Guide to the Joseph Rose-Azevedo Papers, 1977-1990
Processed by Ernest Seaver ; machine-readable finding aid created by
Gabriela A. Montoya
Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California
P.O. Box 424280
San Francisco, California 94142
Phone: (415) 777-5455, #2
Email: glhsnc@aol.com
URL: http://www.glhs.org/collectn/glhsmss.htm
© 1999
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Joseph Rose-Azevedo Papers, 1977-1990
Accession number: 1989-06
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
San Francisco, California
Contact Information:
- Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California
- P.O. Box 424280
- San Francisco, California 94142
- Phone: (415) 777-5455, #2
- Email: glhsnc@aol.com
- URL: http://www.glhs.org/collectn/glhsmss.htm
- Processed by:
- Ernest Seaver
- Date Completed:
- January 1996
- Encoded by:
- Gabriela A. Montoya
© 1999 The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Joseph Rose-Azevedo Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1977-1990
Accession number: 1989-06
Creator:
Rose-Azevedo, Joseph
Extent: .3 linear feet
Repository: The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
San Francisco, California.
Shelf location: Housed at the GLBTHS Archives.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Acquisition
The Joseph Rose-Azevedo Papers (#1989-06) were received by GLHS from Joseph Rose-Azevedo in 1989 with some additional papers
donated in 1990.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials has been transferred to the Gay and Lesbian
Historical Society of Northern California.
Audio-Visual Materials
Photographs shelved in photo room.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Joseph Rose-Azevedo Papers, 1989-06, The Gay and Lesbian Historical Society
of Northern California.
Biography
Joseph Lester Rose (surname changed to Rose-Azevedo, 1979) was born on September 15, 1949, raised in Massachusetts, and came
to the Bay Area in 1975. He was hired as a Patrolman with the San Francisco International Airport Police Department in 1979,
and held that position until 1986.
When Joseph Rose-Azevedo first applied for his position at the Airport Police Department in 1977 he became involved in a conflict
over a polygraph test which asked questions about sexual preference. He underwent over a year of protests in this matter,
seeking the help of many gay attorneys, politicians and city officials, before finally being hired. He was the only acknowledged
gay person in the Department throughout his years there. Because of his sexual orientation he reported, and other observers
confirmed, numerous incidents of harassment directed towards him primarily during his first 18 months on the job. These included
verbal insults, graffiti, macing of his locker, interruption of his radio transmissions, failure to get back- up when he needed
it, and avoidance or open hostility from other officers. Eventually such stressful incidents started to dissipate when some
of his fellow workers, as Officer Rose-Azevedo later stated, began to realize he did not fit their mental stereotypes of gay
men.
In 1984 there was a major situation in which he had difficulties with two of his superiors, Sergeants Schlotz and Scott, who
gave him a "below competent and effective" evaluation because of his work reports which they considered insufficient. As a
result Chief Damon of the Department initiated a reprimand. Officer Rose-Azevedo in turn filed a discrimination suit. After
discussions with the claimant's attorney, both the reprimand and the discrimination suit were withdrawn.
His medical history shows that he was found to be HIV positive in April, 1986, with development over the next year of multiple
symptoms suggesting AIDS or ARC. Subsequently four months later on August 24, 1986 he resigned from his position with the
San Francisco Airport Police. In his letter of resignation there was no indications of stress, harassment or medical reasons
for leaving.
In November, 1986 he was denied unemployment benefits because, although medical reasons were claimed, he had quit work without
medical advice. Then again in 1987 he filed a stress claim with the San Francisco Employees' Retirement System, Workers' Compensation
Division, and was awarded a settlement in October, 1988.
After resigning from his job he did find time to travel abroad visiting Amsterdam, Milan, Athens, Alexandria, Cairo and Australia.
In 1989 he became a member of The Old Catholic Church (Utrecht Succession), the name of which represents a federation of several
national churches which are independent of Rome, but are fully Catholic in faith, and claim a valid apostolic succession.
A year later he was ordained a deacon of the Church by The Orthodox Missionary Vicariate of San Francisco. Coming into conflict
with Rev. Richard P. Lane, presiding Bishop of the Church, he was suspended and released from the office of deacon on February
26, 1990. Shortly thereafter Joseph Rose- Azevedo returned his membership certificate, thereby terminating his connection
with the Church.
Scope and Content
The collection primarily comprises correspondence and other related materials (.3 linear feet) covering Joseph Rose-Azevedo's
years of employment with the San Francisco International Airport Police Department and several years after his resignation.
These records have been kept in chronological order. Basically they document his conflict over the first pre-employment polygraph
test, intra-departmental memoranda and related material leading up to his 1984 discrimination suit with the San Francisco
Airport Police Department, and finally his stress claim filed with the San Francisco employees' Retirement System, Workers'
Compensation Division in 1987.
There is one folder of portraits of Rose-Azevedo and one folder containing scrapbook pages and negatives from Rose-Azevedo
travels.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Christians
Gay men
Law
Law enforcement
Related Collections
Collection of other gay law enforcement officials
Title: Paul Seidler Papers
Identifier/Call Number: #90-13
Collections concerning police interaction with the lesbian and gay community
Title: Meg Barnett Papers
Identifier/Call Number: #89-5
Title: Buzz Bense Papers
Identifier/Call Number: #91-26
Title: Brian Bringardner Papers
Identifier/Call Number: #92-16
Title: Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers
Identifier/Call Number: #93-13
Title: Tavern Guild Records
Identifier/Call Number: #95-2
Title: Lowell Williams Film
Identifier/Call Number: #92-9
Materials Removed from the Collection
Photographs have been removed to the photo room.
About .25 linear feet of tax forms were discarded.
Box Box 1
Pre-employment correspondence and related materials, 1978-1979
Discrimination case correspondence and related materials, 1979-1986
Compensation case and priesthood correspondence and related materials, 1986-1990
Personal writings and correspondence, various dates
Miscellaneous personal certificates, various dates
Photographs (located in photo room)
