Michael Riegle, journalist, gay liberationist and prisoner rights activist, was born in 1943 in Gary, Indiana. The son of a steel mill worker, he attended Knox College where he received his Bachelors Degree; he later received his Doctorate in the psychology of language from the University of Minnesota. Upon receiving his Doctorate, Riegle taught at Franklin and Marshall College and ended his teaching career at Cornell. Throughout the 1970s, Riegle traveled extensively through Europe, primarily Italy and France where he worked as a translator, English and children’s tutor. Fluent in both French and Italian, Riegle maintained an avid interest in language and continued studying Russian, Spanish, Greek and American Sign Language until his death. In 1978, upon his return to the United States, Riegle became involved with the anarchist paper The Fag Rag and became part of the Gay Community News staff in 1979. Riegle expanded the newspaper’s policy of providing free penpal ads to prisoners and began a program providing gays and lesbians behind bars with legal and health information. Riegle was an active advocate for prisoners and published on the subject extensively in GCN. He became a part of the Redbook Prison Book Program and advised the American Friends Service Committee and the AIDS Action Committee on the concerns of prisoners. Mike Riegle died on January 10, 1992 after a long struggle with AIDS.

The Mike Riegle Papers contain a variety of printed media, including newspaper articles, magazine clippings, whole newspapers and magazine issues, published essays, bibliographies, advertisements, pamphlets, newsletters, comics, fiction and poetry all related to the research and collective interests of Gay Community News journalist Michael Riegle. Although the collection consists primarily of clippings and other collected materials from various gay and mainstream media from 1973 to 1990, Riegle’s handwritten research notes on a variety of subjects can be found throughout, including those used in preparation for a review of Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality for Gay Community News.

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David Scondras was born on January 5, 1946 in Lowell, Massachusetts to first generation Greek- American parents, George and Dorothy. After graduating with honors from Lowell High School, David attended Harvard University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics in 1968. In 1974 David received his Master's Degree in economics from Northeastern University.

A longtime community activist and educator, Scondras received nationwide attention for his work around arson prevention. In 1976 he co-founded the Symphony Tenants Organizing Project (STOP), whose work led to the conviction of a thirty-one member arson-for-profit ring in the Fenway area. In 1977 David helped draft and lobby for the first comprehensive anti-arson law in the country.

A lifelong advocate for the rights of tenants and senior citizens, Scondras is a noted lecturer on issues around human rights, anti-racism, anti-homophobia and arson prevention. He is an international human rights activist and has travelled to El Salvador and Nicaragua to observe, local and national elections and to speak on human rights issues. Scondras was chosen by the Harvard/ Radcliff Alumni Against Apartheid to be a candidate for the Harvard Board of Overseers; Bishop Tutu endorsed his candidacy. In 1971 Scondras along with numerous other community activists founded the Fenway Community Health Center and obtained federal funding to provide medical services to neighborhood residents.

David Scondras was elected to the Boston City Council in 1983 and became the first openly gay individual elected to that body. During his ten-year tenure, he advocated for the gay and lesbian community, opposing then-Governor Michael Dukakis' decision to deny gay couples the right to adopt. As a member of Boston City Council, Scondras worked on a variety of issues from; fair and affordable housing, minority rights, rat control, to developing a water table land trust to help endangered properties in the Boston area. He led a boycott of Coors Beer to end its funding of political extremist groups and introduced and won approval of a Human Rights Ordinance that, for the first time, protected the gay and lesbian citizens of Boston. He established a Human Rights Commission, and led an effort to bring about a coalition of community and political activists to pass the State's Gay Rights Bill. It was reported by the Boston Globe that Scondras, during his time in City Council, sponsored over 150 legislative initiatives.

Scondras was an early proponent of funding for HIV/AIDS research, and in 1987 founded The Boston Human Rights Institute, (BHRI) a not-for-profit organization. It was established and incorporated as a direct result of the Coors Beer Boycott Settlement. After Scondras lost re-election in 1994, the BHRI was unofficial renamed Search For A Cure, to refocus its mission dedicated to AIDS education, prevention and research not only locally, but around the world.

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The collection is arranged by year, and then by series. Most years contain folders for the following four series: Pride Week Guides, News Articles, Flyers/Pamphlets, and Images. Other series, which occur in certain years, are Pride Week Committee Papers (with folder titles stating the name of whichever committee was overseeing the Pride planning for that year), Speeches, Miscellaneous, Maps and Ephemera. The series entitled Pride Week Guides may contain itineraries, programs, or calendars describing Pride week events. Many of these folders also contain notes on Pride week events for that particular year. The News Articles series may contain newspaper articles (originals and/or photocopies), journal and magazine articles, and/or press releases. The Images series may contain original photographs, photocopies, or enlarged photocopied images from newspapers.

