Jessica Barshay (1940-1998) was a psychotherapist who lived with multiple disabilities, including asthma, Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS), and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). Barshay was a lesbian feminist and identified strongly with both Jewish and Buddhist faiths. The collection includes correspondence, journals, subject files, newsletters, medical records, and professional papers.

Jessica Barshay was a psychotherapist who lived with multiple disabilities, including asthma, Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS), and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). Barshay, a Jewish lesbian feminist, received her Master’s in Social Work from UC Berkeley and practiced in the Bay Area until moving to Arizona with her partner, Judith Masur, in an attempt to find a less polluted climate and improve her quality of life. Barshay died by suicide in 1998.

4 linear feet (3 cartons)

Copyright to material 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.

Collection is open for research, with the exception of five folders containing medical records, Social Security Disability application materials, and medical correspondence. These have been restricted until the year 2048, fifty years after Barshay’s 1998 death.