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Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County Records
MS.R.118  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Accruals
  • Custodial History
  • Processing History
  • Historical Background
  • Collection Scope and Content Summary
  • Collection Arrangement
  • Separation Note
  • Related Collections

  • Contributing Institution: Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
    Title: Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County records
    Creator: Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County
    Identifier/Call Number: MS.R.118
    Physical Description: 14.1 Linear Feet (28 boxes and 3 oversized folders)
    Date (inclusive): 1977-2005
    Abstract: This collection comprises the records of The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC), a not-for-profit organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in Orange County, California. The collection documents the Center OC's operations, sponsored events, services, fundraising, educational activities, and public health campaigns including those addressing HIV/AIDS. Materials include reports, newsletters, memoranda, event programs, photographs, fliers, posters, training and educational materials, clippings, and audiovisual recordings.
    Language of Material: Collection materials are primarily in English with some materials in Spanish.

    Access

    The collection is open for research.
    Select items have been reformatted and have digital preservation copies. Access to original audiovisual recordings is restricted; researchers may request viewing copies.

    Publication Rights

    Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

    Preferred Citation

    Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County Records. MS-R118. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.
    For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

    Acquisition Information

    Gift of Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County, 2004-2007.

    Accruals

    Accruals are expected.

    Custodial History

    Some of the materials in the collection were contributed as part of the Orange County Historical LGBT Timeline Project.

    Processing History

    Processed by Dawn Schmitz, Kimberly Gallon, Christine Kim, and Natalie Newton in 2011.

    Historical Background

    The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC) is one of the oldest gay and lesbian community centers in the United States, established as a volunteer organization in 1971 and incorporated in 1975 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community-based organization. The Center's programming serves the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, including the Spanish-speaking LGBT community, those who are questioning, LGBT youth, and LGBT families.
    Through its AIDS Response Program, The Center was the first community-based agency to address the AIDS crisis in Orange County. The program responded to the crisis with a variety of initiatives, including Stop AIDS Orange County, a volunteer-based HIV/AIDS prevention program that began in 1987. In 1993 the LifeGuard program was created to provide education about safer sex for gay and bisexual men. The Center also designed HIV/AIDS prevention services specifically to serve the Latino and Asian American community. In addition to HIV/AIDS support and education services, The Center has advanced other public health initiatives, including an anti-smoking campaign.
    In addition to its public health programs, The Center has organized or sponsored a range of social events and other activities to serve the LGBT community. The Orange Coast Guild was a social group that organized cultural events in the early 1990s. In the early 2000s, The Center co-sponsored Orange County Dyke March events, public demonstrations designed to empower lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. In 2003-2004, The Center was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit charging officials in Costa Mesa, California, with imposing unduly burdensome permit requirements on the Dyke March organizers.
    The Center relocated and expanded its facilities to a new Garden Grove location in 1988. In June, 2009, it relocated again to Santa Ana, California.

    Collection Scope and Content Summary

    This collection comprises the records of The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC), a not-for-profit organization serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Orange County, California. The collection documents the Center's operations, sponsored events, services, fundraising, and programs, particularly those addressing HIV/AIDS. Materials include board of directors meeting agendas, reports, newsletters, memoranda, photographs, event programs, fliers, posters, training and educational materials, clippings, and videotapes.

    Collection Arrangement

    This collection is arranged in 6 series:
    • Series 1. Administrative records, 1984-2004
    • Series 2. Program files, 1983-2003
    • Series 3. Events, 1989-2005
    • Series 4. Research materials, 1977-2002
    • Series 5. Visual materials, 1987-2004
    • Series 6. Awards and commendations, 1998-2004

    Separation Note

    Issues of the following newsletters were removed from the collection and added to cataloged serials in the Department of Special Collections and Archives. Complete holdings information is available through the UC Irvine Libraries catalog ANTPAC :
    • The Center Connection
    • The Log Cabin Club of Orange County
    • Laguna Outreach

    Related Collections

    Related materials can be found in the following collections in the Department of Special Collections and Archives:

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Video recordings -- California -- Orange County -- 21st century.
    Lesbians -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
    Gays -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
    AIDS (disease) -- California -- Orange County -- History -- Sources.
    Bisexuals -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
    Community centers -- California -- Orange County -- History.
    Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 21st century.
    Transgender people -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
    Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
    Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County -- Archives