A single-page letter dated August 28, 1962 from The Mattachine Society of Washington to former House Representative Paul C. Jones. The letter accompanies an enclosed news release (not shown) about the newly formed organization advocating for homosexual rights, signed by Franklin E. Kameny, President of The Mattachine Society of Washington. Handwritten comment in red ink by Jones reads, "I am unalterably opposed to your proposal and cannot see how any person in his right mind can condone the practices which you would justify. Please do not contaminate my mail with such filthy trash."
Black and white cartoon of adult guardian in black dress, pearls, handbag, and flats telling two children holding the door open as she exits, "If anything comes in the mail from the Surgeon General, don't open it!" The cartoon is signed by Ralph Dunagin, "To Surgeon General Koop with Best Wishes!"
Attribution:
From the C. Everett Koop Papers, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Hearing before the Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, first session, hearing held in Washington, DC.
Black and white single panel cartoon with museum curator on a step stool removing framed artwork from a wall saying to former Senator Jesse Helms, "Great idea getting rid of all the fag art, Mr. Helms!" Missing artwork includes Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Michelangelo's David.
Bar chart of New HIV Diagnoses in the United States for the Most-Affected Subpopulations, 2016. Source: CDC, Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2016. HIV Surveillance Report 2017, 28.
Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, second session on S. 1284, to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation
Hearings before the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Ninety-seventh Congress, second session.
Pamphlet with a message from the Surgeon General published by the United States Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General
Centers for Disease Control.
In 2004 San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that the the City of San Francisco would grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The first same-sex wedding to take place at City Hall was between Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon. The couple, who had lived together more than 50 years, were longtime activists in the San Francisco lesbian and gay community having formed the Daughters of Bilitis, one of the first national lesbian organizations in the US in 1955.
BROTHERS poster with the caption, "Concerned about HIV and AIDS? BROTHERS offers services for African-American gay/bisexual men and transgenders. For more information, please call: (415) 749-6714". The phone number is scratched out in blue ink and written below "356-8140" and the sub-caption reads, "The BROTHERS NETWORK, 625 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94109"
Attribution:
Photographed by Lincoln Cushing for the GLBT Historical Society
Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, second session on S. 1284, to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Between February 11 and March 11 of 2004, San Francisco issued about 4000 licenses. However, A number of legal challenges were taken up and on August 24 the California Supreme Court held that the city was not authorized to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. All those who had been issued a marriage license were notified of their right to receive a refund of the $82 marriage license fee. They were also given the option to donate that fee to the Same-Sex Marriage Equal Protection Fund.
Attribution:
Courtesy of the San Francisco Public Library LGBTQIA Archives
Assembly Bill No. 1951 commencing January 1, 2016 required the State Registrar with identification to parents, to modify the certificate of live birth to contain two lines that both read "Name of Parent" and contain next to each parent's name, three checkboxes with the options of mother, father, and parent to describe the parent's relationship to the child.
Two moms and son embrace on the steps of the Alameda County Courthouse on 1225 Fallon St, Oakland holding up their adoption paperwork. Black and white photograph signed by Cathy Cade.
Black and white photograph of two mothers with son leaving the Alameda County Courthouse stairs holding hands, carrying adoption paperwork and smiling.
Handwritten letter on lined yellow paper, stapled: "My name is Jesus Reyes and I've just been arrested by the INS. Now they want to deport me because I have AIDS. I came to this rally today because as a gay man and as a person with AIDS I wanted to support this struggle against death, this struggle for life. I didn't expect to find the immigration police here, but here they were. Now they're certain to send me back to Mexico where all that waits for me is an early death. Since I've come to this country in 1981 I worked very hard. For the first couple of years I worked two jobs where I still live, in the Mission. I've always tryed to send back as much money as I could to my family in Mexico, things are so bad there they're almost [...]"
Attribution:
Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society Jorge Cortiñas Papers
Sepia colored flyer "Bienvenidos a Ellis Island 1990: 1892-1990 Cien Años de Inmigración, Cien Años de Hipocresia. Para los extranjeros VIH positivos no existe el derecho a la vida a la libertad, a la felicidad, tampoco existe el derecho a la salud publica para extranjeros con el SIDA. También se le niega entrada a las lesbianas y homosexuales. El derecho a la libertad de palabra es negado a los extranjeros. No existe el derecho a procedimiento legal para extranjeros. Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos. Protesta 9 de Septiembre en Battery Park 212-989-1114"
Attribution:
Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society Jorge Cortiñas Papers
Color photograph of Helen James in her home, holding a photo album of her time in the Air Force. Six decades after the Air Force kicked her out for being a lesbian, James was finally awarded the honorable discharge. Approximately 100,000 lesbian and gay veterans were dishonorably discharged from the military since World War II; they were stigmatized, harrassed and denied crucial veterans’ benefits.
