Jean V. Hardisty (June 18, 1945 – March 16, 2015) was a political scientist and lesbian radical

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

activist who became a national resource for

human rights movement Human rights movement refers to a nongovernmental social movement engaged in activism related to the issues of human rights. The foundations of the global human rights movement involve resistance to: colonialism, imperialism, slavery, racism, segre ...

s seeking social and economic justice and an end to

bigotry Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived social group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that pers ...

based on race, gender, or class. She was a senior scholar with the Wellesley Centers for Women.

Biography

Hardisty received her PhD from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

in Illinois, taught briefly and, in the 1980s, left academia to conduct a study of the anti-feminist women's movement for the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

of Illinois. She predicted a massive organized right-wing backlash which saw the rise of the New Right and the election of

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

as President in 1980. She then founded the think tank which became

Political Research Associates Political Research Associates (PRA), formerly Midwest Research, Chicago (1981–87), is a non-profit research group focused on social justice and the pursuit of building a just democracy. The PRA is located in Somerville, Massachusetts. Missi ...

in Massachusetts to study right-wing movements nationwide. She worked as an adviser to the legal team that overturned Colorado Amendment 43. Her study "Constructing

Homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

" was included in her book ''Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence from the

John Birch Society The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, right-wing populist, and ...

to the Promise Keepers''. She served on the boards of the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Sister Fund, the Highlander Research and Education Center, the

Center for Community Change Community Change, formerly the Center for Community Change (CCC), is a progressive community organizing group active in the United States. It was founded in 1968 in response to civil rights concerns of the 1960s and to honor Robert F. Kennedy. T ...

, and the Women's Community Cancer Project. She was an education consultant to the Ms. Foundation Democracy Funding Circle. Hardisty served for many years on the board of the Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the

and has been inducted into The City of Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Articles by Hardisty have appeared in ''The Nation'' magazine, ''The Women's Review of Books'', ''The Public Eye'', and other publications. A video interview with Hardisty is at the Chicago Gay History website.

Selected publications

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References

External links

Wellesley Centers for Women

The Nation Magazine

Political Research Associates

Religion Dispatches

Astraea Foundation

Jean Hardisty WebsitePapers of Jean V. Hardisty, 1954-2015 (inclusive), 1976-2008 (bulk): A Finding Aid.Schlesinger Library
Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
Records of Center for New Words, 1976-2010: A Finding Aid.Schlesinger Library
Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardisty, Jean Northwestern University alumni American LGBTQ rights activists 1945 births 2015 deaths American women political scientists American political scientists

Biography

Selected publications

References

Further reading

External links