Cathy Gorman & Marge Moskol / Members RIWA & ORIOLES
ORIOLE
Logo for Organization of Rhode Island Older Les Energy
Name/Title
Cathy Gorman & Marge Moskol / Members RIWA & ORIOLESEntry/Object ID
EAP-5Scope and Content
Catherine “Cathy” Gorman and Marjorie Moskol, two early members of the Rhode Island Women’s Association (RIWA) and the Organization of Rhode Island Older Les Energy (ORIOLES), discuss the genesis of the two notable organizations that emerged from the feminist and lesbian movements of the 1970s and 1980s. While both organizations shared parallel goals of providing Lesbians with a sense community, their demographics and activities reflected the separate and distinct interests of their membership. Interview Recorded: February 8, 2025, Digital RecorderContext
Rhode Island Women’s Association (RIWA) was established as a women’s social group in 1978 as an alternative to the bars. The organization has been through many iterations over the years and still exists in 2025. In 1983, Marge Moskol and some of the older members of RIWA, in response to lowering the age of the group, deiced to organize a sub-group known as Organization of Rhode Island Older Les Energy (ORIOLES).Category
Interviews and Stories - Collection