Communists in Closets: Bettina Aptheker in dialogue with Sarah Schulman
Thursday, April 13, 2023
6:00 pm — 8:00 pm
Hybrid (see description for details)
Open to the Public
Bettina Aptheker, in a rare New York live appearance will be discussing her fascinating new book about queer people and the Communist Party.
Bettina Aptheker's book transforms our understanding of the roots of many crucial aspects of queer liberation, tracing their foundations to rejection by the party and analysis and organizing skills learned in the party. Subjects include Harry Hay and the creation of Mattachine, Lorraine Hansberry and the Broadway production of Raisin In The Sun, Alix Dobkin and the creation of lesbian separatism and women's music, The founding of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and Angela Davis's role in and influence by the Communist Party.
Bettina will be interviewed by Sarah Schulman, Kessler Prize awardee by the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies.
Bettina Aptheker is a Distinguished Professor Emerita, Feminist Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz where she taught for more than 40 years, and had over 17,000 students in the course of her career. An activist-scholar she co-led the Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley in 1964, and the National Student Mobilization Committee To End the War in Vietnam. She was a member of the Communist Party from 1962-1981. She has been part of the LGBT movement since the late 1970s, She has published several books including, The Morning Breaks: The Trial of Angela Davis, Tapestries of Life: Women’s Work, Women’s Consciousness and the Meaning of Daily Experience, and a memoir, Intimate Politics: How I Grew Up Red, Fought for Free Speech & Became A Feminist Rebel that was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in 2006. She and her wife, Kate Miller, have been together since 1979. They live in Santa Cruz.
Location and Live-Streamed
This event will be held at the Graduate Center's Skylight room and live-streamed via CLAGS Youtube channel.
COVID-19/BUILDING ENTRY POLICY
CUNY attendees must show proof of vaccination by presenting a valid CUNY Access Pass through the CLEARED4 health validation platform upon entry. Non-CUNY visitors will need to show proof of ID by presenting a valid government-issued photo document. See the full Building Entry Policy for more information.