Margie Adam oral history interview transcript

Margie Adam Interview Lyon-Martin House Oral History Project
ABSTRACT
Margie Adam is a singer-songwriter and activist. She met Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon in the 1970s through her partner. She talks about walking up to the Lyon-Martin house as a “pilgrimage” for lesbian feminists of her generation, noting that their picture window looked out on San Francisco and the world. This was symbolic of Del and Phyllis’ expansive view of life and activism. She describes the power of the small house, going to parties there in “shifts,” because so many people wanted to attend, but couldn’t fit inside the house at the same time. Margie was also part of a group of women who took it upon themselves to help Del and Phyllis stay in their home as they aged, trying to get a chairlift installed and arranging for caregivers (or “carers” as Margie describes them). She imagines the future use of the house as an archive or retreat focused on lesbian history, broadly defined. Located at 651 Duncan Street in San Francisco, the Lyon-Martin House is the former home of lesbian activists Phyllis Lyon (1924-2020) and Del Martin (1921-2008). In 2021, the City of San Francisco designated the Lyon-Martin House a City Landmark in recognition of its association, through Lyon and Martin, with the lesbian rights, homophile, and marriage equality movements.