In the 1970s, as lesbian visibility increased in the wake of Stonewall, so did street harassment, police targeting, and anti-gay violence. In cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, groups of lesbians organized themselves into what became known as the Dyke Patrol—informal, community-run street safety teams who walked neighborhoods, protected bars, escorted women home, and intervened when harassment or attacks occurred.
These patrols grew out of both the feminist movement and the gay liberation movement, at a time when calling the police was often unsafe or pointless for queer people. For many women, self-defense and collective presence were the only real protection. The name “Dyke Patrol” was deliberately confrontational, reclaiming a slur and turning it into a badge of strength, visibility, and mutual protection.
