The citizens of Barga, a small city in Tuscany, officially honored Dr. Marie Equi by naming a street after her on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Dr. Equi’s ancestors lived in and near Barga for many generations. The new “via Marie Equi” recognizes the doctor’s contributions to society and her family origins in the city. Barga is located 25 miles directly north of the walled city of Lucca. The two cities are located in the Tuscany region of Italy.
Equi became known for her fortitude and courage in fighting for women's rights, including reproductive rights, economic justice for working people, and free speech. To many, Equi was also controversial as a lesbian; she lived openly with her female companion in Portland. She is the first publicly known lesbian in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.
Equi enflamed the sensitivities of many – including FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover – with her opposition to what she considered the “capitalistic” World War I. The U.S. Government prosecuted Equi on a charge of sedition for protesting U.S. involvement in the war. She was found guilty and sentenced to San Quentin Prison. She lived and practiced medicine in Portland, Oregon. Equi died in 1952 at age 80.
The street-naming honor was bestowed in memory of Dr. Equi (1872-1952) with the initiative of Barga librarian Ms. Maria Elisa Caproni, who contacted Equi biographer Michael Helquist for assistance. A copy of his book “Marie Equi: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions” was displayed at the naming ceremony.
Equi has also been publicly recognized in New Bedford, Massachusetts, her hometown; in Portland, Oregon, where she lived her adult life; in the Walk of the Heroines; in a mural of notable Oregonians on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, and with a granite plaque placed along the Rainbow Honor Walk in San Francisco that recognizes significant LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Equi became known for her fortitude and courage in fighting for women's rights, including reproductive rights, economic justice for working people, and free speech. To many, Equi was also controversial as a lesbian; she lived openly with her female companion in Portland. She is the first publicly known lesbian in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.
Equi enflamed the sensitivities of many – including FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover – with her opposition to what she considered the “capitalistic” World War I. The U.S. Government prosecuted Equi on a charge of sedition for protesting U.S. involvement in the war. She was found guilty and sentenced to San Quentin Prison. She lived and practiced medicine in Portland, Oregon. Equi died in 1952 at age 80.
The street-naming honor was bestowed in memory of Dr. Equi (1872-1952) with the initiative of Barga librarian Ms. Maria Elisa Caproni, who contacted Equi biographer Michael Helquist for assistance. A copy of his book “Marie Equi: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions” was displayed at the naming ceremony.
Equi has also been publicly recognized in New Bedford, Massachusetts, her hometown; in Portland, Oregon, where she lived her adult life; in the Walk of the Heroines; in a mural of notable Oregonians on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, and with a granite plaque placed along the Rainbow Honor Walk in San Francisco that recognizes significant LGBTQIA+ individuals.
RSS Feed