<!DOCTYPE html><html class="avada-html-layout-wide avada-html-header-position-top avada-html-is-archive" lang="en-US" prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb#"><head><meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" /><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1" /><meta name='robots' content='index, follow, max-image-preview:large' /><title>Jordan Villegas, Author at Latina</title><link rel="next" href="/p/2/" /><meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /><meta property="og:type" content="profile" /><meta property="og:title" content="Jordan Villegas, Author at Latina" /><meta property="og:url" content="https://latina.com/author/jordan-villegas/" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Latina" /><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /><meta name="twitter:site" content="@latina" /><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Latina &raquo; Feed" href="https://latina.com/feed/" /><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Latina &raquo; Comments Feed" href="https://latina.com/comments/feed/" /><link rel="icon" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NEW_Latina_Logo_Favicon.png" type="image/png" /><link rel="icon" sizes="192x192" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NEW_Latina_Logo_Favicon.png" type="image/png"><meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NEW_Latina_Logo_Favicon.png" type="image/png"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Latina &raquo; Posts by Jordan Villegas Feed" href="https://latina.com/author/jordan-villegas/feed/" /><meta property="og:locale" content="en_US"/><meta property="og:type" content="profile"/><meta property="og:site_name" content="Latina"/><meta property="og:title" content=" Authored by Latina"/><meta property="og:url" content="https://latina.com/jeanne-cordova-trailblazing-chicana-lesbian-feminist-activist/"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/pba017-1979.-our-first-lesbian-tide-handmade-banner.jpg"/><meta property="og:image:width" content="1000"/><meta property="og:image:height" content="701"/><meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg"/><style id="content-control-block-styles">@media (max-width: 640px) {
	.cc-hide-on-mobile {
		display: none !important;
	}
}
@media (min-width: 641px) and (max-width: 920px) {
	.cc-hide-on-tablet {
		display: none !important;
	}
}
@media (min-width: 921px) and (max-width: 1440px) {
	.cc-hide-on-desktop {
		display: none !important;
	}
}</style><style id='wp-img-auto-sizes-contain-inline-css' type='text/css'>img:is([sizes=auto i],[sizes^="auto," i]){contain-intrinsic-size:3000px 1500px}
/*# sourceURL=wp-img-auto-sizes-contain-inline-css */</style><style id='wp-block-library-inline-css' type='text/css'>:root{--wp-block-synced-color:#7a00df;--wp-block-synced-color--rgb:122,0,223;--wp-bound-block-color:var(--wp-block-synced-color);--wp-editor-canvas-background:#ddd;--wp-admin-theme-color:#007cba;--wp-admin-theme-color--rgb:0,124,186;--wp-admin-theme-color-darker-10:#006ba1;--wp-admin-theme-color-darker-10--rgb:0,107,160.5;--wp-admin-theme-color-darker-20:#005a87;--wp-admin-theme-color-darker-20--rgb:0,90,135;--wp-admin-border-width-focus:2px}@media (min-resolution:192dpi){:root{--wp-admin-border-width-focus:1.5px}}.wp-element-button{cursor:pointer}:root .has-very-light-gray-background-color{background-color:#eee}:root .has-very-dark-gray-background-color{background-color:#313131}:root .has-very-light-gray-color{color:#eee}:root .has-very-dark-gray-color{color:#313131}:root .has-vivid-green-cyan-to-vivid-cyan-blue-gradient-background{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#00d084,#0693e3)}:root .has-purple-crush-gradient-background{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#34e2e4,#4721fb 50%,#ab1dfe)}:root .has-hazy-dawn-gradient-background{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#faaca8,#dad0ec)}:root .has-subdued-olive-gradient-background{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#fafae1,#67a671)}:root .has-atomic-cream-gradient-background{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#fdd79a,#004a59)}:root .has-nightshade-gradient-background{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#330968,#31cdcf)}:root .has-midnight-gradient-background{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#020381,#2874fc)}:root{--wp--preset--font-size--normal:16px;--wp--preset--font-size--huge:42px}.has-regular-font-size{font-size:1em}.has-larger-font-size{font-size:2.625em}.has-normal-font-size{font-size:var(--wp--preset--font-size--normal)}.has-huge-font-size{font-size:var(--wp--preset--font-size--huge)}.has-text-align-center{text-align:center}.has-text-align-left{text-align:left}.has-text-align-right{text-align:right}.has-fit-text{white-space:nowrap!important}#end-resizable-editor-section{display:none}.aligncenter{clear:both}.items-justified-left{justify-content:flex-start}.items-justified-center{justify-content:center}.items-justified-right{justify-content:flex-end}.items-justified-space-between{justify-content:space-between}.screen-reader-text{border:0;clip-path:inset(50%);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px;word-wrap:normal!important}.screen-reader-text:focus{background-color:#ddd;clip-path:none;color:#444;display:block;font-size:1em;height:auto;left:5px;line-height:normal;padding:15px 23px 14px;text-decoration:none;top:5px;width:auto;z-index:100000}html :where(.has-border-color){border-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-top-color]){border-top-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-right-color]){border-right-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-bottom-color]){border-bottom-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-left-color]){border-left-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-width]){border-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-top-width]){border-top-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-right-width]){border-right-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-bottom-width]){border-bottom-style:solid}html :where([style*=border-left-width]){border-left-style:solid}html :where(img[class*=wp-image-]){height:auto;max-width:100%}:where(figure){margin:0 0 1em}html :where(.is-position-sticky){--wp-admin--admin-bar--position-offset:var(--wp-admin--admin-bar--height,0px)}@media screen and (max-width:600px){html :where(.is-position-sticky){--wp-admin--admin-bar--position-offset:0px}}
/*wp_block_styles_on_demand_placeholder:6a0ef5a541344*/
/*# sourceURL=wp-block-library-inline-css */</style><style id='classic-theme-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'>/*! This file is auto-generated */
.wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none}
/*# sourceURL=/wp-includes/css/classic-themes.min.css */</style><link rel='stylesheet' id='content-control-block-styles-css' href='https://latina.com/wp-content/plugins/content-control/dist/style-block-editor.css' type='text/css' media='all' /><link rel='stylesheet' id='dashicons-css' href='https://latina.com/wp-includes/css/dashicons.min.css' type='text/css' media='all' /><link rel='stylesheet' id='admin-bar-css' href='https://latina.com/wp-includes/css/admin-bar.min.css' type='text/css' media='all' /><style id='admin-bar-inline-css' type='text/css'>/* Hide CanvasJS credits for P404 charts specifically */
    #p404RedirectChart .canvasjs-chart-credit {
        display: none !important;
    }
    
