Making Gay History | LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive Season 1: Episode 8: Dear Abby
Dec 1, 2016
Abigail Van Buren, famously known as Dear Abby, was a pioneering advice columnist and a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights. In the conversation, she reflects on the early days of her career, addressing readers' heartfelt struggles with their identities. The discussion highlights the challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals in conservative small towns and the evolution of media representation in the 1970s. Abby shares her courageous journey advocating for acceptance and love, leaving a lasting legacy that resonates within the LGBTQ community.
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Early Public Defense Of Gay People
- Abigail Van Buren argued in the 1950s that homosexuality was natural and not a disease.
- She used warmth and common-sense to reach tens of millions through her column.
Letter From A Man Seeking To Be Straight
- A letterer wrote they were gay but wanted a wife, children, and a normal social life and had failed therapies to change.
- Abigail answered that feelings don't easily change and urged being true to oneself.
Using Psychiatric Authority To Shift Views
- Abigail cited experts like Franz Alexander to support that homosexuality isn't a disease and likely incurable by therapy.
- She used that authority to shift public perception away from pathology.
