Abstract Barbara Gittings (1932-2007) was an active member of the LGBT rights movement from the 1960s until her death. She worked as editor of The Ladder: A Lesbian Review. In the early 1970s, she was instrumental in lobbying the American Psychiatric Association to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness. Kay Tobin Lahusen (b. 1930) is a photojournalist, editor, author of The Gay Crusaders, and an active member of the gay and...

Abstract

Beth Ahavah was founded in 1975 as an LGBT synagogue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Beth Ahavah is an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism and still active as of 2012. The Beth Ahavah records, 1974-1987, consist of administrative records (correspondence), membership records, financial records, and event/program records.

Abstract

Gaydreams was among the first gay radio programs in the United States when it debuted in 1974 on the University of Pennsylvania's public radio station WXPN out of Philadelphia. The Gaydreams audio recordings, 1989-1995, consist of dozens of tapes of the radio show in several formats.

Abstract

Giovanni's Room, the oldest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) bookstore in the United States, was founded in Philadelphia in 1973 and is still in operation as of 2012. The bulk of the Giovanni's Room records, circa 1975-1991, are financial in nature.

Abstract The Gay Alternative was a literary forum for gay expression created by a collective of individuals during the early years of gay liberation. This magazine began as a newsletter of the Gay Activists Alliance of Philadelphia. The Jeffrey Escoffier records of The Gay Alternative, 1972-1976, include original manuscripts of essay submissions, administrative, correspondence, and financial records of the organization, and a small...

Abstract

Keith A. Kamm (1947-1993) was a bibliographer at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia and a gay rights activist. The Keith Kamm papers, circa 1970s, consist of materials relating to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues in libraries, the mental health community, and issues relating to feminism and sexism. This is a convenient collection for studying books relating to LGBT issues in the 1970s.

Abstract

This collection is made up of LGBT-related zines produced from the 1990s through the current day, most from the late 2000s. The term zines can refer to material ranging from a loosely-structured collection of personal thoughts to expertly designed publications, and vary widely in size. Topics include gender identity, sexuality, coming out, mental health, activism, community-building, oppression, race, and art.

Abstract

Tommi Avicolli Mecca (b. 1951) is a writer, singer/songwriter, performance artist, and activist. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Avicolli Mecca was involved in many Philadelphia-area Gay rights organizations. The collection is comprised of six series: 1) Subject files; 2) Gay Activists Alliance (Philadelphia) records; 3) Gay Media Project (Philadelphia) records; 4) Gay Community Center of Philadelphia records; 5) Photographic slides; 6) Audiovisual material.

Abstract

Walter J. Lear (1923-2010) was active in civil rights, LGBT rights, and healthcare reform. Lear was a medical doctor who served as Pennsylvania's Southeast Regional Commissioner for Health Services. The Walter J. Lear papers, 1975-1996, consist primarily of printed materials relating to LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS education. There are also a small amount of materials relating to Lear's membership in various LGBT and healthcare reform organizations.

Abstract

William Damon was an active member of the gay communities of Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, NY; Key West, Fla., and Provincetown, Mass. Throughout his life he was active in the gay rights movement. He worked as an editor and writer for multiple publications. The William Damon papers, 1965-1984, contain items relating to Damon's personal life and are chiefly biographical.