They came together during the 1970s, performing in small venues like colleges and using comedy as a tool to make fun of a system that oppresses lesbians, women, and members of the LGBT community.
Harrison and Tyler continued to tour college campuses throughout the U.S. for several years, bringing their particular brand of pointed, insightful, and decidedly gay, humor to students, while actively pushing for equal rights for women and LGBTQ people.
In October of 1975 the comedy team was met with protestors when they performed at one of California State University, Long Beach's first Gay Pride celebrations.
Tyler, in her persona as "Reverend Ripoff," delivered a scathing critique of rape culture, which was met by picketers carrying signs like, "Don't be a freak--be a normal Christian.
So you have Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers with, ‘I’m not pretty enough’” [...] “because that’s what they had to do to make a living.”[8] Harrison and Tyler very effectively used this tactic to their advantage, as they were able to flip it around on their audience, revealing the misogyny which was embedded in much of the comedy scene at that time.