Doc, Dissenter, Defender: Dr. Marie Equi’s Relentless Pursuit of Dignity for all

Dr. Marie Equi (1872–1952): Thisimage is in the public domain in the United States. It is courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society and is available via Wikimedia Commons. 

“Doc” Marie Equi was a fearless trailblazer—bold, disruptive, and deeply committed to justice

As one of Oregon’s earliest openly lesbian figures, Equi shattered norms not only in her personal life but through her tireless advocacy for women’s rights, reproductive freedom, and healthcare access for the poor. This Pride Month, we honor her legacy—not just for her contributions to LGBTQ+ history, but for her unwavering belief that dignity, healthcare, and autonomy are human rights owed to all people, regardless of gender, class, or identity. Operating with a vision far ahead of her time, Equi challenged a society that limited women’s independence and spent her life fighting to build one where all women had the power to live on their own terms. 

Dr. “Doc” Marie Equi was a bold and unconventional woman who lived her life with courage and conviction.

Born in 1872 into a large Irish - Italian family in New Bedford, Massachusetts —a whaling town turned booming textile center—Marie grew up with a strong sense of social justice instilled by her immigrant parents (Historic Women South Coast, n.d.; National Archives, 1862). As a teenager, she left school to work in the local mills, where she endured intense heat, constant noise, and air thick with lint. These conditions left her with lasting respiratory issues, a firsthand experience that fueled her lifelong commitment to fighting for the health and rights of the working class (Historic Women South Coast, n.d.). Though she returned to school briefly, financial hardship forced her to pause her education, and spend time working in her uncle’s olive groves in Italy. Eventually, she made her way west to Oregon, following her high school sweetheart, Betsey Holcomb. They staked a claim to 121 acres of land under the Homestead Act of 1862 (National Archives, 1862).

She was one of the first 60 women in Oregon to become a doctor.

Five years after moving to Oregon, Marie and Betsey left their homestead and relocated to San Francisco. Marie began medical school at the College of Physicians and Surgeons.  It was around this time period that she and Betsey would part ways.  In 1903, Marie moved to Portland to finish her degree from the University of Oregon Medical Department, later to become OHSU.  At a time when only 6% of U.S. physicians were women, Marie broke through barriers of class, gender, and sexual orientation. She went on to open a general medical practice, dedicating herself to the treatment of the most disregarded and marginalized groups of that era: women and children. In 1906, she volunteered for earthquake relief in San Francisco, becoming the only woman doctor on the Oregon mission and overseeing obstetric care in a large hospital.  Her efforts earned widespread praise in newspapers and formal recognition from the U.S. Army with a medal and citation. (Historic Women South Coast, n.d.)  

Dr. Equi lived openly as a lesbian despite its dangers. 

Dr. Marie Equi shared long-term romantic relationships with several women, including Betsey Holcomb, Harriet Speckart, and Irish journalist Katherine O’Brennan.   Throughout Dr. Equi’s life, as she mobilized protests and organized workers in opposition to injustice, she became a target of federal investigation and persecution. She maintained that her same-sex relationships were the root of the FBI’s actions and took great offense to the prosecution’s homophobic language, including terms like “unsexed woman” and “her kind,” ensuring her objections were recorded in court and official documents (National Park Service. (n.d.).  “One report in 1918 referred to the openly lesbian doctor and her community of women as ‘perverts and degenerates.’” (Biggers, J. (n.d.))

Dr. Equi and her partner, Harriet Speckart, adopted a child together.

The central relationship in Equi’s life was with Harriet Speckart. The two were partners for over a decade and, in 1915, Dr. Equi adopted a three-week-old infant whom they raised together and named Mary. It is the first known legal adoption by a lesbian in Oregon.  While Speckart provided most of the day-to-day care, Equi remained a committed parent, offering financial support and emotional presence even during her imprisonment. (National Park Service. (n.d.) When Harriet passed away at age 44 from a cerebral hemorrhage, Mary went to live with Dr. Equi and other family members.

Dr. Equi went on trial under the Espionage Act and spent 10 months in San Quentin Prison.

For 10 years Equi was a Progressive Era activist advocating for an eight-hour workday, prison reform, and state-supported higher education. After a violent clash with police during a Portland cannery strike in 1913, Equi became radicalized. She had lost faith in gradual reform and instead supported the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). She condemned Portland’s leaders for suppressing dissent and oppressing workers. Beyond protest, working alongside Margaret Sanger who went on to found Planned Parenthood, she provided food and shelter to the unemployed, gave out birth control information, and performed abortions for both rich and poor women (Find a Grave, n.d.). 

