Outliers and Outlaws: The Untold Story of Eugene’s Lesbian History and the Radical Women Who Built a New World
- Patty Rose
- Apr 3
- 4 min read
There’s history, and then there’s hidden history—the kind that shapes communities but rarely makes it into textbooks. Eugene, Oregon, was once known as the “lesbian mecca” of the Pacific Northwest, a city where women searching for freedom, identity, and community could find each other and create something revolutionary.
The Outliers and Outlaws project, developed by the University of Oregon, brings this history to light. Through filmed oral histories, archival research, and a documentary film, it tells the story of the lesbian movement in Eugene from the 1960s through the 1990s. But the story doesn’t stop at the city’s limits. Just outside of Eugene, another radical experiment was unfolding: the Oregon Women’s Land Trust (OWLT), a feminist land project founded in the 1970s that still exists today.
Together, these two histories paint a picture of resilience, activism, and the drive to build something new when the world didn’t offer a place of belonging.
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Eugene: A Haven for Women Seeking Freedom
The 1960s and ‘70s were a time of upheaval in America—civil rights movements were reshaping the country, feminism was gaining traction, and LGBTQ+ communities were beginning to organize for recognition and rights. In the middle of it all, Eugene emerged as an unlikely hotspot for women who wanted to live openly as lesbians in a time when that was anything but easy.
Why Eugene? The city had a perfect storm of ingredients:
• A progressive university that attracted students questioning mainstream ideas
• A thriving countercultural movement that valued communal living and alternative lifestyles
• A growing feminist movement that encouraged women to break free from traditional roles
Women came to Eugene looking for something different—some escaping restrictive small towns, others leaving behind marriages that didn’t fit, and many searching for a sense of belonging they had never found elsewhere.
Linda McIntosh, one of the women interviewed for the Outliers and Outlaws project, recalled the electrifying energy of the time:
“People were just inventing themselves. It was like you can be whatever you want. And so it was just this incredibly vibrant, empowering time in this town.”
Eugene wasn’t just a place to live; it was a place to create—from feminist bookstores to lesbian-owned businesses, from political organizations to cultural events that centered queer identity. The city became a hub for activism, art, and community-building.
But as much as Eugene provided opportunities, it also wasn’t without challenges. The women who built this community faced discrimination, societal rejection, and, in some cases, outright hostility. It took resilience to claim space, to fight for equal rights, and to create a culture where queer people could thrive.
The Outliers and Outlaws project preserves this history, featuring the voices of 83 women who lived through this era. Their stories are raw, honest, and filled with both struggle and triumph. They remind us that progress isn’t inevitable—it’s built by those willing to push against the status quo.
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The Oregon Women’s Land Trust: A New Kind of Utopia
While many women in Eugene were busy organizing and building urban spaces for themselves, others were looking for something even more radical—a life completely outside mainstream society. The Oregon Women’s Land Trust (OWLT), founded in 1975, was the answer.
This was not just a commune, and it wasn’t simply about escaping city life. The women who created OWLT had a bold vision: to hold land in trust for women, to live in harmony with nature, and to build a community where women could thrive on their own terms.
In 1976, the trust purchased 147 acres of land, a rugged, forested stretch of hills and meadows with a year-round creek. It was remote, beautiful, and full of possibility. Women at OWLT built their own homes, developed skills in farming and sustainability, and embraced a life guided by feminist and ecological principles.
“It was about more than just land—it was about reclaiming power, about creating a space where we didn’t have to ask permission to exist.” —OWLT member
This was not an easy life. The land was wild, and resources were limited. Women had to learn how to construct buildings, grow their own food, and live with the unpredictability of nature. But that was part of the point—the challenge was also the liberation.
Unlike traditional land ownership, OWLT was designed to be held in trust, meaning no single person could claim it as their own. The land existed for women, by women, ensuring that future generations could continue to benefit from it.
Today, OWLT still exists, standing as one of the longest-running women’s land projects in the country. While the numbers of full-time residents have decreased, the land continues to serve as a retreat, a meeting place, and a reminder that alternative ways of living are possible.
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Why This History Matters
It’s easy to think of history as something that happens in far-off places, in major cities, or on the steps of the Supreme Court. But the truth is, change often begins in the margins—in small towns, in forgotten communities, in the stories that don’t always make the headlines.
The women who built Eugene’s lesbian community and the Oregon Women’s Land Trust weren’t just living their lives; they were creating a blueprint for future generations. They were proving that it was possible to live openly, to challenge societal norms, and to build new structures when the old ones failed them.
Today, as LGBTQ+ rights continue to be debated, as conversations about gender and identity evolve, and as people search for new ways to live sustainably and in community, these stories remain deeply relevant.
If Eugene’s lesbian history tells us anything, it’s this: Change is made by people willing to imagine something different—and then go out and build it.
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Want to Learn More?
Explore the Outliers & Outlaws project and watch interviews from the women who lived this history: Outliers & Outlaws
Interested in the Oregon Women’s Land Trust and the ongoing work of preserving land for women? Visit Oregon Women’s Land Trust.
Because history isn’t just about the past—it’s about understanding how we got here and where we go next.
Patty Rose is the host of
Spent the Rent Podcast
Listen and Watch on Spotify, YouTube, and strpod.com
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