National March on Washington For Lesbian and Gay Rights Collection, 1985-1988

Summary

Abstract:

Correspondence, posters, flyers, programs, press releases, clippings, photographs, calendars, schedules, financial records and organizing kits that document the proceedings and efforts of March on Washington committees and other participating groups in the preparatory interval preceding the march, as well as the interim events that took place throughout the course of the march itself. The 1987 National March on Washington was a six-day political rally for sexual minority rights that began on October 11, 1987

Extent:

3.7 Linear Feet 1 archive box, 1 archive carton, 1 archive flat box, 1 archive binder box

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Box #, folder #, National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Coll2012-181, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Background

Scope and content:

Correspondence, posters, flyers, programs, press releases, news clippings, photographs, calendars, schedules, financial records and organizing kits that document the proceedings and efforts of March on Washington committees and other participating groups in the preparatory interval preceding the march, as well as the interim events that took place throughout the course of the march itself.

Biographical / historical:

The first March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place on October 14, 1979. In the wake of this March, 1979 Marchers and activists such as Joyce Hunter, Steve Ault, John O’Brien, Ray Hill and Howard Wallace began an open political discussion in reaction to two salient sociocultural developments swept over the country. Primarily, the perceived rise of homophobia under the aegis of the Reagan administration, as well as what was then understood as grossly inadequate government response to the AIDS crisis, fomented political sentiments. These sentiments were made manifest in a document penned by Ault and Hunter that proposed a new march. This document was circulated among national lesbian and gay organizations and conferences, raising political consciousness about the prospect of a march. Another event that triggered an animated response from the gay and lesbian community was the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Hardwick v. Bowers case, which prohibited sexual acts between same-sex consenting adults in private settings. This Court ruling, which occurred mere days before the first organizing meeting on July 17, 1986 in New York City, instilled the March on Washington movement with refreshed purpose and direction. During this July conference, conference participants drafted a call for a new march and began preparations for a larger conference in November of 1986 to which all lesbian and gay affiliated organizations would be invited. The November conference hammered out the politics, major logistical issues, and organizing structure; moreover, two keystone actions—a non-violent civil disobedience action at the Supreme Court and day of lobbying on Capitol Hill—were planned.

Processing information:

Processing of this collection has been funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Formerly housed in box 103-310, March on Washington, 1987, Los Angeles Committee. Collection processed by Monica Ramsy.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

Lou Ceci March on Washington Photographs, Coll2012-012, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

Steve Taravella March on Washington Photograph Album, Coll2012-032, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.

Carolyn Newcomb March on Washington Photograph Album, Coll2012-086, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.

Sara Jorde March on Washington Photographs, Coll2012-111, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

Separated material:

Newspaper Front Pages

The Village Voice: October 20, 1987; Vol. 32: No. 42

Workers World: October 15, 1987; Vol. 29: No. 41 October 22, 1987; Vol. 29: No. 42

Serials

Equal Time: October 28, 1987; Issue 145

Frontline: Special Edition: March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights

Gay Community News: October 4-10, 1987; Vol. 15: No. 12 October 14,

Off Our Backs: October; Vol. xvii; No. 9

San Francisco Sentinel: October 17, 1987; Vol. 15: No. 42

Seattle Gay News: October 16, 1987; Vol. 14: No. 40

Programs Culturally Yours (The Lesbian and Gay People’s Alliance of the George Washington University); July 18, 1987 Let Freedom Ring (Denver Women’s Chorus, Lesbian and Gay Bands of America, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C.); October 10, 1987

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

Researchers wishing to publish material must obtain permission in writing from ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives as the physical owner of the material. Note that permission to publish does not constitute copyright clearance. ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives can grant copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for all other materials from the copyright holder(s).

Preferred citation:

Box #, folder #, National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Coll2012-181, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Location of this collection:

ONE Archives at the USC Libraries

909 West Adams Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90007, US

Contact:

(213) 821-2771

askone@usc.edu

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