Scope and content:

Files of Jo Daly who served as the Gay Community Liaison. Includes minutes of the Gay Advisory Committee and a 1977-1978 budget request statement asking for permament staff be increased from 13 to 38, noting the expansion of both the scope and amount of work handled by the department. Notably has a facsimile of a typed manuscript by Daly, likely a speech made at San Jose State University, dated Oct. 3, 1975. At the time, the city of San Jose was grappling with the idea of a municipal proclamation against discrimination against homosexual people. Daly states, "This is simply not a matter of gay liberation in this country...it is indeed human liberation." She also noted that she had recently come out as gay to her parents as the Washington Post was about to carry a story about her job with the City and County of San Francisco, effectively "outing" her sexual orientation.

Biographical / historical:

Jo Daly joined the Human Rights Commission in 1975, where she was believed to be the first government official in the nation to serve the gay community in a salaried position. In 1980, she was named to the Police Commission by then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, and was the first lesbian on that body. She was a long-time ally of Feinstein. Daly was a member of the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club. During her battle with cancer, she fought for legalized marijuana use. Daly died in 1997.

Arrangement:

Organized alphabetically.

Contents

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