Title: Laura Durán and Irene Martínez Collection

Dates: 1978-1994

Collection Number: LA MSS 0004

Creator/Collector:

Extent: 1.28 cubic feet

Repository: Los Angeles Public Library

Abstract: This collection consists of materials collected by Laura Durán and Irene Martínez during the 1980s and early 1990s, a time they were both actively involved as volunteers with Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU), and Lesbianas Unidas (LU). Items include correspondence, invoices, photographs, and other documents related to GLLU and LU.

Language of Material: English

This collection is open for research by appointment only in the Rare Books reading room. Information about setting appointments can be found on the Library’s website at lapl.org/branches/rarebooks. Appointments can also be arranged by sending an email inquiry to rarebook [at] lapl.org.

Any reproduction, redistribution, publication, or other use, by any means, without prior written permission is prohibited. Photocopies, copy prints and digital images can be provided. With the proper fees and permissions, many images can be used in commercial and non-profit applications. For personal and commercial uses of the Library's images, the Library will send to the user a Commercial Use Agreement which states access rights to images and copyright restrictions. This agreement must be returned to the library before the order will be processed. It will also state proper credit to be used for the product whenever photographs are used in commercial or non-profit situations. Further information regarding Use and Reproduction may be found on the Library’s website: https://tessa.lapl.org/special-collections-ordering.

[Identification of item]. Laura Durán and Irene Martínez Collection. Collection Number: LA MSS 0004. Los Angeles Public Library

The collection was donated by Laura Durán and Irene Martínez in August 2023. The donation was facilitated by Lydia R. Otero.

Lesbianas Unidas of Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU) was founded in 1983. Through restructuring in 1993-94, Lesbianas Unidas (LU) became a separate organization from GLLU. A letter written by Lydia Otero in 1987 describes Lesbianas Unidas as the most visible and active group of exclusively Latina lesbians in California, the Southwest, and possibly the United States. At the time, the group had a mailing list of 350. The membership was mainly Chicanas but also included women from Chile, Peru, Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries. Their purpose was to host events and yearly retreats that focused on issues affecting Latina lesbians, as well as other women of color. Laura Durán and Irene Martínez served as two of the first Board members of GLLU in the early 1980s. They have been together as a couple since 1987. Irene Martínez was a Lesbianas Unidas volunteer member and Connexxus facilitator. She worked with the Latina Lesbian Support Group, which met at El Centro Human Services, as a volunteer facilitator and coordinator from the late 1980s to early 1990s. Martínez was a Lesbianas Unidas committee chair in 1988, as well as a board member, and worked on special projects for LU, as well as special events for GLLU. Laura Durán was born in February 1954 in Torreon, Coahuila, in Mexico. Her parents, Jose and Leonor Durán, were both born in Mexico. Durán is the second oldest child of seven, and has three sisters and three brothers. In August 1962, the family immigrated to Pasadena, California. In 1976, Durán graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s Degree. She retired from a position with the State of California after 35 years of service. Durán was active with GLLU and Lesbianas Unidas from 1987-1993, served on GLLU’s Board of Directors as Treasurer in the 1990s, and was active in 1989 when Bienestar was established. She facilitated both of the women’s support groups, Spanish speaking and English speaking.

The collection contains ephemera, newsletters, committee reports, meeting minutes, and planning documents compiled by Laura Durán and Irene Martínez in the course of their volunteer organizing work with Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU) and Lesbianas Unidas (LU) from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. GLLU files include early documents, bylaws, General Assembly meeting minutes, materials on anniversary and awards ceremonies, and items related to committees, events, programs, and finances. It also includes several GLLU t-shirts, and member award plaques, as well as UNIDAD newsletters from 1983-94. Lesbianas Unidas materials date from 1979-94. Files are on topics such as the Connexxus Women’s Center, International Women's Day, meeting minutes, newsletters, networking with other organizations, and the annual Latina lesbian retreats. Restructuring took place in 1993-94, and LU became a separate group from GLLU in order to prioritize projects and issues important to members. There are also materials on Lesbians of Color, a group that predated LU.