The History Project has original slides and photographs for the following years: 1973-1975, 1977-1980, 1986-1987, 1990-1991, and 1997. The Flyers/Pamphlets series contains flyers, pamphlets, bar or party cards, and religious service/interfaith service leaflets. The only Speeches series included at present is from 1970 and contains the original manuscript to a speech given at the Massachusetts State House by Laura McMurry.

Some years contain series folders for the committee that was overseeing the Parade for any given year. These folders may contain correspondence, notes, forms and photocopies of incorporation documents from the Secretary of State’s office. Also included are several 990 Federal Tax statements from some years.

There is a separate series for the Boston Dyke March, a separate march which has taken place 1994, and on the Friday before the Pride march.

The collection is arranged by year, with further arrangement by series. Every year contains a folder for Pride Week Guides and a folder for News Articles.]]>
The variety of materials in this collection speak to the long tradition of activism around the rights and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in Massachusetts, and attest to changing societal attitudes both across the state and around the United States concerning LGBT youth. Importantly, this collection shows the central role that LGBT youth have played in activist efforts in both the Boston area and throughout Massachusetts.

Materials in this collection reach as far back as 1969, when Time Magazine published a cover story called “The Homosexual in America” which discussed, as part of its scope, lesbian and gay youth. A few years later, in 1972, High School Gays United (HSGU) formed in Boston to provide an outlet for gay and lesbian youth. HSGU is the first documented group of its kind in Massachusetts. From that point, and moving toward the present, the groups, organizations, and movements included in this collection reveal the varying issues that have shaped both the LGBT youth community and the LGBT community in general.

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Boston Lesbian and Gays Against the Right (BLAGMAR) and its parent organization, Lavender Resistance, were groups formed in the last half of the 1970s to negotiate between issues relating to the LGBT community and the concerns of leftist politics. Lavender Resistance, active from 1976-1979, was primarily a discussion and study group that focused on defining this relationship, and because some members wanted a more action-oriented environment, BLAGMAR was formed to meet this need in 1978. BLAGMAR specifically was a reaction against the emergence of the New Right, a political movement of evangelical Christians, headed by people like Anita Bryant, that actively targeted the gay and lesbian community.

The records of the organizations reflect the political and activist LGBT community during one of the Gay Rights Movement’s most active periods. Perhaps most importantly, these records, particularly the meeting minutes and discussion notes, are very relevant for any study of how gay and lesbian issues related to socialist and progressive politics, and how certain members of the community chose to approach this relationship. The group’s records represent an intellectual and economically progressive approach to LGBT issues. Lavender Resistance, a socialist-feminist voice in the gay community, was particularly invested in the study of the historic interactions between race, class, gender, and homosexuality in a capitalist environment, while BLAGMAR focused on current political trends and activism.

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The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was a lesbian organization founded in 1955 in San Francisco by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon for the purpose of self-knowledge and self-acceptance, public education, involvement in research, and lobbying to change the laws criminalizing homosexuality. Starting primarily as a private social group for lesbians focused on the integration of the lesbian into mainstream society, the aims of the group shifted during the 1960s due to the changing political, social and economic conditions of the decade. The DOB took up political activism to lobby for the rights of lesbians, promoting individualism with a decreased emphasis on societal conformity. During the 1960s many regional chapters were chartered around the country and globally, continuing the organization even after the closing of the San Francisco national office in 1978.

The Boston chapter was founded in 1969 during a period when many homophile organizations were forming in Boston. Early leaders of the Boston DOB included Lois Johnson, Shari Barden, and Laura Robin/McMurry, who were prominent promoters of the group and its activities. Early on in the history of the Boston DOB, debate occurred over the group’s overall purpose, with an outcome emphasizing the original DOB mission of personal and social support for lesbians, education of the public on lesbianism, and the lobbying for the reform of laws limiting the civil and human rights of lesbians. Many younger, politically active feminist lesbians thought of the organization as old-fashioned and left to create new groups or join other, more radically activist, homophile organizations. The Boston DOB became the longest running chapter of the DOB, maintaining an office in Cambridge until the early 2000s, with 30 years of documented history present in this archive.

