Finding aid of the Homophile Effort for Legal Protection,
Incorporated (HELP, Inc.) Records
Michael C. Oliveira
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
Phone: (213) 741-0094
Fax: (213) 741-0220
Email: askone@onearchives.org
URL: http://www.onearchives.org
© 2008
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the Homophile Effort for Legal Protection,
Incorporated (HELP, Inc.), Records
Collection number: Coll2008-052
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
Los Angeles,
California
- Processed by:
- Michael C. Oliveira
- Date Completed:
- September 24, 2008
- Encoded by:
- Michael C. Oliveira
© 2008 ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant
from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Homophile Effort for Legal Protection,
Incorporated (HELP, Inc.), records
Dates: 1969-1984
Bulk Dates: 1970-1975
Collection number: Coll2008-052
Creator:
H.E.L.P., Incorporated
Collection Size: 5 archive cartons, 1 archive
half-carton, and 1 oversize box. 3.3 linear feet.
Repository:
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
Abstract: Minutes, membership applications and lists,
lawyer referral reports, newsletters, newspapers, and related ephemera of the
Homophile Effort For Legal Protection, Incorporated (HELP, Inc.). The
organization was formed in 1968, in response to the subjective and aggressive
behavior of the Los Angeles Police Department Vice Detail. Members were offered
general legal assistance and if arrested for "homosexual activities" they were
provided bail bonds and lawyer referral services. By the late 1970s, societal
changes practically eliminated the need for many of the services HELP
provided.
Languages: Languages represented in
the collection: English
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access
restrictions.
Publication Rights
Researchers wishing to publish materials must obtain permission in
writing from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives as the physical owner.
Researchers must also obtain clearance from the holder(s) of any copyrights in
the materials. Note that ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives can grant
copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold the copyright.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for
all other materials directly from the copyright holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Box #, folder #, Homophile Effort for Legal Protection, Incorporated
(HELP, Inc.), Records, Coll2008-052, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los
Angeles, California.
Acquisition Information
Method and date of acquisition unknown.
Processing Information
Collection created in September 2008 by Michael C. Oliveira, with the
assistance of Richard French, from materials in box 104-34, and in ONE National
Gay & Lesbian Archives "HELP, Inc. (Homophile Effort for Legal Protection,
Incorporated)" subject files.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Administrative History
The organization that was to become the Homophile Effort for Legal
Protection, Incorporated (HELP, Inc.), began with a proposal developed in early
1968. The first known meeting of the American Federation for the Advancement
and Defense of Homophile Society (AFADHS) organizers was in September 1968 at
The Patch, a bar in Wilmington, a neighborhood of Los Angeles. The organizers
proposed the establishment of an alliance of bar owners, personnel, and patrons
to defend against harassment and provide legal assistance in the form of bail
bonds and attorney referrals. In a period of several weeks the AFADHS became
the less ambiguous Homophile Effort for Legal Protection, Incorporated. HELP
provided bail bond service and lawyer referrals to its members and those vouched for
by existing members. The primary focus of the organization was to provide
support when its members were arrested for "homosexual activities." The
aggressive prosecution of victimless crimes by the Los Angeles Police
Department and the change in political climate led to the organization's rapid
growth. HELP also supported the California State Committee on Sexual Law Reform
to change the laws regarding sex between consenting adults.
However, the organization was plagued by periodic episodes of infighting
and was also not able to maintain the on-going support of the bar owners. By
the late 1970s, changes in society's attitude toward gays, recognition of gay
political power, reforms of California sex laws, and changes in police
priorities practically eliminated the need for many of the services HELP
provided.
Sources:
Colburn, Cal. "Hotline."
Magpie, September 27, 1968, 3.
Richards, Yale. "From under My Soap Box."
Magpie, January 1969, 4-10.
Vincent, Cliff. "What Else Is Happening in L.A.?"
Magpie, December 20 1968, 20-24.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection contains the records of the Homophile Effort for Legal
Protection, Incorporated (HELP, Inc.), an organization that provided legal
assistance in the form of bail bond service and lawyer referral to members for
a nominal annual membership fee. The organization coalesced after repeated
raids on gay establishments by the Los Angeles Police Department Vice Detail.
The collection consists of five series: (1) Administrative Records, (2)
Correspondence, (3) Bail Bonds and Attorney Referral Records, (4) Financial,
and (5) Printed Materials. The Administrative Records include minutes,
membership lists, and applications. The Correspondence Series contains
chronologically organized and unorganized correspondence, as well as
correspondence subject files. The Bail Bonds and Attorney Referral Records
consist of lawyer referral lists and lawyers' reports on the status of
defendants' cases. The Financial Records series contains unorganized bills,
receipts, and a check register, along with records of fund raising events. The
Printed Materials Series contains HELP publications, brochures, and other
materials by which the organization informed its membership.
Arrangement
The series are arranged chronologically, with the exception of the Bail
Bonds and Attorney Referral Records, which are arranged with the attorney
referral lists followed by the attorney referral reports, arranged
alphabetically by attorney.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
American Federation for the
Advancement and Defense of Homophile Society (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Black Pipe (bar : Los Angeles, Calif.)--Raid,
1972
Gay clubs--California--Los Angeles
H.E.L.P., Incorporated
Homophile Effort for Legal Protection
(Los Angeles, Calif.)
Legal assistance to gays--California--Los
Angeles
Police--Los Angeles Police Dept. (LAPD)--Vice
Squad
Police--Complaints against--California--Los
Angeles
Collection Contents
Series 1:
Administrative Records
circa
1968-1979
Physical Description: 24 folders.