    #p404RedirectChart canvas {
        border-radius: 6px;
    }

    .p404-redirect-adminbar-weekly-title {
        font-weight: bold;
        font-size: 14px;
        color: #fff;
        margin-bottom: 6px;
    }

    #wpadminbar #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button .ab-icon:before {
        content: "\f103";
        color: #dc3545;
        top: 3px;
    }
    
    #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button .ab-item {
        min-width: 80px !important;
        padding: 0px !important;
    }
    
    /* Ensure proper positioning and z-index for P404 dropdown */
    .p404-redirect-adminbar-dropdown-wrap { 
        min-width: 0; 
        padding: 0;
        position: static !important;
    }
    
    #wpadminbar #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button_dropdown {
        position: static !important;
    }
    
    #wpadminbar #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button_dropdown .ab-item {
        padding: 0 !important;
        margin: 0 !important;
    }
    
    .p404-redirect-dropdown-container {
        min-width: 340px;
        padding: 18px 18px 12px 18px;
        background: #23282d !important;
        color: #fff;
        border-radius: 12px;
        box-shadow: 0 8px 32px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);
        margin-top: 10px;
        position: relative !important;
        z-index: 999999 !important;
        display: block !important;
        border: 1px solid #444;
    }
    
    /* Ensure P404 dropdown appears on hover */
    #wpadminbar #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button .p404-redirect-dropdown-container { 
        display: none !important;
    }
    
    #wpadminbar #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button:hover .p404-redirect-dropdown-container { 
        display: block !important;
    }
    
    #wpadminbar #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button:hover #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button_dropdown .p404-redirect-dropdown-container {
        display: block !important;
    }
    
    .p404-redirect-card {
        background: #2c3338;
        border-radius: 8px;
        padding: 18px 18px 12px 18px;
        box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.07);
        display: flex;
        flex-direction: column;
        align-items: flex-start;
        border: 1px solid #444;
    }
    