The Daughters of Bilitis collection consists of three archival boxes (1.5 linear feet). Box 1 contains a series of folders centered on the activities, organizational structure, and publications of the Boston chapter with some national publications, including the DOB journal, The Ladder. This collection also contains limited information about other activities of non-DOB homophile or feminist groups in the Boston area. The majority of the materials present date between 1965 and 1999, and include original documents as well as photocopies of newspaper and journal articles, event flyers, calendars, and correspondence. Boxes 2 and 3 contain the Boston DOB newsletter, originally entitled Maiden Voyage until 1971, when it was renamed FOCUS. The publication collection is arranged chronologically, beginning December 1969 and ending October 1983, with multiple issues filed together.

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Laura McMurry was born in Troy, New York, and grew up in Oklahoma and Idaho, before receiving her undergraduate degree at Reed College in Oregon. She moved to Boston in the mid-sixties to join Harvard’s graduate program in biology, receiving her degree in 1971. In 1969, McMurry became involved with the newly-formed Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis. McMurry was active in the Daughters of Bilitis from 1971-1975, at one time serving as secretary.

Through the Daughters of Bilitis, McMurry also became involved in political action, including protesting anti-sodomy legislation. In the 1970s McMurry became involved in many Boston gay and lesbian organizations such as the Gay Speakers Bureau and the Gay Community News.

In spring of 1970, she participated in Come Help Us Celebrate, and spoke at the first Boston Pride Celebration.

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David Peterson due to his conservative background collected a lot of right-wing materials on homosexuality, including a rather extensive collection of materials on the Ted Haggard / Michael Jones scandal, in which he befriended Michael Jones and spent years corresponding with him.]]>

Both Albert Wakefield and Marshall Belmaine, gay partners, were active in the gay scene in Boston in the 1970’s through the 1990’s. They formed gay men’s organizations, such as the Homophile Union, Papa Gayos, and “The Gay Co-op.” and motorcycle/leather clubs for gay men called the Vikings. Al Wakefield entered a program for PTSD sufferers around 1994. He worked as a janitor in an elementary school and left that job to enter a PTSD program. Marshall Belmaine served in Vietnam in the Marines, and Al Wakefield served in the Army, also in Vietnam. Marshall was injured in Vietnam in the Quang Tri Republic in Spring of 1967. One or both men are believed to now reside in Florida.]]>

Also represented in the collection is the IGBO or the International Gay (or Lesbian) Bowling Organization which ran many annual tournaments in addition to sponsoring other tournaments for gay and lesbian bowlers. The international organization is considered “the sports membership organization of choice for the gay community worldwide” and was founded in 1980 and is still in existence today. Tournaments hosted by the IGBO include annual tournaments and mid-year tournaments.]]>

As a response to those attempts a lawsuit was filed in Suffolk Superior Court in Massachusetts on April 11, 2001 by lead attorney Mary Bonauto, of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, GLAD.

The case, Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, had 7 plaintiff couples who had applied for and were denied marriage licenses in Massachusetts. The court ruled against the plaintiff couples in May 2002. GLAD attorneys immediately appealed the case directly to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC).

Oral Arguments were heard in the case March 4, 2003, and in November, the Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff couples, allowing city and town clerks in the Commonwealth to begin issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples as of May 17, 2004.

The organization, Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts (FTMC-FreedomtoMarry.org) had been engaged in grassroots education, advocacy and lobbying in support of civil marriage rights for same sex couples since 1993.

The FTMC also played a key role in the founding and growth of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry, RCFM. The RCFM was formed by a group of clergy who met informally at a FTMC function in 1997. One of the co-founders was Rabbi Howard Berman, (see also The History Project, MS. COL. 26, Howard Berman Collection).

The RCFM was a group of more than 700 clergy, congregations, and organizations from 23 faith traditions, including the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Association and Reform Judaism, Roman Catholics and others. Not many Roman Catholic Priests signed the declaration of support. On the 1000 signer Declaration of Support there was one Catholic Priest (Apostolic) who signed. There were members of various Roman Catholic parishes who would later sign a statement of support targeted at non-clergy Catholic supporters of same-sex marriage rights.

From 1997, RCFM spanned approximately 8 years, from the period of time preceeding the Goodridge Case to after the favorable ruling to the constitutional convention in Sept. 2005, where the anti-gay amendment banning same sex marriage was defeated, until the organization officially disbanded in 2007.

Administrative personnel ran the day to day operation of RCFM. These included Executive Director, Rabbi Devon Lerner; Outreach Coordinator, Alex Hivoltze-Jimenez; Assistant Director, Margaret (Maggie) Crowley; Program Manager and Administrator (part-time), Carlos French; and a loaned intern from the Freedom to Marry Coalition, Katie McDonough. The position of Director of Community Outreach was proposed and created in 2005. Before that time, Alex Hivoltze-Jimenez held the position of political director. All positions were paid positions except the internship. Two clergy acted as executive directors of RCFM, the first, and longtime director, was Rabbi Devon Lerner. Later, The Rev. Anne Fowler, who served as president of the board of directors, would serve as acting executive director.

