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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2026 47 This month our selection for the Famous LGBT Americans series is Billye Talmadge, a lesbian educator, activist and one of the first members of the earliest lesbian rights organization in the U.S., the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). Talmadge was born in 1929 in Missouri and raised in Oklahoma by her mother, a single parent. In an interview in 1989, Talmadge recalled her early college years in the late 1940s in Kansas and her strong desire to want to understand her sexual feelings. If she had been open about her orientation, she "could be thrown out of the campus in nothing f lat." She subsequently heard that a particular female student was lesbian. She worked up the courage to talk with her, adding, "I asked her every question I could think of. And she would answer to the best of her ability anything that I put to her." Upon her graduation from college, Talmadge worked for Boeing. Subsequently, she became an elementary school teacher, obtained two Ph.D.s in education and won awards related to her teaching of blind and deaf children. At one point, Talmadge was invited to attend a house party of the DOB shortly after their creation. The DOB, formed in San Francisco in 1955, started out as a secret social club and as an alternative to lesbian bars, which were subject to police raids. The attendees at the gathering changed the focus of the DOB from a social group to an activist one. Talmadge became very involved with the DOB, including helping to write its statement of purpose. With Talmadge's effort, educational programs were developed to promote knowledge among lesbians regarding their legal and civil rights. This included developing procedures and scripts to follow upon arrest and in the courts. Subsequently, Talmadge wrote articles for e Ladder, the DOB's newsletter. e Ladder ended up being widely quoted in the legal briefings leading to the 1958 Supreme Court's One, Inc. v. Olesen decision that determined that homosexual writings did not violate obscenity laws. Talmadge lived for 20 years with her long- time partner, Marcia Herndon. Herndon died in 1997, and Talmadge died in 2018. For more information and for the sources for this article, please go to the Rainbow Group's Facebook page or request a copy via our email (rainbowgroup@myyahoo.com). The locations and times of Rainbow Group events are available via our Facebook page or email. ~ Dan Hazeltine and Frank Galvan Rainbow Group Welcome to 2026. The holiday season has passed, and that was too quick for my liking. It was over in the blink of an eye. Our regular meeting is on Thursday, Jan. 15. Doors will open at 5:15 pm. Membership renewal is now due. The annual dues are $30 per member, with an additional monthly fee of $10 per member (for a total of $40 per person). You will receive the much-coveted TDV Wine Glass with your membership. Jonas Fuchs from 123 Farms will be our guest presenter, sharing their Black Bench wines with us. It might come as a surprise that the farm produces its own wine. In addition to hosting festivals, 123 Farms cultivates grapes for winemaking. Jonas will provide us with all the details, making for an informative and engaging presentation. Remember, bring a bottle of wine to enjoy between the tastings. Only one glass (as you will get a new glass with your membership) and something to share with your table. If you have any ideas for future wines or topics, please call or email me. ~ Tom DePaola, tomdepaola@roadrunner.com, (714) 404-1956 Taste d'Vine Billye Talmadge, 1990s. Photo by Suzanne Deakins

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