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Finding aid to the Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists records, circa 1980-1992 Coll2013.005
Coll2013.005  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Administrative History
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Acquisition
  • Preferred Citation
  • Processing Information
  • Related Materials
  • Related Materials
  • Scope and Content
  • Arrangement
  • Conditions Governing Use

  • Title: Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists records
    Identifier/Call Number: Coll2013.005
    Contributing Institution: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 4.2 linear feet. 3 archive boxes + 1 archive flat box + 1 poster.
    Date (inclusive): circa 1980-1992
    Abstract: Meeting minutes, event records, promotional material, clippings, photographs, correspondence, membership records, newsletters and other material, 1980-1992, from the Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists in the Entertainment Industry (AGLA), formed to encourage the responsible portrayal of gays and lesbians in entertainment media. Materials in the collection document the organization's most active period, particularly when it produced an annual awards show for gay and lesbian representation in the entertainment industry.
    creator: Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists.

    Administrative History

    The Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists in the Entertainment Industry (AGLA) was founded in 1982. Initially named the Alliance for Gay Artists, AGLA began as an actors' support group, and as other artists joined, the group expanded its focus to greater interaction with the entertainment industry at large. During the AGLA's most active period in the 1980s, the organization presented its annual AGLA Media Awards to "responsible" representations of lesbian and gay characters and issues. The annual award show honored or featured celebrities such as Ed Asner, Steven Bochco, Sammy Davis, Jr., Rita Moreno, Bernadette Peters, Lynn Redgrave and others. AGLA's other activities included monitoring gay and lesbian portrayals in film, plays and television; consulting on scripts in progress; supporting local stage productions; and holding regular meetings with speakers working in the entertainment industry.
    As the organization's statement of purpose reads: "Starting from the premise that the formation of a positive media image depends upon gay artists having a positive image of themselves, [AGLA] provides a mutual support group in which individual experiences can be shared and evaluated in an atmosphere of complete confidentiality. [AGLA] provides a media watch to criticize productions which create derogatory gay images, perpetuate insidious stereotypes or use anti-gay language. On the other hand, [AGLA] commends productions which help create a realistic and multi-dimensional gay image for the public. [AGLA] addresses itself to instances of job discrimination within the industry which are brought to [AGLA's] attention, by means of affirmative job action. [AGLA] encourages artists to create, develop and foster works that expand the public's knowledge of who gay people really are, and which give a complete picture of the many types of gay people and gay lifestyles that comprise the gay community."
    Source:
    Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists Records, Coll2013-005, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

    Conditions Governing Access

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

    Acquisition

    The bulk of the materials in this collection were donated by Dale Reynolds, date unknown.

    Preferred Citation

    [Box/folder #, or item name] Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists Records, Coll2013-005, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

    Processing Information

    Formerly boxes A034, A035, A036 and 103-020. Collection processed by Loni Shibuyama, February 2013.

