Gearhart, Sally Miller, 1931-

Sally Miller Gearhart was born Apr. 15, 1931, in Pearisburg, Va. She is the daughter of Kyle M. and Sarah Miller Gearhart and was raised primarily by her mother and grandmother. She studied speech and theater, receiving a Ph. D. from the University of Illinois. She taught in Texas before moving to San Francisco, where she taught at San Francisco State University from 1972 to 1992, holding several positions, including chair of the Department of Speech, acting associate dean of the School of Humanities, and acting coordinator of women's studies before becoming professor emerita in 1992. While in San Francisco, Gearhart was a strong voice in lesbian feminist activism and ecologically inspired spirituality. In 1978 California Proposition 6, more commonly known as the Briggs Initiative, was proposed in an effort to ban gays and lesbians from teaching. Gearhart publicly debated with Briggs and fought the initiative, which ultimately failed to pass. She is also a well-known author of feminist-inspired utopian fiction. Some of her associated publications are: Loving women/Loving men : gay liberation and the church (co-authored with William R. Johnson), 1974; The wanderground : stories of the hill women (illustrated by Elizabeth Ross), 1978; A feminist tarot (co-authored with Susan Rennie), 1981; and The Kanshou : book 1 of Earthkeep, 2002.

From the description of Sally Miller Gearhart papers, 1956-1999 (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 176916326

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