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Finding aid to the New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE) records, 1970-1979
Coll2011.058
Coll2011.058
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Table of contents
Title: New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE) Records
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2011.058
Contributing Institution:
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
1.0 linear foot.
3 archive cartons.
Date (inclusive): 1970-1979
Abstract: Meeting minutes, articles of incorporation, bylaws, correspondence, press manuals, clippings, flyers, press releases, financial
records, notes, project proposals, and other material documenting activities of the New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE),
1970-1979. New AGE was founded in 1977 to raise consciousness of gay and lesbian rights, and to "pass legislation in Los Angeles
that will secure the civil rights of gay citizens, and to defend those rights if challenged." The organization's activities
included opposing the passage of the California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative in 1977-1978.
creator:
New Alliance for Gay Equality.
The New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE) was founded on June 21, 1977 in Los Angeles, California. New AGE was a non-profit
political committee made up of more than thirty groups and individuals who wanted to educate, advocate and legislate for equal
human rights, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The founding members of New AGE included Bobbi Bennett, Sydney Crocker,
Myra Riddell, and Jerold Krieger. To coordinate and implement the goals set forth by New AGE they retained the partnership
of David B. Mixner and Peter Scott of Mixner/Scott Associates.
New AGE was made up of an entertainment committee, fundraising committee, legal committee, religious committee, and a speakers'
bureau. New AGE was active with the legal committee's work with the Attorney General's office on ballot initiatives; training
sessions held by the speakers' bureau for non-gay and gay speakers; as well as the organization of the "New AGE Teach-In on
Gay Rights" event held at the University of California, Los Angeles. New AGE was particularly active in promoting awareness
of the Coors Beer Boycott in 1977; and fighting SB 2053, "The California Save our Children Initiative" proposed to California
legislation on June 13, 1977, by Senator John V. Briggs and championed by Reverend Louis Sheldon and Anita Bryant. Among their
other undertakings, New AGE was responsible for collecting and releasing a list of 500 signatures supporting human rights
for gays by Southern California religious leaders and laypersons. To garner attention and funding for their causes, New AGE
organized events such as the "Justin Smith: A One Person Cabaret Revue" gala held on November 22, 1977; "Fight Briggs with
the Stars," a celebrity auction and flea market held on January 29, 1978; and a "Stop Briggs Concert" featuring Joan Baez,
Harry Chapin, Holly Near and Peter Yarrow, held on June 7, 1978.
New AGE disbanded in the spring of 1979 in light of an increasing overhead that outmatched financial sponsorship.
Source:
New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE) Records, Coll2011-058, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University
of Southern California.
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
Date and donor of collection acquisition unknown.
[Box/folder #, or item name] New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE) Records, Coll2011-058, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California.
Formerly box #A032. Collection processed by Simbree Touchstone and Marc LaRocque, April 2013.
The collection comprises meeting minutes, articles of incorporation, bylaws, correspondence, press manuals, clippings, flyers,
press releases, financial records, notes, project proposals, and other material documenting activities of the New Alliance
for Gay Equality (New AGE), 1970-1979. The collection includes the organizational proposal for New AGE written by Mixner/Scott
Associates, political consultants who advocated for gay and lesbian rights issues in Los Angeles municipal elections in the
1970s. Notably, much of the correspondence appears to be that of board member and steering committee co-chair, Sydney Crocker.
Articles of incorporation, bylaws and meeting minutes have been placed at the beginning of the collection. The remaining folders
are arranged alphabetically.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries 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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Crocker, Sydney
Correspondence
Gay activists
Gay and lesbian rights--United States--California
Gays--Law and legislation
Lesbian activists
Minutes
Promotional materials