Finding aid of the Concerned Americans for Individual Rights
(CAIR) Records
Michael P. Palmer
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 Concerned Americans for Individual Rights
(CAIR) Records
Collection number: Coll2008-056
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
Los Angeles,
California
- Processed by:
- Michael P. Palmer
- Date Completed:
- October 21, 2008
- Encoded by:
- Michael P. Palmer
© 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: Concerned Americans for Individual Rights (CAIR)
records
Dates: 1984-1985
Collection number: Coll2008-056
Creator:
Decker, Bruce B.,
1950-1995
Collection Size: 1 archive half-carton.
0.25 linear foot.
Repository:
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
Abstract: Position papers, correspondence, financial
reports, planning papers, press releases and other materials relating to
Concerned Americans for Individual Rights (CAIR), an organization of moderate
to conservative gay and lesbian members of the Republican party formed by Bruce
Decker to work to change the negative image of the GLBT community within the
party and to counter the rising influence of the Religious Right. The materials
date from the foundation of the organization in the spring of 1984 until the
spring of 1985.
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
Americans for Individual Rights (CAIR) records, Coll2008-056, ONE
National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Acquisition Information
Date and method of acquisition unknown.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Michael P. Palmer,
October 21, 2008.
Processing this collection has been funded
by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission.
Administrative History
Concerned Americans for Individual Rights (CAIR) was formed in the
spring of 1984 by Bruce B. Decker (1950-1995), a gay Republican political
consultant who had served as an advance man for President Gerald R. Ford and
Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller. Decker intended CAIR to be a national
organization of moderate and conservative gays and lesbians whose goal was to
expand Republicans' awareness of GLBT issues and to counter the rising
influence of the religious right. The original Board of Directors consisted of
Decker, Robert Bauman, Leonard Matlovich and Bonnie McGinley, who succeeded
Decker as president in December 1984. Little is known about the activities of
the organization: a national convention was announced for April 5-7, in Dallas,
at which congressman Bill Green (R-NY) was to speak, but the extant records end
before the event was scheduled to be held. In January 1986, the organization
honored the two Log Cabin Clubs of Southern California (
Advocate, February 18, 1986, p. 26).
Christopher Hitchins states that the organization was "shipwrecked by the AIDS
crisis", although it continued to exist, at least on paper, as late as 1993 (
For the Sake of Argument, 1993, p. 53).
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of a single loose-leaf notebook containing Bruce
Decker's records of CAIR. The materials, which date from June 1984 through
March 1985, include position papers, minutes, reports, budgets, correspondence,
lists of contributors, press releases, and a small number of newspaper
clippings, all but one from the
Washington Blade, found loose. The annual
meeting materials include signed letters of regret from senators William S.
Cohen, Charles E. Grassley, Arlen Specter, and Lowell Weicker, and from
representatives Silvio Conte and Olympia Snowe.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Concerned Americans for Individual
Rights (CAIR)
Gay rights--United States--1980-1990
Homosexuality--Political aspects
Republican Party (U.S. :
1854-)
Gay activists
Box 1 : 1-6
Notebook
1984-1985
Physical Description: 6 folders.
Box 1 : 4
4: Annual Meeting
1984-1985
Box 1 : 7
Newspaper Clippings
1984-1985