Clio's Musings

By Paula A. Copestick

Dorothea Lynde Dix was born on April 4, 1802 in Hampden, Maine. She is credited with founding 32 state mental hospitals and was the inspiration for many more in America and throughout the world. By: using her skills as a writer and speaker, she helped lay the groundwork for advances in psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. One of her former students recalled her as teaching with an "iron will from which it was hopeless to appeal.'

Exhaustion and tuberculosis forced her to rest and finally to retire from teaching. Then in March, 1841, the turning point of her life occurred. A Unitarian friend asked her to teach Sunday School in the East Cambridge jail, where she saw, mixed in with criminals, unkempt and shivering women whose only crime was "insanity". Their quarters were foul, bare

and unheated. The jailer told her that "lunatics" had no sense of cold, which angered her enough to summon help from the press. Soon heat was provided for the women.

Ms. Dix surveyed every jail, almshouse, and house of correction in Massachusetts. A report was made to the state legislature which resulted in appropriation of funds expanding facilities for the mentally ill. After this success, she moved into many other states. Gradually, she turned to the national legislature and spent most of the rest of her life in Washington, D.C. During the Civil War, Dix was appointed superintendent of army nurses on June 10, 1861. After the war, she returned to visiting hospitals and prisons. She died July 18, 1887 at the age of 83 in Trenton, New Jersey at a state hospital she helped to build. Reference:

James, Edward T., ed. Notable American Women: 1607-1950. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1971.

Windows Boycott (continued from page 2)

14. There was no TV coverage, although all channels were notified; The Cleveland Press, however, ran a very positive front-page article on March 15. That same night, 8 women demonstrated, and the Plain Dealer carried a photograph and short caption the next day. Demonstrations were also held against the movie on March 21 and 22.

Despite short notice, we were able to get 26 people together for the first demonstration, and smaller numbers for subsequent demonstrations. We gained some media attention and raised the issue of violence toward women and the way Windows distorted Lesbianism and rape. If all we did was to get some people thinking about violence against women, we were successful.

Letter (continued from page 2)

怨

traction is just another normal manifestation of sex-

ual attraction. Lesbian transexuals find satisfaction in loving women as women.

Finally, it seems obvious for anyone who has #udied the literature that transexuality has existed, like homosexuality, throughout time. Just as a cerlain percentage of the population is gay, so a statistical percentage is transexual. Only because the surgical techniques for alleviating it have recently been developed have people become aware of it. Many of us are acquiring a new sense of identity, and pride in who and what we are. And just as a certain percentage of us will continue to be transexual, so á certain percentage of us will go on loving other

Women.

-Riki Anne Wilchins

It is important to continue our campaign against violence against women via television, radio, magazines, newspapers and billboards. We need a concentrated group effort to counteract this violence. One way you can help is to join the Take Back the Night Committee. We are currently working on plans for the second TBTN March to be held August 2, 1980. This march will be part of a national TBTN effort to affirm our right not to be locked upprisoners in our own homes (which are not safe either). We meet approximately every two weeks.

The next meeting will be the week of April 7. Please -calf-Louise (641-9481) or Beverly (281-1726) for the exact date and time.

century photography

JANET CENTURY

Studio Commercials/Location/Portraits/Celebrations/Documentary 2305 S. Overlook Rd., Cleveland Hts.. Ohio 44106 Telephone 791-7278

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