Hamai (Ken) papers, circa 1979-1981

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Scope and content:: This collection consists of two, spiral bound photo albums. The albums contain color snapshots depicting Hamai’s relationships and social life in the San Francisco Bay Area, including house parties, gatherings of friends in the Russian River area, travel photos from Yosemite National Park, and Hamai and Henyon’s 10th anniversary celebration; and events, including the 1979 Gay Freedom Day Parade, the 1979 Cherry Blossom Festival; the 1981 International Lesbian & Gay Freedom Day Parade; the 1981 Black Point Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Marin County; and several Beaux Arts Balls.
Biographical / historical:: Ken Hamai (December 1, 1946–October 1, 2022) was a lifelong San Francisco resident and co-owner, with his husband Jack Henyon (born September 30, 1947), of the Bay Winds Lighting Company. Hamai and Henyon got together in 1970 and married at San Francisco City Hall on October 20, 2008. A gay, Japanese American man, Hamai was a longtime supporter of GAPA (now known as the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance), attending all of the organization’s Runway shows since they began in 1988.
Acquisition information:: Gift of Ken Hamai, February 2021.

Subjects:: Gay men
Asian Americans
Pride parades
Drag
People of color
LGBTQ
Photograph
Photographs
Albums (Books)
Places:: San Francisco (Calif.)

Collection Guide Author:: Finding aid created by GLBT Historical Society staff.
Date Prepared:: circa 1979-1981
Date Encoded:: This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.

Restrictions:: Collection is open for research. Funding for processing this collection was provided by the National Archives' National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Terms of access:: Copyright to materials created by Ken Hamai has been transferred to the GLBT Historical Society. All requests for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material must be submitted in writing to the GLBT Historical Society Archivist. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Location of this collection:: GLBT Historical Society

989 Market Street, Lower Level

San Francisco, CA 94103, US