Series Scope and Content Summary
The Administrative records consist of the Articles of incorporation,
by-laws, minutes, and ballots for the board of directors, 1978-1979. The
information packets contain a meeting agenda, November 1968, along with later
newsletters. The remaining folders document the bail bond program, with the
Bail Bond Program file containing blank applications, on-duty call lists, and a
list of pseudonyms used by the Los Angeles Police Vice Detail. The Membership
files contain orders for membership cards and lists of members. The
Applications file contains completed applications; access to this file is
restricted, as the applications include personally identifiable
information.
Box 1 : 1
Articles of incorporation and by-laws
1969-1972
Box 1 : 2-7 ; 7 : 1
(Oversize)
Minutes
1968-1976
Physical Description: 7 folders.
Box 1 : 8-9
Ballots for board of directors
1978-1979
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 7 : 2 (Oversize)
Information packet
1968-1971
Box 1 : 11
Bail bond program and applications
1971-1978
Box 2 : 1-2
Membership card orders
1969-1976
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 2 : 3
Membership lists
1973-1977
Boxes 5-6 (Restricted)
Applications
1971-1978
Physical Description: 9 folders.
Series 2:
Correspondence
1969-1984
Physical Description: 10 folders.
Series Scope and Content Summary
The Correspondence series contains several organized and two
unorganized folders of general correspondence. The Howard Efland folder
contains a few documents related to his alleged murder at the Dover Hotel.
Using the pseudonym J. McCann, Howard Efland checked into the Dover Hotel. In
the early morning hours of March 9, 1970, Los Angeles Police Department Vice
Detail Officers allegedly beat him to death. The Black Pipe Tavern police raid
folder documents a police raid of a HELP fundraiser and its aftermath. The
remaining arranged folders contain board of directors, Alcoholic Beverage
Control, and
Drummer newspaper subscription
correspondence. The final folder contains a scrapbook of pamphlets and flyers
by Paul Roberts, titled
Religion and the Gays.
Box 2 : 4-7
General
1969-1984
Physical Description: 4 folders.
Box 2 : 8
Howard Efland (pseudonym, J. McCann)
1970
Box 2 : 9
Board of directors
1970-1977
Box 2 : 10
State of California, Alcoholic Beverage
Control
1972-1973
Box 2 : 11
Black Pipe Tavern HELP fundraiser raid
1972-1975
Box 2 : 13
Religion and the Gays
1969-1972
Series 3:
Bail Bonds and Attorney Referral Records
1970-1976
Physical Description: 16 folders.
Series Scope and Content Summary
After being arrested a HELP member would call the phone number
provided, and contact the HELP person on duty. This person would confirm the
arrested person's membership and arrange for a bail bond if necessary. The
member would also be provided with the contact information for several
attorneys who worked with HELP. These attorneys would report back to HELP on
the status of the members' cases. This series consists of the lists of
attorneys, and reports from the attorneys on which members contacted them and
the status of their cases. The series is arranged with the referral lists
followed by the attorneys' reports, arranged alphabetically.
Box 2 : 14
Attorney referral lists
1971-1976
Box 3 : 1
Andelson, Sheldon
1971-1973
Box 3 : 2
Berg, Stanley P.
1971-1973
Box 3 : 8
Margolin, Bruce
1970-1971
Box 3 : 11
Rehkop, C. Neil
1972-1973
Box 3 : 12
Russell, Thomas
1971-1973
Box 3 : 14
Selwyn, Herbert
1971-1973
Series 4:
Financial Records
1969-1981
Physical Description: 7 folders.
Series Scope and Content Summary
The Financial Records series contains expense and income receipts,
including bail bond bills, along with the records from such fundraisers as
Kingmasters' "Night of Stars," the Hawks' art auction, and HELP's own "The
Rides of Spring." The two folders of unorganized receipts include receipts,
bills and a check register. The bills for bail bonds were issued to non-members
or non-current members, or for arrests not covered by HELP.
Box 3 : 16-18
Expense/income receipts
1969-1981
Physical Description: 3 folders.
Box 3 : 20
Kingmasters' "Night of Stars" fundraiser
1972-1975
Box 3 : 21
Hawks' art auction fundraiser
1973-1975
Box 4 : 1
HELP's "The Rides of Spring" fundraiser
1977
Series 5:
Publications and Ephemera
1970-1979
Physical Description: 14 folders.
Series Scope and Content Summary
The series consists of the newsletters, brochures, mailings, flyers,
and a "H.E.L.P.line" column in the Los Angeles gay newspaper,
Data-Boy,
by which HELP reached out to and informed its members. HELP began publishing a
newsletter in 1970. In 1972, this newsletter was superseded by the Los Angeles
newspaper
Drummer, of which HELP was a joint
publisher. However, the joint publication of
Drummer led to infighting between
members, some of whom had stakes in other local publications, and HELP's
involvement in the publication of
Drummer ceased at the end of 1973. In 1974, HELP
resumed publication of the newsletter, which continued through January 1979, when
it was superseded by
Outreach: Journal of the Homophile Effort for
Legal Protection
, which lasted just two issues. The series also
contains photographs from the newspaper and later newsletters.
Box 4 : 2-4
Newsletters
1970-1979
Physical Description: 3 folders.
Box 4 : 5
Drummer newspaper
1971-1973
Box 4 : 6
"H.E.L.P.line" typescripts
circa 1976
Box 4 : 7
Outreach: Journal of the Homophile Effort
for Legal Protection
1979
Box 4 : 9
Brochures
circa
1970-1978
Box 4 : 12
T-shirt decals
circa 1976