In 1918, as dissent was increasingly suppressed, authorities wiretapped her, monitored her friends, and placed an informant in her inner circle. Marie was indicted for pledging allegiance to the red banner of industrial workers and criticizing the character of U.S. soldiers. During her trial, she denied the accusations and condemned the excessive surveillance. The prosecution focused on her lesbianism and temper. Marie defended her patriotism, insisting her criticism was aimed at profiteering capitalists and imperialists who had caused the war, and were sending young men to die in Europe. On December 31, 1918, she was convicted under the Sedition Act of 1918 and sentenced to three years in federal prison. She served ten months at San Quentin prison before being released early for good behavior. (Historic Women South Coast, n.d.). In 1933, FDR pardoned her and others convicted of wartime sedition (Women's Museum of California, 2018).

Dr. Marie Equi’s legacy lives on.

In 1952, at the age of 80, Dr. Equi passed away in the care of her daughter Mary.  She is interred along with Harriet Speckart at Wilhelm’s Portland Memorial Mausoleum. 

“…a woman of passion and conviction and a real friend of the have-nots of this world.”  

-Julia Ruuttila, friend and political activist

Dr. Equi’s legacy lives on at the Marie Equi Center, where supporters work to enrich the health of the trans, queer, intersex and gender diverse communities through trauma-informed care, culturally - affirming services and social justice advocacy. At Doc Marie’s, a welcoming hub for the lesbian community and its allies in Portland, you can raise a glass to Dr. Equi’s fierce spirit.  The Rainbow Honor Walk in the Castro Street Neighborhood of San Francisco honors LGBTQ+ heroes, with a bronze square and an inscription: “Marie Equi (1872—1952) American physician and political radical who fought for peace, an eight-hour workday, women’s suffrage and their right to birth control.” 

As we honor the legacy of Dr. Marie Equi, we celebrate the courage of LGBTQ+ individuals who not only stood up for their own dignity but also stood in solidarity with other marginalized communities—dedicating their lives to the relentless pursuit of justice and equality, to secure a brighter future for all. 

References and for Further Reading: 

Biggers, J. (n.d.). Oct. 17, 1920: Marie Equi jailed. Zinn Education Project. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/marie-equi-jailed/

Dorsch, E. (2024, January 17). She risked everything for women, workers, and justice. Oregon Quarterly. https://oregonquarterly.uoregon.edu/she-risked-everything-women-workers-and-justice  

Find a Grave. (n.d.). Dr. Marie Diana Equi [Memorial ID No. 139839557]. Find a Grave Memorial. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139839557/marie_diana-equi  

Find a Grave- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139839557/marie_diana-equi: accessed June 9, 2025), memorial page for Dr Marie Diana Equi (7 Apr 1872–13 Jul 1952), Find a Grave Memorial ID 139839557, citing Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Mausoleum, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA; Maintained by Whitfield (contributor 47786265)  

Goodwin, C. (2021, June 5). The Dalles LGBT History Spotlight: Meet Lesbian Suffragist Marie Equi MD. Columbia Community Connection. https://columbiacommunityconnection.com/the-dalles/uncovering-the-dalles-lgbt-history-meet-lesbian-suffragist-marie-equi-md  

Helquist, Michael (2024, September 9). Marie Equi (1872–1952). The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/equi_marie_1872_1952_/ 

Historic Women of the South Coast. (n.d.). Marie Equi. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://historicwomensouthcoast.org/marie-equi/ 

LocalWiki contributors. (n.d.). Harriet Speckart. LocalWiki. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from https://localwiki.org/pdx/Harriet_Speckart 

National Archives and Records Administration. (1862, May 20). Homestead Act (Act of May 20, 1862, Public Law 37-64, 12 Stat. 392). Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/homestead-act 

National Park Service. (n.d.). Dr. Marie Equi. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://www.nps.gov/people/drmarie-equi.htm 

Oregon Public Broadcasting. (2023, March 13). Oregon Experience: Marie Equi [Video]. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/video/marie-equi-1wjjzz/

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Kathleen O’Brennan. Wikipedia. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_O%27Brennan

Women's Museum of California. (2018, October 10). The rebellious soul of Dr. Marie Equi. Women's Museum of California. https://womensmuseum.wordpress.com/2018/10/10/the-rebellious-soul-of-dr-marie-equi/