Eve adams

Eve Adams was born Chana Zloczewer June 15, 1891. At 20, she came to the US. She sold socialist, anarchist, and labor rights books, and ran a Chicago tearoom called The Grey Cottage. During this time she was spied on by J. Edgar Hoover’s US Bureau of investigation. Her business was a safe place for queers, artists, and political dissidents. She attempted to become a US citizen and wrote a book of queer women’s experiences called Lesbian Love. Because of this, she was arrested in 1926 for “distributing obscenity.” She was imprisoned for 18 months and then deported back to Poland. 

In 1930 Eve met her partner Hella Olstein in Paris and they lived openly as a couple. During WWII, Eve attempted to get back to the US to no avail. Eve and Hella were captured by the Nazis during the occupation of France. They were murdered in Auschwitz.

Today remember Eve for her resilience, her faithfulness to her ideals, and her proud queer identity. Thank you to Pink Triangle Legacies for bringing Eve into my knowledge.

Sources and Further Reading:

https://www.pinktrianglelegacies.org/adams