Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1992, Page 22
In order to attract women from this milieu, they formed a front group called “Women and the
State,” producing a small pamphlet that described its goals and principles of unity.
One by one, targeted women were approached to join Women and the State. This process
was done methodically and in stages a plan was made and checked on daily. A potential
member would be talked to, rather informally and seemingly spontaneously, about the Left,
the political atmosphere in the U.S., the successful Third World revolutions, and the
seriousness of the “people’s struggle.” When it became clear that the recruit was open to the
idea of the need for a vanguard party, she was asked to join Women and the State as a way
to continue to explore these issues and questions with like-minded women. In a tone of
extreme seriousness, she was given the pamphlet to study and was asked to swear not to
mention this to anyone. Another meeting time and place was set up to hear her decision.
In the San Francisco Bay Area at this time, radical politics was very much in the news. The
Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was being sought for the kidnapping of Patty Hearst and
subsequent armed bank robberies. The Prairie Fire Organizing Committee (an offshoot of the
Weather Under-ground) was mysteriously distributing bulletins (“revolutionary
communiques”) in coffeehouses, bookstores, and leftist hangouts. The region was crawling
with Red Squads and FBI agents guardedness and secrecy were not uncommon. Paranoia
was rampant in leftist circles and in the women’s community.
The aura of secrecy around Women and the State fit well within this environment. It
heightened both the intensity of the decision and the honor of being asked to join a “secret
cell.” This was no small moment in a recruit’s life it was a serious choice and a real
commitment. It was also acknowledged as the beginning of something very new and very big.
Although it was never stated, nor ever asked, it was somehow implied, and therefore
understood, that there was something else --something bigger and even more serious --
behind Women and the State. From the onset, a new recruit learned that questions about the
organization were not allowed for security reasons. There was a “need-to-know” policy,
explained as a protective measure for all involved. This, of course, was a convenient
mechanism setting the stage for countless future demands for total acceptance and blind
faith.
My personal experience in joining Women and the State was similar to that of all members
who came into the organization in that period, either through this or a similar vehicle. I was
“courted” by Sandra. I knew her and her lover socially they lived in my neighborhood they
were among the first people I met when I arrived in San Francisco the previous year. I knew
Sandra had been involved in radical women’s politics for a number of years, first on the East
Coast and now in San Francisco. Sandra always seemed very serious and very concerned
about what was going on politically. She would invite me for coffee and we would talk for
what seemed like hours. These were always very thought-provoking sessions. Sandra was an
intense person. Afterwards I felt like I was really connecting with someone, with something. I
was both learning and being listened to. I felt respected, as though my opinion mattered. At
the same time, I held great respect for Sandra and her dedication to the movement. Given
what I knew about the “macho” politics of what we called the “male Left” and given my
experience in the women’s movement, which seemed disorganized and unserious, it was
always a pleasure to run into Sandra. Our meetings left me curious --and anxious for more. I
was more than ready when she finally asked me to join Women and the State.
All I knew about the group was what I read in the pamphlet and what I was told. There were
to be weekly meetings with about 10 other women. Sandra attended and led most of the
meetings, but there were also others who played leadership roles. No one ever mentioned
Doreen Baxter in these meetings. I had never heard of her I had no idea that Sandra was
her second or that Baxter was the force behind all this.
In order to attract women from this milieu, they formed a front group called “Women and the
State,” producing a small pamphlet that described its goals and principles of unity.
One by one, targeted women were approached to join Women and the State. This process
was done methodically and in stages a plan was made and checked on daily. A potential
member would be talked to, rather informally and seemingly spontaneously, about the Left,
the political atmosphere in the U.S., the successful Third World revolutions, and the
seriousness of the “people’s struggle.” When it became clear that the recruit was open to the
idea of the need for a vanguard party, she was asked to join Women and the State as a way
to continue to explore these issues and questions with like-minded women. In a tone of
extreme seriousness, she was given the pamphlet to study and was asked to swear not to
mention this to anyone. Another meeting time and place was set up to hear her decision.
In the San Francisco Bay Area at this time, radical politics was very much in the news. The
Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was being sought for the kidnapping of Patty Hearst and
subsequent armed bank robberies. The Prairie Fire Organizing Committee (an offshoot of the
Weather Under-ground) was mysteriously distributing bulletins (“revolutionary
communiques”) in coffeehouses, bookstores, and leftist hangouts. The region was crawling
with Red Squads and FBI agents guardedness and secrecy were not uncommon. Paranoia
was rampant in leftist circles and in the women’s community.
The aura of secrecy around Women and the State fit well within this environment. It
heightened both the intensity of the decision and the honor of being asked to join a “secret
cell.” This was no small moment in a recruit’s life it was a serious choice and a real
commitment. It was also acknowledged as the beginning of something very new and very big.
Although it was never stated, nor ever asked, it was somehow implied, and therefore
understood, that there was something else --something bigger and even more serious --
behind Women and the State. From the onset, a new recruit learned that questions about the
organization were not allowed for security reasons. There was a “need-to-know” policy,
explained as a protective measure for all involved. This, of course, was a convenient
mechanism setting the stage for countless future demands for total acceptance and blind
faith.
My personal experience in joining Women and the State was similar to that of all members
who came into the organization in that period, either through this or a similar vehicle. I was
“courted” by Sandra. I knew her and her lover socially they lived in my neighborhood they
were among the first people I met when I arrived in San Francisco the previous year. I knew
Sandra had been involved in radical women’s politics for a number of years, first on the East
Coast and now in San Francisco. Sandra always seemed very serious and very concerned
about what was going on politically. She would invite me for coffee and we would talk for
what seemed like hours. These were always very thought-provoking sessions. Sandra was an
intense person. Afterwards I felt like I was really connecting with someone, with something. I
was both learning and being listened to. I felt respected, as though my opinion mattered. At
the same time, I held great respect for Sandra and her dedication to the movement. Given
what I knew about the “macho” politics of what we called the “male Left” and given my
experience in the women’s movement, which seemed disorganized and unserious, it was
always a pleasure to run into Sandra. Our meetings left me curious --and anxious for more. I
was more than ready when she finally asked me to join Women and the State.
All I knew about the group was what I read in the pamphlet and what I was told. There were
to be weekly meetings with about 10 other women. Sandra attended and led most of the
meetings, but there were also others who played leadership roles. No one ever mentioned
Doreen Baxter in these meetings. I had never heard of her I had no idea that Sandra was
her second or that Baxter was the force behind all this.
