The Furies Collective

The Furies Collective was a commune comprised of twelve radical feminist lesbian activists who shared the house at 219 11th St. as a home and base of operations for their revolutionary work in supporting women’s rights. Three children also lived in the collective and were cared for by the women.

All members of the Furies were white, and their ages ranged between 18-28. They came from different areas, backgrounds, and social classes. Many were members of the D.C. Women’s Liberation Movement and their aim was to build out the organization globally.

Among the primary goals of the Furies were dismantling the patriarchy, fighting against white supremacy, and ending imperialism. The Furies held workshops to foster self-reliance by teaching women how to perform traditionally male skills, including hands-on repair and self-defense. They also taught language classes.

Their primary channel of communication was a monthly newspaper entitled The Furies, which explored women’s identity, feminist theory, and politics surrounding gender issues. The paper was published nationally between January 1972 and mid-1973.

Just as the publication was relatively short-lived, the lifespan of the Furies was likewise very brief, running from 1971 to sometime in 1973. Ultimately, the rigidity of the collective in prohibiting heterosexual women from joining, and their shifting focus from the aims of the collective to individual projects are cited as the main reasons for the demise of the collective.

Robert Pohl, who bought the house with his wife in 2004, learned of the history of the house after stumbling upon a website for the Rainbow History Project. After reaching out to founder Mark Meinke, the two worked together to nominate the house as a historic landmark on the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites. After a unanimous vote in favor on inclusion from the D.C. Review Board, the two successfully had the house added to the National Register of Historic Places.

In spite of the brief lifespan of the Furies, their groundbreaking explorations of feminist theory and sexual orientation inspired the formation and development of many other feminist groups, and have inspired new generations of women to take action based upon their ideologies.