Lorraine Fontana

Lorraine Fontana is a working-class dyke from Queens, New York. Since early on, she has supported the civil rights movement, Black empowerment, and anti-war activism.

After graduating from Queens College, City University of New York, Lorraine Fontana came to Atlanta in 1968, where she joined VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), which was part of the war on poverty that led to the Economic Opportunity Act. While attending Emory graduate school there, she came out as a lesbian among other leftist feminist women who founded the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance (ALFA) in 1972.

Lorraine Fontana later used her legal training from the People’s College of Law (1976-79), and her JD from Atlanta Law School (1981), when working at Georgia Legal Services, at the EEOC, and at Lambda Legal.

Lorraine Fontanta, laughing

See also:

GSU Women and Gender Archives Interview, Part 1

GSU Women and Gender Archives Interview, Part 2

GSU Great Speckled Bird interview, Part I

GSU Great Speckled Bird interview, Part II

Touching Up Our Roots: Georgia’s LGBTQ Story Project interview

Atlanta Progressive News Story regarding MMGA arrest protesting RFRA bill in office of Georgia Assembly sponsor of the bill.

WABE NPR, Atlanta, article; Lorraine Fontana reflects on building, growing lesbian community in Atlanta

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