Sappho was a magazine aimed at lesbian and bisexual women that ran on voluntary contributions from both its publishers and its readership. The first issue published in April 1972 and aimed to act as a forum for lesbian and bisexual women in the UK and beyond, providing information on groups, events and resources happening as far as Australia, the US and Canada by the final issue. It encouraged lesbian and bisexual women to form local groups and produce their own newsletters, which ultimately led to a decrease in Sappho’s circulation and decline in funds. The last issue was published in 1981.
Sappho was a lesbian, volunteer-run magazine that ran from 1972 to 1981. As well as publishing information on lesbian groups and organisations, the women behind Sappho campaigned for fair treatment of lesbians in all aspects of society, including the army and prison system. They organised lesbian exhibitions and conferences, supported others, and were used as a network of communication for lesbian women around the world. They also provided a creative outlet for lesbians, publishing poems, creative writing and photography, similar to the Spinster publication (which ran from 1979 to 1983, and whose papers are included in this collection).
The Scottish Abortion Campaign was formed in 1980 to defend The Abortion Act 1967. Their formation came in reaction to two anti-abortion campaigns lead by Scottish MPs, James White in 1975 and and John Corrie in 1979. The Scottish campaign was affiliated to the National Abortion Campaign, later renamed Abortion Rights, which had been formed five years earlier.
Founded in 1976, Scottish Campaign to Resist the Atomic Menace (SCRAM) aimed to oppose the construction of the Torness nuclear power station in Scotland, as well as nuclear power in general. They organised some of the largest anti-nuclear demonstrations in the UK in the 1970s and 80s. Their action was unable to prevent the building of the Torness power plant, however they were involved in other successful anti-nuclear activity, including the Mullwharcher Campaign.