Public Faces, Secret Lives: A Queer History of the Woman's Suffrage Movement (Event Video)

Dr. Wendy L. Rouse discusses her book 'Public Faces, Secret Lives: A Queer History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement' in which she explores the important role of queerness and queer suffragists in the fight for the vote. The traditional narrative of suffrage history sanitized the lives of suffragists contributing to the historical erasure of the queer history of the movement. Yet, it was often their very queerness that helped propel the movement forward. Wendy highlights the alliances that queer suffragists built and the innovative strategies they developed to protect and preserve their most intimate relationships as they defied the gender and sexual norms of their day.

This event was held on June 12, 2023 at 6:30 p.m via Zoom in conjunction with the Connolly Branch Library of the BPL. Wendy mentions some of her other work and articles during the talk - find those on her website: Dr Wendy L. Rouse/Queer Suffragists