// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Flo Fleischman? A meat-ing planner.
Flo Fleischman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Florine Lenore Fleischman January 17, 1930 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 2018 (aged 88) North Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | LGBT rights activist, pastor |
| Known for | President of the One Institute and Archives (1998–2000) |
Florine Lenore "Flo" Fleischman (January 17, 1930 – June 5, 2018) was an American LGBTQ+ activist and ordained minister in the Metropolitan Community Church, based in the Los Angeles area. She was president of the One Institute and Archives from 1998 to 2000.
Early life and education
[edit]Fleischman was born in Tampa, Florida,[1] the daughter of Joseph Simon Fleischman and Alma Rockman Fleischman.[2] Her parents were Jewish.[3] Her oldest brother Sol was a sportscaster.[4] She attended but did not graduate from the University of Tampa in the late 1940s.[5] In 1979 she completed a bachelor's degree in theology at the Samaritan Theological Institute.[6]
Career
[edit]Fleischman and Betty Perdue, a schoolteacher, started hosting a gay women's group in 1963, at members' homes. In time their group became a chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis.[7] Fleishman was an active member of the Southern California Council on Religion and the Homophile beginning in 1965. Fleischman joined the first Metropolitan Community Church in 1971, and worked as a counselor in the church's crisis intervention program.[8] She became a licensed minister in the MCC, and was installed as pastor of Oceanside MCC in 1979.[9][10] She left the denomination to form the New Hope Christian Church in Van Nuys, and led that church for about fifteen years.[11] From 1994 to 2000, she was a board member and (from 1998) president of the One Institute and Archives.[12]
Publications
[edit]Personal life
[edit]Fleischman's partner of 45 years died in 2016,[6] and Fleishman died in 2018, at the age of 88, in North Hollywood.[15]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Florine Fleischman and Brother Give Halloween Party". The Tampa Times. 1934-10-27. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-06-12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 1930 and 1940 United States census, and 1935 Florida state census, via Ancestry.
- ↑ "Mr. Fleischman To Be Buried Here Tomorrow". The Tampa Times. 1956-01-16. p. 2. Retrieved 2026-06-12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "'Salty' Sol Fleischman, colorful Tampa-area sportscaster, dies at 89". The Ledger. April 21, 2000. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ Stewart, Chuck (2014-12-16). Proud Heritage: People, Issues, and Documents of the LGBT Experience [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-13348-3.
- 1 2 "Flo Fleischman". LGBTQ Religious Archives Network. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ Baldwin, Belinda. "L.A., 1/1/67: The Black Cat Riots". The Gay & Lesbian Review. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ Faderman, Lillian; Timmons, Stuart (2009-08-03). Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians. Univ of California Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-520-26061-0.
- ↑ "Perry to Speak at Metro Church". North County Times. 1979-09-21. p. 19. Retrieved 2026-06-12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Church Marks Anniversary". North County Times. 1980-03-21. p. 17. Retrieved 2026-06-12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ White, C. Todd (2005-05-01). "Rev. Florine Fleischman". The Tangent Group. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ Stewart, Chuck (2018-05-25). Documents of the LGBT Movement. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-07577-6.
- ↑ Fleischman, Flo. "Lesbian Reflections on the Frightening Forties" ONE/IGLA Bulletin 2(Spring/Summer 1996): 10.
- ↑ Fleischman, Florine, with Susan Bullough. “Lisa Ben.” In Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context, edited by Vern L. Bullough. Binghamton, N.Y.: Harrington Park Press, 2002.
- ↑ "Florine Fleischman Obituary (2018) - North Hollywood, CA - Forest Lawn - Covina Hills". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
External links
[edit]- "Lisa Ben, Rev. Flo Fleischman", photograph by K Ocamb, via the Los Angeles Blade
- "Club Laurel" Lost Womyn's Space (March 29, 2011), a blog post that quotes Fleischman's memories of the Club Laurel, a lesbian bar in North Hollywood