▁the ▁first ▁evening ▁when ▁all ▁four ▁hundred ▁femin ists ▁were ▁assemble d ▁in ▁the ▁aud itor ium , ▁twenty ▁women ▁we aring ▁T - sh ir ts ▁that ▁read ▁" L av ender ▁Men ace " ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁room ▁and ▁faced ▁the ▁audience . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁then ▁read ▁their ▁group ' s ▁paper ▁" The ▁Woman - Ident ified ▁Woman ", ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁les bian ▁femin ist ▁statement . ▁The ▁group , ▁who ▁later ▁named ▁themselves ▁" Rad ical es bi ans ", ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁heter osex ism ▁of ▁heter osex ual ▁femin ists ▁and ▁to ▁describe ▁les bian ▁experience ▁in ▁positive ▁terms . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁N OW ▁passed ▁a ▁resolution ▁declaring ▁" that ▁a ▁woman ' s ▁right ▁to ▁her ▁own ▁person ▁includes ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁define ▁and ▁express ▁her ▁own ▁sexual ity ▁and ▁to ▁choose ▁her ▁own ▁l ifest yle ," ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁conference ▁resolution ▁stating ▁that ▁forcing ▁les bian ▁moth ers ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁mar ri ages ▁or ▁to ▁live ▁a ▁secret ▁existence ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁children ▁was ▁un just . ▁That ▁year ▁N OW ▁also ▁committed ▁to ▁offering ▁legal ▁and ▁moral ▁support ▁in ▁a ▁test ▁case ▁involving ▁child ▁cust ody ▁rights ▁of ▁les bian ▁moth ers . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁the ▁N OW ▁Task ▁Force ▁on ▁Sex ual ity ▁and ▁Les bian ism ▁was ▁established . ▁Del ▁Martin ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁open ▁les