Oral History: Ruth Mahaney
Oral History
From her conservative upbringing in the Midwest, Ruth Mahaney became a stalwart in San Francisco's left and lesbian communities in the last decades of the 20th century. This oral history traces her early days in the New Left and feminist movements to her arrival and coming out in San Francisco, her many years as a teacher and professor, member of the Modern Times Bookstore collective, as well as her memories of the Lesbian community in and around Valencia Street.
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Excerpts of this interview appear in the following clips:
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Molly Martin, interviewed in February 2019, and Ruth Mahaney, interviewed in December 2018, speak about their memories of lesbian bars in the 1970s and 1980s.
Video: Shaping San Francisco
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Ruth Mahaney and Molly Martin, interviewed in late 2018 and early 2019 respectively, remember early encounters with feminist bookstores and lesbian printing.
Video: Shaping San Francisco