The Future is Female [Labyris Books]

New York: Labyris Books, ca. 1972. Offset flyer on blue stock. 2 ¾ x 3 ⅓ in. Fine. Item #10340

Small handbill advertising the original “The Future is Female” t-shirt, sold by Labryis Books, the first feminist bookstore in New York City.

Named for the double-sided ax wielded by Amazon warriors, Labyris was an important feminist meeting place during its tenure in New York’s Greenwich Village, 1972-1977.

Liza Cowan, lesbian separatist and author of the column “What the Well-Dressed Dyke Will Wear,” helped design the shirt and photographed her partner Alix Dobkin for early promotional material. The slogan entered the cultural mainstream in 2016 when it became a rallying cry of the mass feminist mobilization following Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

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