The death of Lily Ledbetter, the champion of equal pay for women, reminded me of a favorite moment I wrote about in my book. Here it is.
There’s a charming article in the New Yorker about how a group of women lawyers went back to McSorley’s restaurant/bar in New York to celebrate the signing of the Lily Ledbetter Law and reminisce about how they had sued McSorley’s in 1969 for barring women. It was a bloody battle.
In the 1970’s I worked for the Chicago Council of Lawyers. The women in the Women’s Rights Committee decided to challenge Chicago’s B-girl law. The law barred unescorted women from sitting at the bar in nightclubs and restaurants.
I decided to join the women when they launched their challenge. They chose the nightclub Mr. Kelly’s. This club was a hot spot on Rush Street which attracted the most popular comedians and singers. On the night we went, a little known comedienne named Lily Tomlin was opening for Shelley Berman. The women sent her a note telling her about the B-girl law and advising her that they were going to infiltrate the bar. Lily, who had no clout at that point, still had the guts to tell the management that she wouldn’t go on unless the women were seated. Mr. Kelly’s caved and the law was eventually overturned.
I wish I could go back to Mr. Kelly’s, but it is long gone. Lily Tomlin became a star.
