Syd Lapan

Syd Lapan is an activist who was involved in the Colorado Springs gay and women’s liberation movements in the 1970’s.

Syd moved to Colorado Springs from Westminster in 1971 to attend Colorado College. It was during her time at Colorado College, when she was living on the 3rd floor of Loomis Hall, that she realized she liked women.

While at CC, she went to Tutt Library to look at their card catalog and see what books were available on homosexuality. There wasn’t much at the time.

She befriended another lesbian at CC, Marcie Wexler, who helped introduce her to other lesbians.

Syd transferred to Pikes Peak Community College to pursue a trade a couple years later, as opportunities for women with a liberal arts degree were limited. There, she studied the budding field of computers. From there, she would go on to work for the Hewett Packard plant for a time.

When she started attending Pikes Peak Community College, she moved to a little cottage in Manitou Springs.

However, within the women’s liberation movement, she found herself at odds with the majority of the base. While many members of the women’s liberation movement were lesbians, straight women wanted to distance themselves from the “man-hating lesbian” stereotype. The women within NOW referred to their lesbian contingent as the lavender menace.

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