building women’s communities and developing the lesbian culture that has nurtured all of us. They are the women musicians and performers who share their songs and skills with the community through recordings and live performances at festivals and gatherings. WOTR are any women who have bought the work of a lesbian writer, attended a feminist gathering or supported the feminist movement. They are women who donate books/music and those who purchase books/music. And they are us, who volunteer our time and energy to bring this venture to life. If this project resonates with you, join us in becoming a Woman of the Revolution! Please go to our Contact / Get Involved page and find out how you can help. Christy, Kelley and Pia