Kristin Lems was one of the earliest and most constant allies of the LGBT community, as well as a tireless troubador giving voice to various feminist and progressive issues. She was the founder of the National Women's Music Festival and has performed at countless feminist and lesbian events since the 1970s. She has recorded several CDs with progressive political content and was a fixture of the His 'n Hers live music scene of the '70s and '80s. Her "How Nice" (1979) is the first known recorded song unequivocally advocating for gay marriage; it appears on the album Straight and Gay Together (produced by Ginni Clemmens).