Heterodoxy (group)

Heterodoxy was a feminist debating society at Greenwich Village, New York City, founded in 1912. The organization, whose full name was "Heterodoxy, A Village Idea", was open only to self-defined feminists who were considered unorthodox in their views. Its purpose was to provide a space for women of diverse radical and reformist persuasions to share ideas, debate, and form alliances.

Membership included prominent feminists, writers, activists, and artists such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Emma Goldman, Margaret Sanger, Mabel Dodge Luhan, and many others. The group met bi-weekly for dinner and discussion, often focusing on controversial topics related to women's rights, sexuality, politics, and social reform.

Heterodoxy was consciously structured to avoid becoming dogmatic. Members were expected to hold differing viewpoints and engage in constructive dialogue. This emphasis on intellectual freedom and open exchange contributed to the organization's unique character and its influence on the feminist movement of the early 20th century. While no formal resolutions were passed or actions taken as a unified group, the relationships and intellectual stimulation fostered within Heterodoxy played a significant role in shaping individual members' activism and writing. The group effectively ceased to exist by the early 1940s.