Lesbian Pioneer: Reading and Tribute to Laura Fredy Thoma, 125th Birthday

 
Laura Fredy Thoma (1901-1966) was a co-founder of the “Damenclub Amicitia” in Zurich in 1931, the first association for lesbian women in Switzerland. In early 1932, she was co-editor of the magazine “Freundschaftsbanner,” in which “like-minded people” wanted to conquer both their “inner freedom” and “great freedom outwards.”
As the youngest of 17 children, she could not pursue formal education, but she eagerly educated herself and took on the roles of minute-taker, editor, poet, and author in the “Damenclub” and the magazine.
Her texts touch with their empathy for the lesbian protagonists and their desire for love and freedom.
“Light and freedom in the soul, so that shame never torments you again. Free from the judgment of others, never again a victim of scorn. Help to break the yoke of ostracism, banish loneliness and torment.”
(Freundschaftsbanner 1,1932)

 
October 15, 2026, marks the 125th birthday of Laura Fredy Thoma.
To honor this lesbian pioneer, we will present her biography and read from her texts. To conclude, we will raise a glass in Laura Fredy Thomas’s honor.