As equality was a priority for lesbian feminists, disparity of roles between men and women or butch and femme were viewed as patriarchal. A dispute as to whether the primary focus of their political aims should be feminism or gay rights led to the dissolution of some lesbian organizations, including the Daughters of Bilitis, which was founded by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon but disbanded in 1970 following disputes over which goal should take precedence. Īs lesbians forged more public identities, the phrase 'gay and lesbian' became more common.
The first widely used term, homosexual, now a term used primarily in scientific contexts, has at times carried negative connotations in the United States. LGBT publications, pride parades, and related events, such as this stage at Bologna Pride 2008 in Italy, increasingly drop the LGBT initialism instead of regularly adding new letters, and dealing with issues of placement of those letters within the new title.
