Key CWLU Documents


1. Political Principles of the CWLU - The political principles were adopted at the CWLU’s founding conference in 1969. They were amended by the substitution of “sexism” for “male supremacy” and by the addition of the phrase “Included in this struggle is the struggle for the right of sexual self-determination for all people and for the liberation of all homosexuals, especially lesbians.” in 1972. Click here to see the political principles.

2. Some Thoughts On Program - This paper, drafted by a CWLU chapter and adopted by the organization in 1971, established a framework for determining which programs to undertake and for assessing whether CWLU program would be effective in achieving the liberation of women, its stated goal. Click here to see the complete paper.

3. Socialist Feminism: A Strategy for the Women’s Movement - The paper, drafted by a CWLU chapter and adopted by the organization in 1972, established an overall strategy for building, expanding, and strengthening the women’s liberation movement. Click here to see the complete paper.

4. Lesbianism and Socialist Feminism - This paper, again drafted by a CWLU group and also adopted in 1972, set forth an analysis how women's oppression and gay people's oppression are related to each other, and of the relationship of lesbianism to the women's movement. Click here to see the complete paper.

5. Leading the CWLU into Outreach - his paper, written by two CWLU activists, advocated an expanded type of outreach Click here to see the complete paper.

Additional resources:
6. The Longest Revolution - This article by British Marxist Juliet Mitchell, first published: in New Left Review, no. 40, December 1966, was widely read by CWLU activists and formed the basis for “Some Thoughts on Program,” one of the guiding CWLU documents listed above.

7. Publishing Feminisms Symposium Presentation - This presentation on the CWLU outreach newspaper WOMANKIND was part of the Publishing Feminisms Symposium held in Banff, Alberta, Canada May 17-20, 2015. The presentation is available at WOMANKIND: A Case Study.

8. Chicago Women’s Liberation's Rock Band, 1970-1973: A Memoir and Reflection on -Badass Boffo Revolutionary Feminist Music, by Naomi Weisstein. This article was published in summer, 2014, by New Politics, and is available here.

9. Original presentations on the CWLU at the Boston Conference on Women's Liberation at Boston University, March 27-29, 2014, are available at the following links. The additional papers by Heather BoothVivian RothsteinChris RiddioughDiane HorwitzChris George and Mardge Cohen are available on the conference web site.



POLITICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CWLU

Adopted November, 1969, at the CWLU Founding Conference at Palatine

The struggle for women's liberation is a revolutionary struggle.

Women's liberation is essential to the liberation of all oppressed people.

Women's liberation will not be achieved until all people are free.

We will struggle for the liberation of women and against male supremacy in all sections of society.

We will struggle against racism, imperialism, and capitalism, and dedicate ourselves to developing a consciousness of their effect on women.

We are dedicated to a democratic organization and understand that a way to ensure democracy is through full exchange of information and ideas, full political debate, and through unity of theory and practice.

We are committed to building a movement that embodies within it the humane values of the society for which we are fighting. To win this struggle, we must resist exploitative, manipulative, and intolerant attitudes in ourselves. We need to be supportive of each other, to have enthusiasm for change in ourselves and in society, and to have faith that people have unending energy and ability to change.


POLITICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CWLU

As amended, November, 1972, at the CWLU Membership Conference at People’s Church

The struggle for women's liberation is a revolutionary struggle.

Women's liberation is essential to the liberation of all oppressed people.

Women's liberation will not be achieved until all people are free.

We will struggle for the liberation of women and against sexism in all sections of society. Included in this struggle is the struggle for the right of sexual self-determination for all people and for the liberation of all homosexuals, especially lesbians.

We will struggle against racism, imperialism, and capitalism, and dedicate ourselves to developing a consciousness of their effect on women.

We are dedicated to a democratic organization and understand that a way to ensure democracy is through full exchange of information and ideas, full political debate, and through unity of theory and practice.

We are committed to building a movement that embodies within it the humane values of the society for which we are fighting. To win this struggle, we must resist exploitative, manipulative, and intolerant attitudes in ourselves. We need to be supportive of each other, to have enthusiasm for change in ourselves and in society, and to have faith that people have unending energy and ability to change.

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