Dyke TV: The Early Years 2025

Directed by May Ziadé

Bold, raw, and highly dykey — Dyke TV shook up cable airwaves from 1993 to 2005, broadcasting weekly to over 6.5 million households and carving out space for lesbian voices, politics and culture. Co-founded by Ana María Simo, Linda Chapman and Mary Patierno (of the Lesbian Avengers), this DIY powerhouse amplified stories across art, health, activism and sex — always unapologetically queer, always community-first. The ICA, in collaboration with Other People’s Films, presents a curated supercut from Dyke TV’s early years — a celebratory ride through lesbian life’s joy, political struggle, pleasure and the infamous “bed death”. It’s funny, fierce, and as urgent now as it was then. The footage features appearances from Su Friedrich, Cheryl Dunye, Dorothy Allison, Barbara Hammer, Leslie Feinberg, Urvashi Vaid, and more. Join us for a vibrant, defiant time capsule that still hits hard and hits home. A must-see tribute to our dyke elders — and a rallying cry for the present.