Lesbianism, Feminism, and the National Women\u27s Conference of 1977: A Turning Point

The decade of the 1970s proved to be an eventful time for American women. For those who supported the movement to increase women\u27s rights, progress finally seemed possible. Advancements such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Title IX, the Supreme Court\u27s decision in Roe v. Wade, the opening of battered women\u27s shelters, and the increased number of organized groups that encouraged and assisted women all gave hope to ferninists. While much more needed to be done, women had taken some steps forward. ln November of 1977, a conference took place in Houston, Texas to provide Americans with an opportunity to discuss issues of importance to women. Plank 23 of the National Plan of Action, adopted at the National Women\u27s Conference, declared that legislation should be enacted to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual and affectional preference