    .p404-redirect-btn {
        display: inline-block;
        background: #dc3545;
        color: #fff !important;
        font-weight: bold;
        padding: 5px 22px;
        border-radius: 8px;
        text-decoration: none;
        font-size: 17px;
        transition: background 0.2s, box-shadow 0.2s;
        margin-top: 8px;
        box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(220,53,69,0.15);
        text-align: center;
        line-height: 1.6;
    }
    
    .p404-redirect-btn:hover {
        background: #c82333;
        color: #fff !important;
        box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(220,53,69,0.25);
    }
    
    /* Prevent conflicts with other admin bar dropdowns */
    #wpadminbar .ab-top-menu > li:hover > .ab-item,
    #wpadminbar .ab-top-menu > li.hover > .ab-item {
        z-index: auto;
    }
    
    #wpadminbar #wp-admin-bar-p404_free_top_button:hover > .ab-item {
        z-index: 999998 !important;
    }
    
/*# sourceURL=admin-bar-inline-css */</style><link rel='stylesheet' id='child-style-css' href='https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/style.css' type='text/css' media='all' /><link rel='stylesheet' id='custom-style-css' href='https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/vendor/hamburgers/dist/hamburgers.css' type='text/css' media='all' /><link rel='stylesheet' id='fusion-dynamic-css-css' href='https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/fusion-styles/fc033dcfaaacbcd8238d00ec94e43e00.min.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <script type="text/javascript" async='async' src="https://latina.com/wp-content/plugins/svg-support/vendor/DOMPurify/DOMPurify.min.js" id="bodhi-dompurify-library-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://latina.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js" id="jquery-core-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" async='async' src="https://latina.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js" id="jquery-migrate-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="bodhi_svg_inline-js-extra">var svgSettings = {"skipNested":""};
//# sourceURL=bodhi_svg_inline-js-extra</script> <script type="text/javascript" async='async' src="https://latina.com/wp-content/plugins/svg-support/js/min/svgs-inline-min.js" id="bodhi_svg_inline-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="bodhi_svg_inline-js-after">cssTarget={"Bodhi":"img.fusion-standard-logo","ForceInlineSVG":"fusion-standard-logo"};ForceInlineSVGActive="true";frontSanitizationEnabled="on";
//# sourceURL=bodhi_svg_inline-js-after</script> <script type="text/javascript" async='async' src="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/vendor/freezeframes/docs/freezeframe.min.js" id="freezeframes-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/scripts.js" id="custom-script-js"></script> <link rel="https://api.w.org/" href="https://latina.com/wp-json/" /><link rel="alternate" title="JSON" type="application/json" href="https://latina.com/wp-json/wp/v2/users/1112" /><link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="https://latina.com/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /><meta name="generator" content="WordPress 6.9.4" />  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-02V7CKEN56"></script> <script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
		  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
		  gtag('js', new Date());

		  gtag('config', 'G-02V7CKEN56');</script>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-5676597-7"></script> <script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
		  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
		  gtag('js', new Date());

