Marie Equi: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions

by Michael Helquist

Marie Equi explores the fiercely independent life of an extraordinary woman. Born of Italian-Irish parents in 1872, Marie Equi endured childhood labor in a gritty Massachusetts textile mill before fleeing to an Oregon homestead with her first longtime woman companion, who described her as impulsive, earnest, and kind-hearted. These traits, along with courage, stubborn resolve, and a passion for justice, propelled Equi through an unparalleled life journey.  

Equi self-studied her way into a San Francisco medical school and then obtained her license in Portland to become one of the first practicing woman physicians in the Pacific Northwest. From Pendleton, Portland, Seattle and beyond to Boston and San Francisco, she leveraged her professional status to fight for woman suffrage, labor rights, and reproductive freedom. She mounted soapboxes, fought with police, and spent a night in jail with birth control advocate Margaret Sanger. Equi marched so often with unemployed men that the media referred to them as her army. She battled for economic justice at every turn and protested the U.S. entry into World War I, leading to a conviction for sedition and a three-year sentence in San Quentin. Breaking boundaries in all facets of life, she became the first well-known lesbian in Oregon, and her same-sex affairs figured prominently in two U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Marie Equi is a finely written, rigorously researched account of a woman of consequence, who one fellow-activist considered “the most interesting woman that ever lived in this state, certainly the most fascinating, colorful, and flamboyant.” This much anticipated biography will engage anyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, women’s studies, the history of lesbian and gay rights, and the personal demands of political activism. It is the inspiring story of a singular woman who was not afraid to take risks, who refused to compromise her principles in the face of enormous opposition and adversity, and who paid a steep personal price for living by her convictions.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, LGBT, Feminism, Lesbian, Memoir

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

Reviews

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the relationships - yes, the love stories - that capture my imagination in this book, even though her activism for woman suffrage, labor rights, and against World War I, is Marie Equi's major legacy. I enjoy imagining Bessie Holcomb when she chose to invite Marie to live with her on her Oregon homestead. I think of Harriet Speckart splitting ways from her mother over her affair with Marie, and how it must have felt to her when they sat together in court and fought for her inheritance. And I think of Kathleen O'Brennan, touring around the U.S. to speak for Irish independence and then settling in with Dr. Equi, only to find her status in Portland in great danger as she came under indictment and their relationship scrutinized by federal agents. These love stories unfold through the chapters in this book, and animate the account of Marie's engagement with activism. This biography of Marie Equi covers a long period of history (primarily focusing on 1890-1920) and examines numerous areas including history of medicine, reproductive rights, labor, and suffrage, yet each chapter reads briskly and carries you through the major events of this women's remarkable life.

This new biography builds on other work of Pacific Northwest women's history, such as Oregon's Doctor to the World: Esther Pohl Lovejoy and a Life in Activism and Sticking to the Union: An Oral History of the Life and Times of Julia Ruuttila.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusually for me I already know this is a book I'm going to read again.

This book really brings the fascinating life of pioneer Marie Equi to life.

It's amazing that there has never been a book before about such a dynamic radical who was well before her time, and I think the explanation is that there are not that many direct sources about her. But Michael Helquist has done all the hard work to dig up a truly authoritative (and entertaining) account of her life and done us all a great service.

Thanks to this book we will all be hearing more of Marie in the future.

[Nicole McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS AWESOME! Lesbians around the world must know her name.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only a portrait of an under-remembered firebrand, this biography does an excellent job of illustrating the historical context of each period of her life covered. A medical doctor, lesbian, and Progressive Suffragist, Equi becomes increasing more radical after the turn of the century as labor struggles and free speech fights explode. From Abigal Scott Duniway to Emma Goldman to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Equi meets (and more) many of the radical women of the era.

Highly recommended.

[Heather Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a biography, I was surprised to not be able to put this one down. Y'all should know about this early 20th c. lesbian anarchist who literally climbed a telephone poll with spurs on to drop a banner in the middle of a WWI patriotic parade to protest militarism. Bad ass and interesting. All Portland folks should know her!

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and well researched. Excellent level of detail in the endnotes.

[ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a person

[willowdog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of lesbian Marie Equi her radicalism and fight for justice. A truly original woman. From her life, one learns much about abortion, homesteading, sedition act, and women's voting rights.

[Mills College Library]

Biog E647h 2015

[Laura Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lesbian homesteader in rimrock outside The Dalles, Oregon horsewhips the man who refuses to pay the wages of the woman she is homesteading with. And she is widely praised for it. This book takes off from there, offering a wonderfully readable and documented story of a woman who lived her life far beyond the narrow boundaries of her era. Especially interesting to me: the WWI-era patriotic mania that gripped the country and quashed dissent. Marie was sent to prison for voicing dissent to the war...just one of many courageous acts in a lifetime of living by her convictions. Inspiring woman, and a great read.