Following the death of iconic lesbian activist and feminist Ivy Bottini, who briefly served as the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s director of women’s programs, Center CEO Lorri L. Jean issued the following statement:
“Today Ivy Bottini died at the age of 94, and our community lost a tireless activist and queer community shero. Ivy spent most of her life fighting for the rights of women and LGBT people. As a feminist leader, she co-founded the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women, rising to the rank of chapter President. A graphic designer, she created the NOW logo that is still used today. She also organized a pioneering public forum titled Is Lesbianism a Feminist Issue? becoming the first to urge NOW to include lesbian rights as part of its platform. This caused Betty Friedan to dub Ivy a ‘lavender menace’ and eventually vote her out of NOW.
“After moving to Los Angeles in 1971, Ivy became a well-known lesbian leader. A few of her many accomplishments included: co-founding such organizations as AIDS Project Los Angeles and Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing and co-chairing the City of West Hollywood Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board from 2000–2010. For a short time in the 1970s, she also worked at the Center as the director of its women’s programs. Once Ivy overcame years of struggle to accept her lesbianism, she never hesitated to express her opinion and never ceased her efforts to make the world a better place for LGBT people.
“Rest in peace, Ivy.”