		  gtag('config', 'UA-5676597-7');</script> <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7079495897893933" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="57x57" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-57x57.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="114x114" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-114x114.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-72x72.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-144x144.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="60x60" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-60x60.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-120x120.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="76x76" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-76x76.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="152x152" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/apple-touch-icon-152x152.png" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/favicon-196x196.png" sizes="196x196" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/favicon-96x96.png" sizes="96x96" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/favicon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/favicon-16x16.png" sizes="16x16" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/favicon-128.png" sizes="128x128" /><meta name="application-name" content="Latina"/><meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#FFFFFF" /><meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/mstile-144x144.png" /><meta name="msapplication-square70x70logo" content="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/mstile-70x70.png" /><meta name="msapplication-square150x150logo" content="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/mstile-150x150.png" /><meta name="msapplication-wide310x150logo" content="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/mstile-310x150.png" /><meta name="msapplication-square310x310logo" content="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/favicons/mstile-310x310.png" /><link rel="preload" href="https://latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada/includes/lib/assets/fonts/icomoon/awb-icons.woff" as="font" type="font/woff" crossorigin><link rel="preload" href="//latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada/includes/lib/assets/fonts/fontawesome/webfonts/fa-brands-400.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin><link rel="preload" href="//latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada/includes/lib/assets/fonts/fontawesome/webfonts/fa-regular-400.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin><link rel="preload" href="//latina.com/wp-content/themes/Avada/includes/lib/assets/fonts/fontawesome/webfonts/fa-solid-900.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin><style type="text/css" id="css-fb-visibility">@media screen and (max-width: 1024px){.fusion-no-small-visibility{display:none !important;}body .sm-text-align-center{text-align:center !important;}body .sm-text-align-left{text-align:left !important;}body .sm-text-align-right{text-align:right !important;}body .sm-text-align-justify{text-align:justify !important;}body .sm-flex-align-center{justify-content:center !important;}body .sm-flex-align-flex-start{justify-content:flex-start !important;}body .sm-flex-align-flex-end{justify-content:flex-end !important;}body .sm-mx-auto{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;}body .sm-ml-auto{margin-left:auto !important;}body .sm-mr-auto{margin-right:auto !important;}body .fusion-absolute-position-small{position:absolute;width:100%;}.awb-sticky.awb-sticky-small{ position: sticky; top: var(--awb-sticky-offset,0); }}@media screen and (min-width: 1025px) and (max-width: 1024px){.fusion-no-medium-visibility{display:none !important;}body .md-text-align-center{text-align:center !important;}body .md-text-align-left{text-align:left !important;}body .md-text-align-right{text-align:right !important;}body .md-text-align-justify{text-align:justify !important;}body .md-flex-align-center{justify-content:center !important;}body .md-flex-align-flex-start{justify-content:flex-start !important;}body .md-flex-align-flex-end{justify-content:flex-end !important;}body .md-mx-auto{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;}body .md-ml-auto{margin-left:auto !important;}body .md-mr-auto{margin-right:auto !important;}body .fusion-absolute-position-medium{position:absolute;width:100%;}.awb-sticky.awb-sticky-medium{ position: sticky; top: var(--awb-sticky-offset,0); }}@media screen and (min-width: 1025px){.fusion-no-large-visibility{display:none !important;}body .lg-text-align-center{text-align:center !important;}body .lg-text-align-left{text-align:left !important;}body .lg-text-align-right{text-align:right !important;}body .lg-text-align-justify{text-align:justify !important;}body .lg-flex-align-center{justify-content:center !important;}body .lg-flex-align-flex-start{justify-content:flex-start !important;}body .lg-flex-align-flex-end{justify-content:flex-end !important;}body .lg-mx-auto{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;}body .lg-ml-auto{margin-left:auto !important;}body .lg-mr-auto{margin-right:auto !important;}body .fusion-absolute-position-large{position:absolute;width:100%;}.awb-sticky.awb-sticky-large{ position: sticky; top: var(--awb-sticky-offset,0); }}</style><style type="text/css">.recentcomments a{display:inline !important;padding:0 !important;margin:0 !important;}</style> <script type="application/ld+json" class="saswp-schema-markup-output">[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/latina.com\/jeanne-cordova-trailblazing-chicana-lesbian-feminist-activist\/#videoobject","url":"https:\/\/latina.com\/jeanne-cordova-trailblazing-chicana-lesbian-feminist-activist\/","headline":"Jeanne C\u00f3rdova: Trailblazing Chicana Lesbian Feminist Activist","datePublished":"2022-04-08T14:02:19-04:00","dateModified":"2022-04-08T14:46:59-04:00","description":"C\u00f3rdova\u2019s legacy as a trailblazing lesbian feminist activist has been preserved at the One National Gay & Lesbian Archives, the oldest continuous LGBT organization in the United States, where C\u00f3rdova was elected Board President in 1995. C\u00f3rdova\u2019s extensive archival records remain vital documentary evidence of the rich and complicated history of the lesbian feminist movement in the United States.","transcript":"Born in 1948, Chicana feminist activist Jeanne C\u00f3rdova devoted her life to advocating for lesbians and women of color in the United States. She was a key organizer of the first national lesbian publication, The Lesbian Tide, which began publication in 1970; the first National Lesbian Conference in 1973; and the first convention of the National Lesbian Feminist Organization in 1978. According to the Pratt Institute's archives, she was also a founding member of many other gay rights organizations, including the Gay and Lesbian Caucus of the Democratic Party and the Los Angeles Connexxus Women\u2019s Center\/Centro de Mujeres, and she served as a delegate at the first National Women\u2019s Conference in 1977. As C\u00f3rdova would later explain: \u201cI didn\u2019t want my lesbianism to be just a matter of sexuality. I felt it was more political than that really.\u201d    For C\u00f3rdova, activism was more than a career, it was something closer to a vocation or spiritual calling. Shortly before she passed away in 2016, C\u00f3rdova donated $2 million to the Astraea Lesbian Foundation to establish The Jeanne R. C\u00f3rdova Fund \u201cto support organizations focusing on movement building, human rights and journalism with a specific focus on Latina lesbians from South and Latin America and South African women --- lesbians, feminists, lesbian feminists, butch and masculine gender-nonconforming communities.\u201d    C\u00f3rdova also published one final piece of writing titled \u201cA Letter About Dying, to My LGBT Communities,\u201d in which she reflected on her lifelong devotion to the fight for \u201cfreedom and dignity for lesbians.\u201d Reflecting on her legacy and her monumental personal donation, Cordova recalled the earnest beginnings of her lesbian feminist activism:    \u201cFrom the age of 18 to 21, I painfully looked everywhere for Lesbian Nation. On October 3, 1970, a day I celebrate as my political birthday, I found Her in a small DOB (Daughters of Bilitis) meeting. That\u2019s when my life\u2019s work became clear. Shortly thereafter I became a core organizer for two national lesbian conferences, one of which re-directed my path to create The Lesbian Tide news magazine, a national paper of record, as the historians say, for the lesbian feminist generation. And on it went for multiple decades of marches and later online organizing\u2013this time intersectionally, to include all of me and my Latina identity.\u201d    Growing up in a devoutly Catholic family, C\u00f3rdova first came to understand her lesbian identity through her religious identity as she entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary convent in Santa Barbara, California shortly after she turned 18. \u201cI chose the convent because I knew I wasn\u2019t interested in the world of men and women, marriage, children \u2014 \u2019that\u2019 lifestyle,\u201d she would recall in a 2012 interview with the Windy City Times. \u201c I\u2019m sure the fact that I fell in love with God at the age of seven and made a vow to dedicate my life to Him was much informed by my strong Catholic parents\u2019 (one Irish woman and one Mexican dude) teachings, as well as my latent lesbianism.