The RCFM was primarily funded by grants and donations from member organizations and individuals. An example of the 2005-2006 budget included $75,000 in grants and $101,000 in donations. Grants included the Gill Foundation, Mass Equality, and the Unitarian based Fund for a Just Society.

Funding allowed the RCFM coordinators to speak to numerous congregations and other gatherings, organize religious support in the form of signers to the Declaration of Support for the Freedom to Marry, and lobby against attempts to pass a constitutional amendment at constitutional conventions banning gay marriage by those opposed to same sex marriage rights, such as Mass Resistance.

The success of the RCFM was evidenced by the funding, innovation, and grassroots support for same sex marriage in Massachusetts. The RCFM remains today a very successful social justice model not only in the realm of LGBT equal rights in Massachusetts but nationally in the general area of civil rights and liberties.]]>

One of the major responsibilities of the GCGLY was the organization of an annual Gay/Straight Youth Pride March in Boston, the first planned march of its kind in the nation. The principle sponsors of the Youth Pride March were the Youth Committee of the GCGLY, with the co-sponsorship of area high schools and community organizations in support of LGBT youth. Every year from 1995 and 2007, thousands of LGBT youth and their supporters marched through the streets of Boston, listened to speeches in Copley Square, displayed student artwork and banners, participated in spirit contests and talent shows, and ended the march at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade with music, food, resource tables, and local vendors at a celebration party.

Another responsibility of the GCGLY was the Safe Schools and Colleges Program, which focused on school programming designed to create a secure and understanding environment for LGBT youth in Massachusetts middle schools, high schools, and colleges. The Safe Schools and Colleges Program offered mini-grants, awarding money to schools across Massachusetts for the establishment of Gay/Straight Alliances (GSAs), support for LGBT club activities, participation in Youth Pride March, and other outreach activities in support of safe schools for LGBT youth. The Safe Schools Program also provided orientations for high school GSA leaders and members with ideas on how to start and run programs for LGBT students which would strengthen and support their community. The Safe Colleges Program also sponsored conferences of college GSAs and other LGBT organizations and leaders throughout the state, and awarded grants to college groups.]]>

GLAD is based in Boston and works to combat discrimination against the LGBTQ community throughout New England and nationwide. In 2003, GLAD was involved with a lawsuit that would lead to the recognition of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.]]>

The material from the Bar Collection has been gathered by patrons and employees of local bars and has been donated to The History Project with the intention of providing a more comprehensive history of the social life of gay men (and, to a smaller extent, women) via the bars they frequented.]]>

The collection also contains material relating to the annual AIDS Walk Boston, beginning with pamphlets from the very first walk held in 1986. The material consists of pamphlets, booklets, flyers and newspaper clippings. There are also donation appeals from AAC, public service advertisements (many are photocopies) and newspaper articles about the organization.]]>
 
BAGLY was founded in July of 1980 by LGBTQ youth who believed that an organization led by and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning youth was essential for the Greater Boston’s LGBTQ youth community. BAGLY is recognized nationally for its role in creating, sustaining, and advocating for social support, leadership development, and health promotion programs for LGBTQ youth. 
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Also included are materials from organizations such as ACT-UP Boston, Gay Men’s Health Crisis and MAP for Health. There are newspaper clippings, pamphlets, booklets, flyers and other documents for each organization. The collection has a lot of materials relating to the NAMES Project (the AIDS Memorial Quilt), including its 1988 national tour and its Boston chapter. Some of this material was donated by John Kyper.

Documents relating to the Above + Beyond exhibit itself include indexes and summaries of newspaper articles, drafts of a health timeline, correspondence relating to the standing and online versions of the exhibit as well as promotional material.

The collection also contains a variety of publications – newsletters, pamphlets, booklets, health reports – including Cambridge Cares About AIDS’s Care Notes, the Boston Living Center’s Centerpeace and Lifelines, the People with AIDS Coalition’s Newsline, public health sheets from the Massachusetts Department of Health, and more.]]>

In 2009, the Center shortened its operating name to Fenway Health and moved into a new facility at 1340 Boylston Street. It provides medical, dental and eye care along with STD testing and a variety of services addressing violence recovery, substance abuse and LGBT family/parenting. It has become internationally known for its work on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and research.

