▁recognition ▁and ▁to ▁this ▁day , ▁considerable ▁difficulties ▁and ▁disc rim ination ▁face ▁authors ▁of ▁les bian ▁works . ▁ ▁The ▁Alice ▁B ▁Award ▁is ▁one ▁small ▁contribution ▁toward ▁over coming ▁disc rim ination . ▁As ▁Mar tha ▁Nell ▁Smith ▁so ▁c og ently ▁wrote : ▁" The ▁traject ory ▁of ▁les bian ▁literature ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁two - third s ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁can ▁be ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁movement ▁from ▁encrypted ▁strateg ies ▁for ▁expressions ▁of ▁the ▁love ▁that ▁dare ▁not ▁speak ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁over t ly ▁political ▁celebr ations ▁of ▁woman - for - w oman ▁passion ▁that , ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁refused ▁to ▁be ▁denied , ▁den igr ated , ▁or ▁exp ung ed ." ▁ ▁The ▁Alice ▁B ▁Award ▁exists ▁to ▁honor ▁and ▁recognize ▁for er unn ers ▁of ▁modern ▁les bian ▁fiction ▁including ▁such ▁l umin aries ▁as ▁Ann ▁B annon , ▁Jane ▁Rule , ▁Mar ij ane ▁Me aker , ▁K atherine ▁V . ▁For rest , ▁and ▁Lee ▁Lyn ch ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁voices ▁who ▁are ▁providing ▁information , ▁entertain ment , ▁and ▁en light en ment ▁to ▁les bi ans ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁Alice ▁B ▁Awards ▁Committee ▁▁ ▁The ▁Alice ▁B ▁Awards ▁Committee ▁is ▁an ▁anonymous ▁group ▁of ▁av id ▁les bian ▁readers . ▁The ▁award ▁is ▁made ▁possible ▁by ▁an ▁anonymous ▁don or . ▁The ▁don or ▁and ▁committee ▁share ▁a ▁common ▁goal : ▁to ▁reward ▁and