Notable Lesbians
This week’s Notable Lesbian is:
Ruth Ellis
July 23, 1899 - October 5, 2000
Ruth Ellis was a pioneer in courage as well as civil rights. She came out as a lesbian around 1915 and graduated from Springfield High School in 1919, at a time when fewer than 7% of African Americans graduated from secondary school. 
In the 1920s, she met the only woman she ever lived with, Ceciline “Babe” Franklin. They moved together to Detroit, Michigan in 1937. Ruth became the first American woman to own a printing business in Detroit. She made a living printing stationery, fliers, and posters out of her house. Throughout her life, Ruth Ellis was an advocate for the rights of gays and lesbians, as well as for the rights of African Americans. She became a role model for African Americans, lesbians, and seniors. The Ruth Ellis Center, built after her death, honors the life and work of Ruth Ellis. The center is one of only four agencies in the United States dedicated to helping homeless LGBT teens and young adults. They have a drop-in center and street outreach program as well as housing teens and young adults in an emergency shelter and transitional living programs.
Interesting tid bit:
Ruth and Babe’s house was also known in the African American community as the “gay spot”. It was a central location for gay and lesbian parties, and also served as a refuge for African American gays and lesbians. Ruth and Babe stayed together for over 30 years. Babe died in 1973. Ruth lived to be 100 years old, and was the oldest living lesbian in America.
Visit The Ruth Ellis Center.
If you have a suggestion for a Notable Lesbian, e-mail me at lyndsey.darcangelo@451press.net or use the contact form above and I’ll highlight her in an upcoming post.
ruth ellis, the ruth ellis center, ceciline babe franklin, notable lesbians, gay spot
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:19 am
I had the privelege to meet Ruth Ellis more than once. The Ruth Ellis papers and photographs are housed at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor, MI. There was a small documentary made of her life called, “Living with pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100.”