Ginny Knuth (1934-1997) was a cisgender woman who volunteered extensively with San Francisco transgender organizations from 1983 until her death. The collection includes photographs, an oral history, a small amount of biographical information, and a large number of awards and plaques.

Ginny Knuth (1934-1997) was a cisgender woman who volunteered extensively with San Francisco transgender organizations from 1983 until her death. She first became involved with Educational TV Channel (ETVC) – which later became TransGender SF – and later with the Significant-Others Support Group and the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE). Knuth was married to Don Aviani, who identified when they met as a straight man who crossdressed, and who was known in the San Francisco transgender community as Nancy Ann Martine. The couple were very active members of ETVC; Knuth arranged social events ranging from a baby shower, to poker nights, to a game-show party in which guests parodied the Newlywed Game. She helped to organize the ETVC library, answered its hotline, managed its office, handled the door at its meetings, wrote a column in its newsletter (“Ginny’s Tales from the Other Side”), and was known for her support of both people on the transfeminine spectrum and their partners.

3 linear feet (3 oversized boxes)

Copyright to material created by Jamie Faye Fenton has been transferred to the GLBT Historical Society; copyright to material created and compiled by Ginny Knuth has not. No release form was signed for the oral history, which was taken shortly before Knuth’s death. All requests for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material must be submitted in writing to the GLBT Historical Society Archivist. Permission for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material is given on behalf of the GLBT Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Collection is open for research.