Finding aid to the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles records, 1989-2011 Coll2012.183

Finding aid prepared by Jennifer Ansley
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California, 90007
(213) 741-0094
askone@ONEarchives.org
(c) 2013


Title: Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles records
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2012.183
Contributing Institution: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 3.4 linear feet. 3 archive boxes + 1 archive carton + 2 banners.
Date (inclusive): 1989-2011
Abstract: Materials relating to the activities of the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles from 1989 to 2011, with the bulk of materials pertaining to the 1990s. The materials include board meeting minutes, correspondence, news clippings, publicity, information regarding organizational events (primarily programs, flyers, invitations, and event budgets), and legal briefs. The Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association, formerly known as Lawyers for Human Rights, was founded in 1979 and went on to be involved in numerous cases and legislative initiatives that responded to employment discrimination against members of the LGBT community and people with HIV/AIDS.
creator: Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association.

Administrative History

The Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association (LGLA), formerly known as Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), was founded in 1979 by Susan McGreivy, whose work at the The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center inspired her idea for a gay lawyers group that could advocate for the rights of community members, and Ray Hatler, who did most of the initial organizing and served as the organisation's first president. Their first meeting took place in the Old Spaghetti Factory on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
The organization emerged, in part, as a consequence of battles over Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, which sought to ban gays and lesbians from teaching in California. The organization would go on to be involved in numerous cases and legislative initiatives that responded to employment discrimination against members of the LGBT community and people with HIV/AIDS, including Assembly Bill 101, a bill that was proposed in 1991, during the height of the AIDS crisis, that sought to outlaw job discrimination against gays and lesbians. The bill was vetoed by Governor Pete Wilson, igniting a backlash from the LGBT community that eventually led to the passage of another anti-discrimination bill, Assembly Bill 2601 in 1992.
During this same period, the Lawyers for Human Rights adopted a transitional title, Lawyers for Human Rights: The Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, that's aim was to celebrate the new freedoms gained by gays and lesbians over the previous decade and to better represent the organisation's membership and goals. In October 2002, at its 21st Annual Dinner, the organization adopted its current name, the Lesbian and Gay Lawyer's Association, a move that was seen as a final "coming out" for the organization.
Today, the organisation's primary activities include making judicial endorsements, writing amicus briefs, participating in the Los Angeles County Bar Association and State Bar Association Conferences, and providing education, networking, and social opportunities for LGBT lawyers. Regular events include their Annual Anniversary Dinner, events at the Hollywood Bowl, the Summer Associates Reception, and networking opportunities with other LGBT organizations.
Sources:
Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Records, Coll2012-183, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
"History: Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles," http://www.lgla.net/lgla/about/ (last accessed January 22, 2013).

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Acquisition

Donated by the Lesbian & Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, represented by Rose Eustachio, August 18, 2012.

Preferred Citation

[Box/folder #, or item name] Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Records, Coll2012-183, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Processing Information

Collection processed by Jennifer Ansley, January 2013.

Scope and Contents

The collection contains materials relating to the activities of the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association from 1989 to 2011, with the bulk of materials pertaining to the 1990s. The materials include board meeting minutes, correspondence, news clippings, publicity, information regarding organizational events (primarily programs, flyers, invitations, and event budgets), and a selection of legal briefs. The publicity and news clippings contain significant information regarding the controversy over Assembly Bill 101, an anti-discrimination bill vetoed by Pete Wilson in 1991, the backlash from the LGBT community that resulted, and the eventual passage of Assembly 2601 in 1992. The collection also includes news clippings and legal briefings pertaining to discrimination against gays in the military.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1. Administrative records
Series 2. Events records
Series 3. Amicus committee

Separated Materials

The following newsletters have been separated from the collection and cataloged into ONE Archives' periodicals collection:
Lawyers for Human Rights Reporter, The Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Los Angeles, 1989-1999
Tom Homann Law Association Newsletter, San Diego's Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Bar Association, 1999

Conditions Governing Use

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

Lawyers for Human Rights (California, U.S.)
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Gays--Law and legislation
Homosexuality--Law and legislation
Legal assistance to gays--California--Los Angeles
Legal assistance to lesbians--United States.
Minutes

 

Administrative records Series 1. 1989-2011

Series Description

This series consists of materials related to the general day-to-day administrative activities of LGLA. It includes board meeting minutes, bylaws, correspondence, endorsements, treasures' reports, retreat notes, membership records, memoranda, project reports, newsletters, program announcements, banners and publicity and news clippings from roughly 1989 through 2011. The series also includes records from various committees within LGLA.

Arrangement

Records from LGLA's Board of Governors and committees are at the beginning of this series. The remaining folders are arranged alphabetically.
Box 1, Folder 1-9

