Citation: The Ladder, October 1957
The Daughters of Bilitis began as a secret social organization. It was meant to provide an environment for lesbians to socialize as an alternative to the bars.
Early on, with a total membership of about eight people, the organization split. About half of the members wanted to open the meetings to the public. The other half, fearful of the consequences they could face, didn’t. So they split and The Daughters of Bilitis opened their meetings to the public.
They began hosting educational meetings open to anyone who was interested. Normally, they included a guest speaker about some topic related to queer issues. They also had Gab ’n’ Java meetings at different members' houses which were meant to be guided discussions. They talked about their sexualities, how to handle family and employers, and also socialized and had a good time.
They also created their own magazine which became the first lesbian publication distributed nationally across the United States.