\u201d    In 1985, C\u00f3rdova published the essay \u201cMy Immaculate Heart\u201d in the radical and controversial anthology \u201cLesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence,\u201d in which she described her year as a postulant. \u201cI arrived on Entrance Day wearing my James Dean wraparound sunglasses, sincerely believing that the warriorship of my patron saint (butch dyke Jeanne d\u2019Arc) was spiritually motivated,\u201d she remembered in her essay \u201cButches, Lies &amp; Feminism\u201d in the 1992 anthology \u201cPersistent Desire: A Femme Butch Reader\u201d. \u201cI left the holy sisterhood one year later thoroughly edified by the carnal motivations and wraparound body of novice Sister Marie Immaculata. My boot camp in the sisterhood of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (detailed in my autobiographical novel, \u201cKicking the Habit\u201d) did clarify my lesbianism.\u201d Throughout her career, C\u00f3rdova maintained that her postulancy played a vital role in the development of her later work as a trailblazing lesbian feminist activist.    \u201cThe movements for social justice in the \u201870s and \u201880s  replete with ex-nun lesbian leadership,\u201d C\u00f3rdova explained in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1985. \u201cI have come to see the convent as a boot camp for us all.\u201d    When C\u00f3rdova left the Immaculate Heart of Mary convent, she was quickly elected president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, the oldest lesbian civil rights organization in the United States. While working as a community organizer, C\u00f3rdova also completed a master\u2019s degree in social work at UCLA and juggled a budding career in journalism, publishing columns in both The Advocate and Los Angeles Free Press in addition to her work as Editor in Chief of The Lesbian Tide.    Shortly after the publication formally split from the Daughters of Bilitis in 1972, The Lesbian Tide published \u201cA Collective Editorial\u201d in response to efforts in the San Francisco chapter of the DOB to oust two trans women members. Announcing unconditional support for the inclusion of trans women in DOB, the editorial read: \u201cOur common oppression is based on society\u2019s insistence that we perform certain roles: wife, husband, mother, father, masculine, feminine, etc. We cry out, \u2018You cannot define us. WE DEFINE OURSELVES!  Please advise our transsexual sisters that, if they are not welcome in the liberal city of San Francisco, they are most welcome in the city of Los Angeles.\u201d Keeping to their word, The Lesbian Tide subsequently hired several trans staffers and correspondents through the 1970s and \u201880s, including photographer Sue Cooke and Beth Elliott.    C\u00f3rdova remained a vocal ally to trans women. During the infamous 1973 West Coast Lesbian Conference, when a contingent of attendees and speakers including radical feminist Robin Morgan sought to prevent Beth Elliott, one of the two trans DOB members ousted the year prior, from performing at the conference, C\u00f3rdova offered a \u201cloud and strong\u201d defense of Elliott, who was ultimately allowed to take the stage.     Jeanne C\u00f3rdova (left) at the 1973 First National Lesbian Conference. Source: http:\/\/digitallibrary.usc.edu\/digital\/collection\/p15799coll4\/id\/251    In the 1980s, C\u00f3rdova also began publishing the Community Yellow Pages, the first national LGBT business directory, and shortly after founded another publication covering LGBT literature and culture, Square Peg Magazine. C\u00f3rdova also published several of her own essays in some groundbreaking lesbian anthologies, including \u201cThe Lesbian Path\u201d (1980), \u201cPersistent Desire: A Femme Butch Reader\u201d (1992) and \u201cDagger: On Butch Women\u201d (1994). Lambda Literary awarded C\u00f3rdova best \u201cLesbian Memoir\/Biography\u201d for her 2012 memoir \u201cWhen We Were Outlaws: A Memoir of Love &amp; Revolution.\u201d    C\u00f3rdova\u2019s legacy as a trailblazing lesbian feminist activist has been preserved at the One National Gay &amp; Lesbian Archives, the oldest continuous LGBT organization in the United States, where C\u00f3rdova was elected Board President in 1995. C\u00f3rdova\u2019s extensive archival records remain vital documentary evidence of the rich and complicated history of the lesbian feminist movement in the United States.    &nbsp;","name":"Jeanne C\u00f3rdova: Trailblazing Chicana Lesbian Feminist Activist","uploadDate":"2022-04-08T14:02:19-04:00","thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/latina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pba017-1979.-our-first-lesbian-tide-handmade-banner-150x150.jpg","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jordan Villegas","url":"https:\/\/latina.com\/author\/jordan-villegas\/","sameAs":[]},"contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JoY5zx0SeZU","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JoY5zx0SeZU"},

