Arena Three
{{Short description|British monthly magazine, 1964–1971}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title = Arena Three
| image_file = Arena Three February 1966 cover.jpg
| image_caption = February 1966 cover
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| firstdate = 1964
| finaldate = 1971
| founder = Esme Langley, Diana Chapman
| frequency = Monthly
| publisher = Minorities Research Group
}}
Arena Three was a British monthly publication founded by Esme Langley and Diana Chapman in 1964.Lesbian Oral History Group, Hall Carpenter Archives. Inventing Ourselves, Routledge, 1989, {{ISBN|0-415-02959-7}}, p3 It was written by and for lesbians and published by the Minorities Research Group (MRG) from 1964 to 1971.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/715719504 |title=The Lesbian Reader: An Amazon Quarterly Anthology |publisher=Amazon Press |year=1989 |isbn=0-9609626-0-3 |editor-last=Covina |editor-first=Gina |edition=8th printing |location=Berkeley, California |oclc=715719504}}
History
Arena Three came out of a need for a lesbian-specific magazine that could encourage MRG membership outside of London.{{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=Emily |url=http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/britannias-glory-a-history-of-twentieth-century-lesbians |title=Britannia's Glory: A History of Twentieth-Century Lesbians |date=2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4742-9280-1 |pages=164 |chapter=Chapter 9. Esmé Langley and Arena Three |doi=10.5040/9781474292818.ch-009}} The name was chosen for its neutrality and to not arouse suspicion of the nature of its contents.{{Cite journal |last=Hubbard |first=Katherine A. |date=2021-11-01 |title=Lesbian Community and Activism in Britain 1940s–1970s: An Interview with Cynthia Reid |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |volume=70 |issue=4 |language= |pages=565–586 |doi=10.1080/00918369.2021.1996098 |pmid=34723766 |s2cid=240422804 |issn=0091-8369|pmc=9970188 }} The first issue of Arena Three was published in the spring of 1964 and quickly grew in readership. By July 1965 it had over 600 members.{{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=Emily |url=http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/britannias-glory-a-history-of-twentieth-century-lesbians |title=Britannia's Glory: A History of Twentieth-Century Lesbians |date=2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4742-9280-1 |pages=183 |chapter=Chapter 9. Esmé Langley and Arena Three |doi=10.5040/9781474292818.ch-009}}
Due to concerns with public morality laws, Arena Three was not sold to the general public and instead depended on revenue from private subscriptions. The magazine consequently struggled to find avenues for advertising due to the nature of its content.{{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=Emily |url=http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/britannias-glory-a-history-of-twentieth-century-lesbians |title=Britannia's Glory: A History of Twentieth-Century Lesbians |date=2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4742-9280-1 |pages=168 |chapter=Chapter 9. Esmé Langley and Arena Three |doi=10.5040/9781474292818.ch-009}}
From early on, the publication also suffered from larger tensions within the organization. In 1970, Arena Three’s income had become dire, and after a revitalization led in part by Jackie Forster, it once more began to be profitable. By 1971, internal disagreements had hit a breaking point. Esmé Langley decided to end the publication after taking Arena Three’s financial assets abroad. The newer recruits to the magazine reorganized under Foster to create Sappho.{{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=Emily |url=http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/britannias-glory-a-history-of-twentieth-century-lesbians |title=Britannia's Glory: A History of Twentieth-Century Lesbians |date=2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4742-9280-1 |pages=194–198 |chapter=Chapter 10. The Politics of Lesbianism |doi=10.5040/9781474292818.ch-010}}
Contents
The magazine featured articles on the causes of lesbianism, lesbian relationships, and general life and wellbeing as a lesbian. It had a public debate forum in the form of reader letters, and published general poetry, short stories and book reviews of interest.{{Cite book |last1=Neild |first1=Suzanne |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/25915815 |title=Women Like Us |last2=Pearson |first2=Rosalind |publisher=The Women's Press |year=1992 |isbn=0-7043-4285-5 |location=London |pages=20 |oclc=25915815}}
Membership
Arena Three was written and targeted at middle class lesbians in their thirties. MRG membership was open to both men and women regardless of their sexuality, and a number of gay men, social workers, and psychiatrists subscribed.
Class issues within the magazine were documented. A 1964 questionnaire of readers showed that teaching and nursing were predominant occupations, due in part to both profession's discouragement of marriage. By 1971, 40% of their readership identified as a “professional.”
A significant number of readers had also been in relationships with men, with 40% having been married.{{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=Emily |url=http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/britannias-glory-a-history-of-twentieth-century-lesbians |title=Britannia's Glory: A History of Twentieth-Century Lesbians |date=2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4742-9280-1 |pages=174–176 |doi=10.5040/9781474292818.ch-009}}
Readership has been estimated to be no more than 12,000 readers per month, due in some part to its international subscribers.
See also
{{Portal|LGBTQ}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/laic/laictimeline/img/1960s/arena31966full.pdf Arena Three] in [http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/laic/laictimeline/laictimeline.html The Lesbian Archive and Information Centre Timeline]
- [http://www.brightonourstory.co.uk/newsletters/winter97/arena.htm 'Arena Three: Trailingblazing Lesbian Magazine' in Brighton Ourstory Newsletter, Issue 3 Winter 1997]
- [https://www.bl.uk/lgbtq-histories/articles/arena-three-britains-first-lesbian-magazine 'Arena Three: Britain's First Lesbian Magazine' by Stepehn Dryden in British Library LGBTQ Histories]
{{Lesbian feminism}}
Category:Defunct LGBTQ-related magazines published in the United Kingdom
Category:Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Category:Defunct feminist magazines published in the United Kingdom
Category:Lesbian culture in the United Kingdom
Category:Lesbian feminist magazines
Category:Defunct lesbian-related magazines
Category:Magazines established in 1963
Category:Magazines disestablished in 1972
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