Shirley Willer

1922-1999

Shirley Willer was born on September 26, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois. Willer, a nurse, traveled to New York in the early 1960s and joined the Daughters of Bilitis in 1962. Marion Glass was also affiliated with the Daughters of Bilitis and began to correspond with Willer. The two became lovers and colleagues. Willer became president of the New York chapter in 1963, when Barbara Gittings stepped down to become editor of The Ladder. Shirley Willer’s contact named “Pennsylvania”, contributed $100,000 to the Daughters of Bilitis over the years. Willer spent 1965 supporting many Lesbian rights protests and in 1966 Willer became the National President of the Daughters of Bilitis. Willer and Glass established new Daughters of Bilitis groups in Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Dallas. (Lesbian History Archives (LHA))