Phyllis Lyon

Contributions and Distinctions

Phyllis Lyon was a gay rights activist for over 50 years. She was one of the founding members of The Daughter of Bilitis which served as a lesbian community and activist group. She helped to ensure that the fundamental right to marry under the California Constitution belongs to all couples, including lesbian and gay couples. On February 12, 2004 in a ceremony officiated by the then-mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyons had a historic marriage when they became the first known same-sex couple to be legally married in a civil ceremony in the United States. 

Biographical Sketch  

Phyllis Lyon (1924-2020) was a pioneer in the struggle for lesbian rights. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and moved to Northern California where she spent the majority of her life. In 1946 she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and began working as a reporter for Chico Enterprise-Record and later on worked as part of the editorial staff of two Seattle magazines. While working as journalists in Seattle, she met Del Martin, whom she entered into a partnership with in 1952 before moving to San Francisco together in 1953. As an activist for feminism and gay-rights, Lyon and her partner founded an organization called The Daughter of Bilitis alongside six other women with the goal of establishing social venues in which lesbians could create a sense of community. As a journalist, writer and editor, Lyon played a large role in publishing The Ladder (1956) which at the time was the only lesbian magazine published in the United States. Thirty years later, she wrote Lesbian/Woman alongside her spouse Del Martin. Lyon was able to be an activist with her skills as a writer.