Online content
Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Bill Beardemphl papers
- Dates:
- 1960s-2010s
- Creators:
- Beardemphl, Bill
- Abstract:
- Extent:
- 1.2 linear feet (one carton, one small oversize box, one oversize folder)
- Language:
- Preferred citation:
-
Bill Beardemphl papers. GLBT Historical Society
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains Beardemphl’s journalistic notes, subject files, and photographs, as well as early issues of Vector and cassette tapes which appear to be recorded interviews. The notes and subject files are voluminous, and chart Beardemphl’s reading and research into topics ranging from the Coors boycott to Evangelical homophobia to AIDS; some of his commentary is quite acidic, providing insight into Beardemphl and his journalistic persona. The photographs are fairly extensive, ranging from the 1960s to the 1980s; they include early images of Beardemphl’s life with DeLeon as well as photographs taken at what appear to be Imperial Court events, with men in tights and elaborate Renaissance costumes. Finally, there are two books, Randy Shilts’ And the Band Played On and Martin Duberman’s Hidden From History, with annotations and notes by Beardemphl. The organization of the collection largely reflects Beardemphl’s original folders.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Bill Beardemphl (1926-2002) was a journalist, activist, and chef who is best known for founding the Society for Individual Rights (SIR), a homophile organization, and publishing its magazine Vector. In the 1980s, he was also the owner of the San Francisco Sentinel. Beardemphl and his lifelong partner, the dancer Johnny DeLeon, moved to San Francisco in 1962. The couple had been used to the culture of relative openness in New York’s Mafia-controlled gay bars, and were shocked to find that in San Francisco, the bars were heavily policed, which made dancing and contact unsafe. This recognition was the beginning of Beardemphl’s activist career. In 1964, he founded SIR, which published the magazine Vector and maintained the SIR Center, a community center which hosted meetings during the day and dances at night. SIR was one of a second wave of homophile organizations, whose perspective was more liberatory and less assimilationist; its mission focused on creating a sense of queer solidarity, changing laws, educating the community about venereal disease, and providing social services and legal aid to queer people. In his later years, in addition to his day job as a chef, Beardemphl devoted much of his time to writing and journalism – publishing the Sentinel, with Randy Alfred as editor, and maintaining extensive notes and subject files on contemporary gay news.
- Acquisition information:
- The collection was donated to the GLBT Historical Society by Randy Alfred in December 2021.
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Gay men
Homophile movement
Journalism
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- 1960s-2010s
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
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. Processing of this collection was generously supported by a gift from Susanne Garcia in honor of Bill Beardemphl and Johnny DeLeon.
- Preferred citation:
-
Bill Beardemphl papers. GLBT Historical Society
- Location of this collection:
-
989 Market Street, Lower LevelSan Francisco, CA 94103, US
- Contact:
- (415) 777-5455