{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Person","name":"Jordan Villegas","url":"https:\/\/latina.com\/author\/miacarriles\/"}]</script>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-B0QTNEPFX5"></script> <script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());

  gtag('config', 'G-B0QTNEPFX5');</script> </head><body class="archive author author-jordan-villegas author-1112 wp-theme-Avada wp-child-theme-Avada-Child-Theme fusion-image-hovers fusion-pagination-sizing fusion-button_type-flat fusion-button_span-no fusion-button_gradient-linear avada-image-rollover-circle-yes avada-image-rollover-no fusion-body ltr fusion-sticky-header no-mobile-slidingbar no-desktop-totop no-mobile-totop avada-has-rev-slider-styles fusion-disable-outline fusion-sub-menu-fade mobile-logo-pos-left layout-wide-mode avada-has-boxed-modal-shadow- layout-scroll-offset-full avada-has-zero-margin-offset-top fusion-top-header menu-text-align-center mobile-menu-design-classic fusion-show-pagination-text fusion-header-layout-v1 avada-responsive avada-footer-fx-none avada-menu-highlight-style-bar fusion-search-form-classic fusion-main-menu-search-overlay fusion-avatar-circle avada-dropdown-styles avada-blog-layout-large avada-blog-archive-layout-grid avada-header-shadow-no avada-menu-icon-position-left avada-has-megamenu-shadow avada-has-mobile-menu-search avada-has-main-nav-search-icon avada-has-breadcrumb-mobile-hidden avada-has-titlebar-hide avada-header-border-color-full-transparent avada-has-pagination-width_height avada-flyout-menu-direction-fade avada-ec-views-v1" data-awb-post-id="1581"> <script type="text/javascript">var doc = document.documentElement;
			doc.setAttribute( 'data-useragent', navigator.userAgent );</script> <a class="skip-link screen-reader-text" href="#content">Skip to content</a><div id="boxed-wrapper"><div id="wrapper" class="fusion-wrapper"><div id="home" style="position:relative;top:-1px;"></div><header class="fusion-header-wrapper"><div class="fusion-header-v1 fusion-logo-alignment fusion-logo-left fusion-sticky-menu- fusion-sticky-logo- fusion-mobile-logo-  fusion-mobile-menu-design-classic"><div class="fusion-header-sticky-height"></div><div class="fusion-header"><div class="fusion-row"><div class="fusion-logo" data-margin-top="21px" data-margin-bottom="0px" data-margin-left="0px" data-margin-right="0px"> <a class="fusion-logo-link"  href="https://latina.com/" > <img src="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NEW_Latina_Logo.svg" srcset="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NEW_Latina_Logo.svg 1x" width="665" height="151" alt="Latina Logo" data-retina_logo_url="" class="fusion-standard-logo" /> </a></div><div id="desktop-nav-container" class="nav-container desktop-nav-container"><div class="menu-primary-navigation-container"><ul id="desktop-navigation" class="desktop-navigation"><li id="menu-item-195" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-195"><a href="https://latina.com/culture/">Culture</a></li><li id="menu-item-194" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-194"><a href="https://latina.com/self/">Self</a></li><li id="menu-item-193" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-193"><a href="https://latina.com/news/">News</a></li></ul></div></div><div id="search-box-container"> <button class="search search-button search-trigger" type="button"> <noscript><img src="/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/latina-search-icon.png" height="26" width="26" /></noscript><img src='data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%2026%2026%22%3E%3C/svg%3E' class="lazyload" data-src="/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/assets/img/latina-search-icon.png" id="latina-search-icon" height="26" width="26" /> </button></div></div></div><div id="hamburger-box-container"> <button class="hamburger hamburger--spin hamburger-helper" type="button"> <span class="hamburger-box"> <span class="hamburger-inner"></span> </span> </button></div><div id="flyout-menu"><div id="hamburger-box-container-2-row" class="fusion-row" style="position:relative; max-width:1350px;"><div id="hamburger-box-container-2"> <button class="hamburger hamburger-2 hamburger--spin hamburger-helper" type="button"> <span class="hamburger-box"> <span class="hamburger-inner"></span> </span> </button></div></div><div class="d-block text-center"> <a href="https://latina.com/"> <img src="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NEW_Latina_Logo.svg" alt="Latina Logo" class="fusion-menu-logo"> </a></div><div class="d-block"><div class="fusion-clearfix"></div><div class="fusion-mobile-menu-search"><form role="search" class="searchform fusion-search-form  fusion-search-form-classic" method="get" action="https://latina.com/"><div class="fusion-search-form-content"><div class="fusion-search-field search-field"> <label><span class="screen-reader-text">Search for:</span> <input type="search" value="" name="s" class="s" placeholder="Search..." required aria-required="true" aria-label="Search..."