Before Stonewall: Jacky's Interview Clip 3 of 4
From the collection of
From the collection of
Jacky and Jane encounter the beginnings of the rancorous sex-wars to come between feminists and lesbians, whilst attending the first Ruskin Conference in 1970.
In this short extract, Jacky describes the degree to which she was involved with the lesbian and feminist movements. Too pre-occupied with her career early on, Jacky, though aware of the feminist and lesbian discourse of the time, observed that the early feminists did not want lesbians attached to their movement. Consequently, it was impossible for Jacky and her partner, Jane, to be able to work with them.
However, though not being personally involved, Jacky kept up to date with that discourse through a newsletter published by 'Arena 3,' the UK's first lesbian magazine. She also obtained copies of 'The Ladder,' the newsletter published by America's first lesbian civil rights organisation, 'The Daughters of Bilitis'. Jacky recalls reading 'Microcosms' by Maureen Duffy, published in 1966, and through the magazine 'Arena 3,' would eventually make personal contact with the author. For many lesbians, including Jacky and Jane, 'Arena 3' was considered an important publication.
Born into a working-class family in 1945, Jacky was a bright girl who would eventually study at St Anne's College, Oxford. Here she met her lifelong partner, Jane.
Jacky remained in academia while Jane became a teacher and lived in both London and Oxfordshire until both retired. Together, they've written lesbian fiction under the pen name of Jay Taverner.