(Above excerpted from 1996 25th Anniversary Timeline and the Fenway Health website, www.fenwayhealth.org.)

The collection consists of newspaper clippings and publications donated by Stewart Landers relating to Fenway Community Health Center. Included are copies of newsletters dating back to 1985, such as Fenway Health, Frontlines, Healthy Outlook and Fenway Connections, as well as newspaper and magazine articles from The Boston Globe and Bay Windows. There are also pamphlets for events held by the Fenway Community Health Center, including the 1989 groundbreaking ceremony and the official 1991 opening ceremonies/ribbon cuttings for its new facility at 7 Haviland Street.

Note: The finding aid is a document containing detailed information about this specific collection within The History Project archives. You can use the finding aid to determine whether information within this collection that has not be digitized is relevant to your research. The finding aid includes a description of the scope of the collection, biographical and historical information related to the collection, restrictions on use of or access to the materials, and inventories that will help you better understand what we have onsite that you may wish to access for your research.]]>

Edward F. Bernier, or Eddie, was born in Pennsylvania in 1930 and was George’s partner until he died in an auto accident in Wellfleet, Cape Cod, in early 1961. He was a hairdresser in Central Square, Cambridge, on Massachusetts Avenue. This collection contains a large number of photos of Eddie as well as photos of Eddie’s.

After George passed away in 2005, all of his stuff was thrown out, perhaps by his landlord. A woman in the neighborhood, Julie Katz, found his collection on the ground by chance, and picked up as much as she could carry. She later contacted The History Project regarding the collection. For this reason, most of the materials lost any original order, and the collection was neither well organized nor comprehensive. Photographs constitute the largest part of the collection. There are a number of photos of Eddie, as well as old family photos from the late 19th century. Included in the collection are materials such as letters, address books, business cards, pamphlets, certificates, high school journals, news clippings, and miscellaneous stuff.]]>

Note: The finding aid is a document containing detailed information about this specific collection within The History Project archives. You can use the finding aid to determine whether information within this collection that has not be digitized is relevant to your research. The finding aid includes a description of the scope of the collection, biographical and historical information related to the collection, restrictions on use of or access to the materials, and inventories that will help you better understand what we have onsite that you may wish to access for your research.]]>

In 1971, Charley Shively along with John Mitzel, and Larry Martin formed the Fag Rag Collective and began publishing the Boston Gay Newspaper, Fag Rag, which ran until the early 1980's. During it's run Fag Rag became an important vehicle for incarcerated men to connect with one another. Charlie Shively along with Mike Riegle began a prison correspondence program. The collection consists of 9 boxes that have been arranged topically based on Charlie Shively's organizational techniques and divided into fourteen series. The Shively collection contains a variety of printed media including newspaper articles, (original and photocopied,) poetry magazines, serials, and books. The collection also consists of academic course materials including employment reviews, teaching evaluations, and business correspondence. Personal correspondence, speeches, and press releases from many of Boston's poetry readings are also part of his collection.

Some items from Series I of this collection have been digitized and are available here: https://historyproject.omeka.net/collections/show/43.

This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.]]>

The bar was a gathering place for the local LGBTQ Community, drawing a large lesbian crowd from the bowling alley next door. It is known as the first bar to host a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS research, the first bar to have a float in the Boston Gay Pride Parade, and the first to host gay weddings.

Fran's place closed in September 2016.
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Hummel and Dumas wrote and distributed a monthly newsletter, The Gaylaxian, typically detailing the “minutes” of the prior Gaylaxians meeting, announcing the location of next month’s meeting (someone’s home) and other fan information of interest.
Deriving from its mission of being a social organization, The Gaylaxians also created and published a Gaylaxian membership directory, intended to include Gaylaxians’ names, addresses, phone numbers and [science fiction] interests.
Later that year, 1986, Hummel, Dumas and Lars Colson attended ConFederation, the 44th World Science Fiction Convention, as representatives of The Gaylaxians, thereby establishing to the broader science fiction community the existence of The Gaylaxians as a [New England based] organization.
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Founded in 1991 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization under the name GFP, Inc., for the purpose of promoting Country/Western dance while providing assistance through their fundraisers to service oriented groups.
They organize and participate in numerous dance performances and demonstrations nationally and internationally, and since 1993 have sponsored Lambda Ranch, a smoke-free and alcohol-free dance event.
Gays for Patsy is a Member Club of the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC) whose purpose is to promote country western dancing, activities and music to all persons without regard to age, sex, gender or gender identity, religion, national or cultural origin, sexual orientation, disability or HIV status.”]]>