This exhibit celebrates the 50th Anniversary of HERIZON, a Women’s Social Space. Birthed in Binghamton in 1975, opening at 77 State Street and closing in 1991 at our final location of 213 State Street – – now home to The Cooperative Gallery.
The idea was to create a social club, in structure not unlike existing Social Clubs of the time. The impetus for the women whose conception became Herizon was the desire to have a safe space for women, lesbians and supportive straight women to gather without risk of harassment and violence.
Herizon (Changing Herizons, Inc.) was a private lesbian social club active in Binghamton, New York from 1975 to 1991 with over 300 members at its peak offering lesbian and women-centered social space for events: promoting visual art, music and plays written and performed by women, primarily lesbians. We learned how to take control, developing resources & building community. We organized locally, supported national political actions and arranged bus trips to marches covering Anti-War, HIV/AIDS, and Women’s Reproductive Rights and Violence against Women.
We were involved, we worked, hard, and we partied: this Anniversary Show is about family, nostalgia, fun times, warm memories of heartbreaking loss, and we offer a glimpse of our shared memories, presented in murals by Judy Salton, a collage series by MaryRose (a.k.a. “MR”), photographs and memorability of the women of HERIZON. This, our chosen family, gathered ‘round, protected, inspired and gave those who could, the courage to step out, stand up and speak out.
The history and legacy of Herizon has been preserved at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, LHEF, Inc, Brooklyn NY; Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC; and “Herizon/Changing Herizons, Inc.” at the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections. The experience is preserved and woven into our hearts.