Color photograph of the gravesite of Leonard Matlovich reads, "Never Again 6 July 1943 / Never Forget 22 June 1988. A Gay Vietnam Veteran. When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men - And a discharge for loving one."
"Living as a closeted student in TX is hell, can't wait to come to a place like this in the fall. Thank you for the hope <3. - Genderfluid//Pansexual, 4.8.17"
"Thank you for this extremely intersectional + informational exhibit. Excellent + I hope you can keep this in rotation. So important! 4/9/18"
"'Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it!' Thank you for providing such an informative, well-curated and detailed reminder of all we in the LGBTQ have had to endure and of how much we have left. Proud to be a bear! -David, JD '18, a gay Berkeley student."
Attribution:
Bernice Layne Brown Gallery, Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley Exhibit "We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record!"
"This made me cry. I am a lesbian and seeing how our love has always existed and how we have been ostracized by our government is impactful. Knowing that the government let (primarily) gay men and trans women die of AIDS hurts, knowing that people couldn't have legal access to partners dying of AIDS b/c gay marriage wasn't legal breaks my heart. Most of all, seeing how my community has stuck together and marched in the streets for our rights fills me with unmeasurable pride. We will never go away."
Attribution:
Bernice Layne Brown Gallery, Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley Exhibit "We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record!"
"Exhibits like these always remind me that queers have forever been here and that it has taken way too long to get where we are. -Jenna, 2nd yr"
"Thank you for this thoughtful exhibit. During increasingly turbulent times it's especially important to shed light on the journey of the oppressed, marginalized, and 'others'. I'm reminded of the exhausting-- often demoralizing road, and thus I'm keenly cognizant of how much we could lose-- again. Christopher //2004//, 5/3/18"
Attribution:
Bernice Layne Brown Gallery, Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley Exhibit "We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record!"
"thank you. -a gay 2nd year"
"Wonderful collection. Thanks so much! -Alisha"
"<--ditto"
"A beautiful collection. A sobering & inspiring reminder of where we've come from, & the need for vigilance & outreach to protect what gains we've earned. -Nick B. (Class of 2018)"
"I remember... 33 yrs staff; class of 2012 -Jonathan W."
Attribution:
Bernice Layne Brown Gallery, Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley Exhibit "We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record!"
"Thank you for representing the voices, struggles, triumphs, and personalities of those revolutionary leaders who came before us + put their lives into equality for us LGBT individuals. -A queer freshman <3"
"Great exhibit! -Geoffrey U., PhD, Poli Sci, '17"
"good hand"
Attribution:
Bernice Layne Brown Gallery, Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley Exhibit "We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record!"
"This exhibit is gorgeous, provocative, thoughtful, profound. Thank you. Annie"
"Thank you for the exhibit! Kathleen"
"Really great place. Epic Library. Thanks, Timo from Levven (Belgium)"
"Thank you so much for sharing. Exquisite and Emotional."
Attribution:
Bernice Layne Brown Gallery, Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley Exhibit "We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record!"
"This is an extraordinarily thoughtful and deeply researched exhibit. THANK YOU. Timely, too! - A professor at UCB"
"Can't wait to go here #2024"
"Greetings from Devine"
Attribution:
Bernice Layne Brown Gallery, Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley Exhibit "We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record!"
Photograph of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base personnel posed in front of a banner hung from a chainlink fence reading "LGBT Pride Month: Strength Through Diversity, Davis-Monthan AFB".
Black and white photo by Cathy Cade of marchers in San Francisco carrying banner "Asian/Pacific Lesbians, for the love of women/bagi cinta pada wanita/sa pag-mahal ng babae/tình yêu của phụ nữ/kealoha o wahine/女への愛のために/[chinese characters]/for the love of ♀".
Black and white photograph by Cathy Cade of marchers in San Francisco carrying banner "Down with Apartheid: U.S. Out of Southern Africa, Victory to UNC and SWAPO, Southern Africa Freedoom Committee, All-Peoples Congress" "Fight Lesbian and Gay Oppression, All-Peoples Congress".
Black and white photograph by Cathy Cade of marchers in the street carrying banners "Mujeres en Lucha, Lesbianas Latinas" "Gay Latinos for the Nicaraguan Revolution."
Main exhibit image of protesters picketing, Barbara Gittings carries a sign, "Sexual Preference is Irrelevant to Federal Employment." Photo by Kay Lahusen.
