Billye Talmadge, Ph.D., H.W.M. December 7, 1929

(Billye Talmadge at 7:25PM on October 24, 2018 in Portland.)

You may not know her name, but you know her work, She was one of the founders of Daughters of Bilitis, She, Del Martin, Phyl Lyons, Helen Sandoz and more were at the forefront of LGBT liberation in the 50s and 60s. They shelter young lesbians, hired an attorney to help extricate lesbians from jail (it was a jail-able offense in most states to be a lesbian). Held private gatherings in their homes so lesbians had a safe place to meet. Her wise counsel helped many young women to accept themselves. Billye served as Vice President of DOB until the organization turned more toward a political agenda. Billye’s felt the greater need was to help Lesbians adjust and handle their personal life. She formed group counseling sessions called Gab and Javas. With 2 Ph.D.’s in education, she was at the foremost a teacher. She won the Golden Apple Award for her work with blind and deaf children. Anyone who ever heard her speak will never forget her velvet voice and ability to reach the very soul of those who would hear. . The Ladder, the DOB’s newsletter bearing several of Talmadge’s own writings, was widely quoted in the legal briefings leading to the Supreme Court One, Inc. v. Olesen decision that determined homosexual writings did not violate obscenity laws.

In the middle 60’s Billye attended the Mattachine in Society. May 31-June 2,1964 Billye led a meeting of 17 and 3 lesbians and a group of ministers. Out of this came the Council on Religion and Homosexual. Thane was a part of this meeting and is where she met Thane and became involved with The Prosperos. Billye taught for the Prosperos the rest of her life. She taught upcoming mentors about teaching and counseling. She ran the ISC in Santa Monica, Ca. for several years. She and Thane produced the Aloha Retreats in the 1970s. She added the technique of Auto Conditioning to the RHS class. Later in life, she received a degree in hypnosis counseling.

Peaceful crossing Billye… Thank you for all you gave us.