I really doubt that there is a single answer for this question, given that we're talking about a time when there were such huge differences in public opinion about LGBT people in different parts of the country.

I imagine that a lesbian couple in San Francisco or New York would have a very different living experience than that same couple in Nowhere, Ohio so you might want to be more specific.

Also, if I might point out: you could try asking lesbians who lived through that period instead of a bunch of historians? With books the devil is in the details, and you'd get much more vivid accounts from memories or memiors over dry historical texts. The 70s wasn't that long ago, so you shouldn't have much trouble finding some older lesbians who'd be willing to chat if you're willing to hunt them down.

There is a book called Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers which talks about lesbian life and culture throughout the twentieth century.