Board of Governors materials 1999-2010

Physical Description: [9 folders]
Box 1, Folder 10-18

Committees

Box 1, Folder 10

Administrative assistant/mailing committee 1998

Box 1, Folder 21

Committee assignments 1992

Box 1, Folder 11

Communications committee 2009

Box 1, Folder 12

Legislation committee 1992

Box 1, Folder 13

Mediation/dispute resolution services (DRS) committee 1992

Box 1, Folder 14-16

Membership committee 1992-2009

Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 1, Folder 17

Law student committee 2000

Box 1, Folder 18

Treasurer reports 2009-2010

Box 1, Folder 19

Administrative assistant search, Pitney Bowes 1999

Item BAN139-BAN140

Banners Undated

Box 1, Folder 20

Bylaws 1991-1998

Box 1, Folder 22

Corporate sponsorship, newsletter 1997

Box 1, Folder 23-28

Correspondence

Box 1, Folder 24

General 2001-2006

Box 1, Folder 23

Co-president correspondence 2009-2010

Box 1, Folder 25-28

Destouet, Maurice 1998

Physical Description: [4 folders]
Box 1, Folder 29

Endorsements 2009

Box 1, Folder 30

Gregoire, David 1999

Box 1, Folder 33-35

Law Notes 1999-2000

Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 1, Folder 36

Law students 2009-2010

Box 1, Folder 37

Lemke, Mark 1999

Box 1, Folder 38

Littleton, Chris 1993-1997

Box 1, Folder 39

Logos Undated

Box 1, Folder 31

Los Angeles County Bar Association affiliate status 1999

Box 1, Folder 32

Los Angeles Police Commissioners report on Los Angeles civil unrest 1992

Box 1, Folder 43

Mediation project 1992

Box 1, Folder 41

Membership 1991-1992

Box 1, Folder 40

Membership legal recruiting coordinator 1992

Box 1, Folder 42

Membership survey project 1992

Box 1, Folder 44

Name change 1992

Box 1, Folder 45

Newsletter information and sources, advertisers 1997-1998

Box 1, Folder 46

Newsletter materials and program announcements 1989-1993

Box 2, Folder 1

Newsletter materials and program announcements 1989-1993

Box 2, Folder 2

Newsletter correspondence 1999-2000

Box 2, Folder 3

No on Knight endorsement form 2000

Box 2, Folder 4-5

Officer elections 1991-1992

Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 2, Folder 6

Press release 1992

Box 2, Folder 7-8

Public relations and publicity 1999-2009

Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 2, Folder 9-18

Publicity and news clippings 1990-1992

Physical Description: [10 folders]
Box 2, Folder 19

Queer defense project 1991

Box 2, Folder 20-24

Retreat notes and material 1991-2011

Physical Description: [5 folders]
Box 2, Folder 25

Sandoval, Omar 1999

Box 2, Folder 26-27

Scholarships 2000

Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 2, Folder 28

Statements to Rodney King beating verdicts 1992

Box 2, Folder 29

Support of AB 101 1999

Box 2, Folder 30

Survey 1992

Box 2, Folder 31

Taxes 1999

Box 2, Folder 32

Social networking 2009

Box 2, Folder 33-34

Website 2000

Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 2, Folder 35

Women's caucus 1992

 

Events records Series 2.  1990-2011

Series Description

This series contains programs, invitations, meeting minutes, budgets, memoranda, flyers and other publicity related to events taking place between 1992 and 2011 that were organized or co-sponsored by LGLA. In particular, the series contains materials pertaining to LGLA's Annual Awards and Installation Dinners, and Summer Associates Receptions.

Arrangement

Records related to LGLA's annual installation/awards dinner events are at the beginning of this series. The remaining folders are arranged chronologically.
Box 2, Folder 36-51

Annual award and installation dinners 1992-2009

Physical Description: [16 folders]
Box 3, Folder 1-3

Annual award and installation dinners 1999-2011

Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 3, Folder 4-6

Programs-conference 1990-1992

Physical Description: [3 folders]
Box 3, Folder 7

Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) affiliates meeting 1992

Box 3, Folder 8

Programs committee meetings 1992

Box 3, Folder 9

Pride parade 1992

Box 3, Folder 10

Project 10 matters 1992

Box 3, Folder 11

Day at the Races 1999

Box 3, Folder 12

Event flyers, mailings 1999

Box 3, Folder 13-14

Hollywood Bowl 1999

Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 3, Folder 15

June event 1999

Box 3, Folder 16

Magic Castle event 1999

Box 3, Folder 17-18

Sheila Kuehl event 1999

Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 3, Folder 19

Southwestern Bar Association fair 1999

Box 3, Folder 20-21

Summer associates reception 1999-2000

Physical Description: [2 folders]
Box 3, Folder 22

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bar Association Day 1999

Box 3, Folder 23

Co-sponsorship of other events 2000

Box 3, Folder 24

Maxine Waters event 2000

Box 3, Folder 25

MCBA dinners, calendar 2000

Box 3, Folder 26

Year 2000 calendar of events 2000

Box 3, Folder 27

Flyers 2000-2001

 

Amicus committee Series 3. 2002-2010

Series Description

This series contains amicus briefs prepared by the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles' Amicus Committee. The amicus briefs contained in this series pertain to Sharon S. v. Superior Court of San Diego, John Geddes Lawrence and Tyrone Garner v. State of Texas, John Hensala v. Department of the Air Force, and Kristine Renee H. v. Lisa Anne R. Additionally, the series contains Amicus Committee correspondence and memoranda from 2002 to 2010.

Arrangement

This series is arranged chronologically.
Box 3, Folder 28

Supreme Court of California Sharon S. v. Superior Court of San Diego 2002

Box 3, Folder 29

Supreme Court of the United States John Geddes Lawrence and Tyron Garner v. State of Texas 2002

Box 3, Folder 30-35

United States Court of Appeals 9th Circuit John Hensala v. Department of the Air Force 2002

Box 4, Folder 1-2

United States Court of Appeals 9th Circuit John Hensala v. Department of the Air Force 2002

Box 4, Folder 3-5

Supreme Court of California Kristine Renee H. v. Lisa Ann R. 2004

Box 4, Folder 6

Correspondence 2004

Box 4, Folder 7

Amicus committee records 2010