/> </label></div><div class="fusion-search-button search-button"> <input type="submit" class="fusion-search-submit searchsubmit" aria-label="Search" value="&#xf002;" /></div></div></form></div></div><div class="d-block"><div class="menu-primary-navigation-container"><ul id="mobile-navigation" class="mobile-navigation"><li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-195"><a href="https://latina.com/culture/">Culture</a></li><li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-194"><a href="https://latina.com/self/">Self</a></li><li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-193"><a href="https://latina.com/news/">News</a></li></ul></div></div><div id="social-media-links-container" class="d-block"> <a href="https://instagram.com/latina" target="_blank" class="text-decoration-none social-media-link"><i class="fab fa-instagram fa-2x"></i></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/latina" target="_blank" class="text-decoration-none social-media-link"><i class="fab fa-twitter fa-2x"></i></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/latinamagazine" target="_blank" class="text-decoration-none social-media-link"><i class="fab fa-facebook-f fa-2x"></i></a></div></div></div><div class="fusion-clearfix"></div></header><div id="sliders-container" class="fusion-slider-visibility"></div><main id="main" class="clearfix "><div class="fusion-row" style=""><div class="authorListingMain"><div class="container"><div class="authorDesc"><div class="authorName"><h3 class="authorNameH3"> Author:</h3><p class="authorPostCount"> has published 0 articles.</p></div></div><div class="authorDivider"><hr ><hr></div><div class="authorListing container"><div class='noPostFound'>No post found.</div></div><div class="paginationAuthor"><div class="pagination"></div></div></div></div></div></main><div class="fusion-footer"></div></div></div> <a class="fusion-one-page-text-link fusion-page-load-link" tabindex="-1" href="#" aria-hidden="true">Page load link</a><div class="avada-footer-scripts"> <script type="text/javascript">var fusionNavIsCollapsed=function(e){var t,n;window.innerWidth<=e.getAttribute("data-breakpoint")?(e.classList.add("collapse-enabled"),e.classList.remove("awb-menu_desktop"),e.classList.contains("expanded")||window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("fusion-mobile-menu-collapsed",{detail:{nav:e}})),(n=e.querySelectorAll(".menu-item-has-children.expanded")).length&&n.forEach(function(e){e.querySelector(".awb-menu__open-nav-submenu_mobile").setAttribute("aria-expanded","false")})):(null!==e.querySelector(".menu-item-has-children.expanded .awb-menu__open-nav-submenu_click")&&e.querySelector(".menu-item-has-children.expanded .awb-menu__open-nav-submenu_click").click(),e.classList.remove("collapse-enabled"),e.classList.add("awb-menu_desktop"),null!==e.querySelector(".awb-menu__main-ul")&&e.querySelector(".awb-menu__main-ul").removeAttribute("style")),e.classList.add("no-wrapper-transition"),clearTimeout(t),t=setTimeout(()=>{e.classList.remove("no-wrapper-transition")},400),e.classList.remove("loading")},fusionRunNavIsCollapsed=function(){var e,t=document.querySelectorAll(".awb-menu");for(e=0;e<t.length;e++)fusionNavIsCollapsed(t[e])};function avadaGetScrollBarWidth(){var e,t,n,l=document.createElement("p");return l.style.width="100%",l.style.height="200px",(e=document.createElement("div")).style.position="absolute",e.style.top="0px",e.style.left="0px",e.style.visibility="hidden",e.style.width="200px",e.style.height="150px",e.style.overflow="hidden",e.appendChild(l),document.body.appendChild(e),t=l.offsetWidth,e.style.overflow="scroll",t==(n=l.offsetWidth)&&(n=e.clientWidth),document.body.removeChild(e),jQuery("html").hasClass("awb-scroll")&&10<t-n?10:t-n}fusionRunNavIsCollapsed(),window.addEventListener("fusion-resize-horizontal",fusionRunNavIsCollapsed);</script><script type="speculationrules">{"prefetch":[{"source":"document","where":{"and":[{"href_matches":"/*"},{"not":{"href_matches":["/wp-*.php","/wp-admin/*","/wp-content/uploads/*","/wp-content/*","/wp-content/plugins/*","/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/*","/wp-content/themes/Avada/*","/*\\?(.+)"]}},{"not":{"selector_matches":"a[rel~=\"nofollow\"]"}},{"not":{"selector_matches":".no-prefetch, .no-prefetch a"}}]},"eagerness":"conservative"}]}</script> <noscript><style>.lazyload{display:none;}</style></noscript><script data-noptimize="1">window.lazySizesConfig=window.lazySizesConfig||{};window.lazySizesConfig.loadMode=1;</script><script async data-noptimize="1" src='https://latina.com/wp-content/plugins/autoptimize/classes/external/js/lazysizes.min.js'></script><script type="text/javascript" async='async' src="https://latina.com/wp-content/uploads/fusion-scripts/9b89489764e3c180ef1a8b0a8fc0a6e8.min.js" id="fusion-scripts-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">jQuery( document ).ready( function() {
					var ajaxurl = 'https://latina.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php';
					if ( 0 < jQuery( '.fusion-login-nonce' ).length ) {
						jQuery.get( ajaxurl, { 'action': 'fusion_login_nonce' }, function( response ) {
							jQuery( '.fusion-login-nonce' ).html( response );
						});
					}
				});</script> </div></body></html>