Martha Shelley (born December 27, 1943) is an American activist, writer, and poet best known for her involvement in lesbian feminist activism.

In November 1967 she went to her first meeting of the New York City chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB),[4] of which she later became president, despite her feelings of resistance to events like the "Annual Reminder" held by the organization.

[12] While in a leadership role with the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), Shelley sometimes provided tours to women who were in New York City to learn about how to make their own chapter of the organization.

[13] Activist Mark Segal recounts that Shelley and Marty Robinson stood and made speeches from the front door of the Stonewall on June 29, 1969, the second night of the riot.

[14] Recognizing the significance of the event and being politically aware,[15] Shelley proposed a protest march and, as a result, DOB and Mattachine sponsored a demonstration.

[16] With time, it became clear to those involved that Shelley and others desired a new organization to better serve their political goals; she was one of the twenty or so women and men who formed the Gay Liberation Front after Stonewall[17] and was outspoken in many of their confrontations.

[21] Shelley played an instrumental role in the zap itself, and some have claimed she assisted in the writing of the Radicalesbians manifesto, "The Woman-Identified Woman", which introduced "women-identified" and "male-identified" terminology to the lesbian feminist discourse community.

[24] After moving to Oakland, California in October 1974, she was involved with the Women's Press Collective where she worked with Judy Grahn to produce Crossing the DMZ, In Other Words, Lesbians Speak Out and other books.

She also was allied to many other left-wing causes of the 1960s and 1970s, such as the pro-choice movement, and civil rights groups such as the Black Panthers and Young Lords, and has described herself as a socialist.