    Related Materials

    ONE Archives' collection of AGLA videocassettes are stored on deposit at the UCLA Film and Television Archive. AGLA's videocassette collection includes television shows, news coverage, and films that AGLA was monitoring; as well as recordings of its annual media award shows. Call numbers and titles for the videocassettes are listed below. Additional information about these videocassettes can be found in ONE's database for audiovisual materials.
    AGLA 001, "AGA Media Awards Oct. 4, 1982" 1982 [video Betamax; video Umatic; video VHS]
    AGLA 002, "AGA Awards Show 1983" 1983 [video Umatic; video VHS]
    AGLA 003, "AGLA Awards Show Video Promo 1984" [video Umatic]
    AGLA 004, "AGLA Media Awards Show 1984" 1984 [video VHS]
    AGLA 005, "AGLA Awards Show Video" [video Umatic]
    AGLA 006, "AGLA '84 Reel Change Back-Up" 1984 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 007, "AGLA Media Awards 1985" 1985 [video Umatic; video VHS]
    AGLA 008, "AGLA Awards Promotional Tape 1985" 1985 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 009, "News Report on 1985 AGLA Media Awards" 1985 [video VHS]
    AGLA 010, "AGLA Media Awards Video Clips 1987" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 011, "AGLA Media Awards Video Clips 1987 and 1988" 1987-1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 012, "AGLA Media Awards Show 1988" 1988 [video Umatic; video VHS]
    AGLA 013, "AGLA Media Awards Presentation 1988" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 014, "Mathilde Krim Acceptance Speech 1988 AGLA Awards Show" 1988 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 015, "AGLA Clips 1988" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 016, "Sally Jesse Raphael Acceptance Speech 1988 AGLA Awards Show" 1988 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 017, "AIDS The Global Explosion" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 018, "AIDS Hits Home" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 019, "AIDS : Profile of an Epidemic; AIDS: A Public Inquiry" 1984 [video VHS]
    AGLA 020, "The AIDS show; Hunter" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 021, "As The World Turns; Women of Brewster Place; Heartbeat" [video VHS]
    AGLA 022, "Brothers" 1985 [video VHS]
    AGLA 023, "Brothers" 1985 [video VHS]
    AGLA 024, "Brothers" [video VHS]
    AGLA 025, "Brothers" [video VHS]
    AGLA 026, "Burn This" [video Umatic]
    AGLA 027, "Sonya in LA" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 028, "CNN - Couples; 4866 Hotel Contest of Wills; Heartbeat Medical Practice" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 029, "Cagney & Lacey; Superior Court; Hellfire" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 030, "Cheers; Remember My Name (AIDS Quilt)" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 031, "Consenting Adults" [video VHS]
    AGLA 032, "Dallas" 1984 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 033, "Desert Hearts" [video VHS]
    AGLA 034, "Designing Women" 1988 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 035, "Donahue" 1983 [video VHS]
    AGLA 036, "Donahue; Kate & Allie; Divorce Court" [video VHS]
    AGLA 037, "AGLA Awards Phil Donahue Acceptance" 1987 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 038, "A Death in the Family; Superior Court; Oprah; Miami Vice" 1987-1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 039, "Donahue; Sally Jessy Raphael; Sally Jessy Raphael" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 040, "Donahue" [video Umatic]
    AGLA 041, "Dress Gray" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 042, "Dynasty" [video VHS]
    AGLA 043, "Dynasty" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 044, "An Early Frost" 1985 [video VHS]
    AGLA 045, "Emmett: A One Mormon Show" [video Betamax]
    AGLA 046, "AGA Awards - Falcon Crest" 1983 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 047, "Fifth of July" 1983 [video VHS]
    AGLA 048, "Fighting For Our Lives; We Are Family; Innovation" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 049, "1st & 10; Cheers" 1984 [video VHS]
    AGLA 050, "Heartbeat; St. Elsewhere" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 051, "Heartbeat" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 052, "Hooperman; Hooperman; St. Elsewhere" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 053, "1st & 10" 1984 [video VHS]
    AGLA 054, "The Golden Girls" 1987
    AGLA 055, "Hail to the Chief" 1985 [video VHS]
    AGLA 056, "Hooperman" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 057, "Hotel" 1984 [video VHS]
    AGLA 058, "Hotel" [video VHS]
    AGLA 059, "Hotel; LA Law; Cagney & Lacey" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 060, "Hotel; LA Law" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 061, " Intimate Contact; Designing Women" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 062, " Intimate Contact; CBS News" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 063, "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" [video VHS]
    AGLA 064, "LA Law; What if I'm Gay" [video VHS]
    AGLA 065, "LA Law" [video VHS]
    AGLA 066, "Liberace" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 067, "Liberace: Behind the Music" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 068, "Liberace" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 069, "Lifestyle Update; Nova: Can AIDS Be Stopped; Gay Talk: The Naked Civil Servant" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 070, "The March News Clips" [video VHS]
    AGLA 071, "Nine to Five; Molly Dodd; Heartbeat" [video VHS]
    AGLA 072, "New York" 1984 [video Betamax]
    AGLA 073, "The Normal Heart" [video Umatic]
    AGLA 074, "Obsessions" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 075, "The Normal Heart Promo" 1985 [video Betamax]
    AGLA 076, "The Normal Heart - Reviews" [video Betamax]
    AGLA 077, "9 to 5" 1988 [video Umatic]
    AGLA 078, "Oprah" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 079, "Oprah; Donahue" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 080, "Parting Glances" [video VHS]
    AGLA 081, "Sally Jessy Rapheal; AIDS Quarterly" 1989 [video VHS]
    AGLA 082, "Sara" 1985 [video VHS]
    AGLA 083, "Secret Passions" 1989 [video VHS]
    AGLA 084, "Sonya in LA" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 085, "St. Elsewwhere" 1985 [video VHS]
    AGLA 086, "CBS This Morning" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 087, "Tidy Endings; Geraldo" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 088, "Tony Brown's Journal; Jump Street; Mr. Belvedere" 1988 [video VHS]
    AGLA 089, "Too Little Too Late; At Issue; Mid Morning L.A." [video VHS]
    AGLA 090, "Trapper John M.D.; MASH" [video VHS]
    AGLA 091, "The Truth about Alex; Sally Jessy Raphael" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 092, "20/20" [video VHS]
    AGLA 093, "Tracey Ullman; Bronx Zoo; Nightline" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 094, "Waiting for the Moon; Not All Parents are Straight; Silent Pioneers" 1987 [video VHS]
    AGLA 095, "When the Bough Breaks" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 096, "West 57th; L.A. Law; Golden Girls; Golden Girls; Geraldo" 1989 [video VHS]
    AGLA 097, "Women of Brewster Place" 1989 [video VHS]
    AGLA 098, "AGA media awards presentation; L.A. stage co." 1982 [video Betamax]
    AGLA 099, "My two loves" 1986 [video VHS]
    AGLA 100, "The human rights campaign fund: a powerful voice" 1987 [video VHS]

    Related Materials

    Dale Reynolds Papers, Acc2011-015, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

    Scope and Content

    The collection comprises meeting minutes, event records, promotional material, clippings, photographs, correspondence, membership records, newsletters and other material, 1980-1992, from the Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists in the Entertainment Industry (AGLA), formed to encourage the responsible portrayal of gays and lesbians in entertainment media. Materials in the collection document the organization's founding; media monitoring activities; outreach activities in the entertainment industry at large; membership participation; and the production of its annual media awards show for gay and lesbian representation in the entertainment industry.

    Arrangement

    Articles of Incorporation and Board of Directors folders are at the beginning. The remaining folders are arranged alphabetically.

    Conditions Governing Use

    All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Reynolds, Dale
    Gay actors
    Gay men on television
    Gays in motion pictures
    Lesbian actresses
    Lesbianism on television
    Lesbians in motion pictures
    Mass media and gays--United States
    Minorities in mass media
    Sexual minorities on television