During the 1970s, a growing number of lesbian feminists left cities and suburbs and moved to rural areas across the United States. Part of a broader "back-to-the-land" movement, these women sought to create communities where they could live more independently and build supportive networks. What emerged became known as the lesbian land movement, a little-known chapter of American history that continues to influence conversations about community and sustainability today.
Southern Oregon became one of the movement's first and most significant centers. Historians estimate that dozens of communities were established in the region beginning in the early 1970s, attracting women from across the United States. On these lands, daily life revolved around cooperation and self-sufficiency. Women grew food, cared for wells and forests, shared resources, and passed along practical skills that helped both the community and the land thrive.
One of the best-known examples is the Oregon Women's Land Trust, commonly known as OWL Farm. Established in 1976, the trust was created to preserve land for women and future generations. Its founding principles included protecting natural resources and fostering a community that could live in greater harmony with the environment. Today, nearly fifty years later, OWL Farm remains one of the longest-running examples of the lesbian land movement.
The movement later stretched far beyond Southern Oregon. Across the United States, and in some cases internationally. Women established land-based communities connected through a broader network of lesbian feminism. Many participants brought experience from social and political movements such as Civil Rights, Women's Liberation, Gay Liberation, and the New Left. As these communities grew, they became hubs for organizing, art, and knowledge-sharing. Ideas about community living, self-sufficiency, land stewardship, and creative expression traveled between communities, helping shape both lesbian culture and the legacy of the movement itself.
Like many social movements, the lesbian land movement faced challenges. Some communities struggled financially. Others navigated disagreements about governance, ownership, and the future of the land. Over time, many communities dissolved, while others adapted to changing circumstances and new generations of residents.
Yet the movement's legacy remains significant. Historians and researchers continue to document the experiences of the women who built these communities, recognizing their contributions to both LGBTQ+ history and broader conversations about sustainable living. They experimented with questions that remain important: How do we live within the limits of our environment? How do we care for shared resources? What responsibilities do we have to the land and water that sustain us?
Those questions are at the heart of environmental protection efforts today.
