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Finding aid to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
(IGLHRC) San Francisco Office Records 1977-2004 GLC
71
GLC 71
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Title: International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) San Francisco Office
Records
Date (inclusive): 1977-2004
Date (bulk): 1990-2002
Identifier/Call Number: GLC 71
Creator:
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
(San Francisco)
Physical Description: 67 cartons, 1 oversized folder
(67 Cubic Feet)
Contributing Institution:
James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
hormel@sfpl.org
Abstract: IGLHRC's mission is advancing human
rights for everyone, everywhere–and to end discrimination based on sexual orientation,
gender identity, or gender expression. The collection contains case files, correspondence,
reports and publications that document IGLHRC's work to provide asylum, legal assistance,
and awareness of human rights abuses in countries around the world. The bulk of the records
are resource materials organized by country or region.
Physical Location: Collection is stored offsite.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English. Other languages represented in the collection
include Spanish, Russian, and Chinese. Individual country files may include materials in
that country's language; including but not limited to–African languages, Arabic, Japanese
and Thai.
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center Hours, with
photographs available during Photo Desk hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be
requested 48 hours in advance.
All rights held by The San Francisco Public Library. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission for
publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the
physical items.
[Identification of item], International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
San Francisco Office Records (GLC 71), LGBTQIA Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) San Francisco Office
Records were donated to The San Francisco Public Library in three accessions. The bulk of
the records were donated by IGLHRC Deputy Director Richard Jung on November 27, 2007. Sara
Moore donated materials specifically regarding Russian, Eastern Europe and Central Asia in
two accessions, January 20, 2007 and January 17, 2008.
Researchers are encouraged to see also the library catalog, the Online Archive of
California and WorldCat.
During processing, the majority of the collection was re-foldered and re-housed in
acid-free folders and boxes. Some metal staples remain.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is an international
organization dedicated to human rights advocacy on behalf of people who experience
discrimination or abuse on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender
identity or expression, or HIV status. IGLHRC's mission is advancing human rights for
everyone, everywhere–and to end discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity,
or gender expression.
IGLHRC works with local activists in each country to strengthen their capacity to confront
human rights violations at home. They connect their partners to the broader human rights
arena—including the United Nations system and NGOs at the regional and global level.
Together with their partners, IGLHRC creates visibility for human rights violations by
monitoring and documenting abuses and by responding to human rights emergencies.
The organization had offices in several cities including New York, NY, USA; San Francisco,
CA, USA; Cape Town, South Africa and Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2008 the San Francisco
office was closed, and US work was consolidated at the New York City office. This collection
is comprised of the archival records from the closed San Francisco office. In 2015 IGLHRC
officially changed their name to OutRight Action International.
| 1990 | U.S. activist Julie Dorf launches IGLHRC in the belief that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status are entitled to human rights. |
| 1991 | IGLHRC is incorporated as a US non-profit. IGLHRC works collaboratively with other activists in a campaign to ensure that Amnesty International changes its mandate to include abuses against LGBT people. |
| 1992 | IGLHRC and Congressman Barney Frank organize a trip to Russia to meet officials and lobby against the sodomy law—a legal legacy of the Stalinist era punishing consensual sex between men with 5 years imprisonment. The law is subsequently repealed. IGLHRC also helps win asylum in Canada for a 28-year-old gay man from Argentina, the very first time that asylum is granted to a person fleeing persecution on the basis of sexual orientation. |
| 1993 | IGLHRC creates the Asylum Documentation Program and documents the previous decade in Brazilian history as one marred by more than 1,200 murders of homosexuals. This information is introduced as key evidence in the case of Marcelo Tenorio, the first person granted asylum in the United States on the grounds that his sexual orientation places him in a persecuted social group. |
| IGLHRC also convinces the U.S. State Department to include the persecution of LGBT people in their annual country reports on human rights. | |
| 1994 | IGLHRC launches the Felipa de Souza Award, named after a Brazilian lesbian who endured torture and exile after proudly declaring her love for another woman in the 16th century. |
| 1995 | IGLHRC advocates for sexual rights to be included in the official discussions at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, a successful move that gives lesbian issues unprecedented visibility. |
| 1996 | IGLHRC begins intensive regional work in Africa and the Middle East and produces the first ever resource guide addressing asylum based on sexual orientation. |
| 1997 | IGLHRC works with South Asian activists to orchestrate the first meeting between LGBT community leaders and the Dalai Lama to discuss sexual rights. Also, IGLHRC helps win asylum for a Russian lesbian who was arrested and forced to undergo psychiatric treatment at hands of the military. |
| 1998 | After an historic meeting, the President of Romania agrees to pardon gay men and lesbians imprisoned under that country's sodomy law. Also, IGLHRC conducts an intensive training in New York City for activists from Argentina, Hong Kong, Hungary, Nicaragua, South Africa, Turkey and Zimbabwe. |
| 1999 | IGLHRC establishes a network of pro bono attorneys to work on LGBT issues in South Africa and increases collaboration with activists in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. IGLHRC also launches a campaign with other U.S. activists to persuade the World Trade Organization to make life-saving AIDS drugs readily available to those who need them. |
| 2000 | As part of the Pink Triangle Coalition, IGLHRC convenes a conference in Berlin on the Nazi persecution of homosexuals. An IGLHRC publication describing how sexuality is used to attack women's organizing is enthusiastically received by hundreds of activists at an UN-sponsored event celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Beijing Conference on Women. |
| 2001 | IGLHRC mobilizes its Emergency Response Network to help win the release of four HIV prevention workers in India after they are imprisoned for 5 weeks for doing life-saving work. IGLHRC is the first organization to draw attention to 52 Egyptian men who are put in jail after a raid on a Cairo disco. |
| 2002 | IGLHRC conducts a human rights training with activists in Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Mexico, South Africa and India and starts a harm-reduction program with AIDS activists in Thailand. |
| 2003 | IGLHRC releases a report on the consequences of state-sponsored homophobia in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe and works with the U.S. State Department to promote immigration and asylum policies that are supportive of LGBT issues. |
| 2004 | IGLHRC works with Nepal's Blue Diamond Society to release 39 arbitrarily imprisoned HIV workers and to fight a lawsuit attempting to revoke BDS' legal status. IGLHRC brings dozens of activists to the UN Human Rights Commission to support the Brazil Resolution on human rights and sexual orientation. |
| 2005 | IGLHRC launches its first Latin American Human Rights Advocacy Institute. Twenty trans and intersex activists from across the region participate. |
| 2006 | IGLHRC succeeds in gaining release of 11 gay men in Cameroon; at IGLHRC's request the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions intervenes. IGLHRC and global colleagues succeed in gaining consultative status for LGBT groups at the United Nations. |
| 2007 | IGLHRC relocates its regional programmatic work on Africa to a new office in Cape Town, South Africa. They hold their second Latin American Human Rights Advocacy Institute—this time for lesbian and bisexual women from Central America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean who are emerging leaders in the activist world. |
| 2008 | IGLHRC gives its OUTSPOKEN Award to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, recognizing his leadership as a global ally of the LGBT community. Tutu gives his first direct address to a large LGBT gathering in the U.S. and apologizes on behalf of his Church for ostracizing gay people at IGLHRC's San Francisco A Celebration of Courage event. IGLHRC closes their San Francisco office. |
The collection contains case files, correspondence, reports and publications that document
IGLHRC's work to provide asylum, legal assistance, and awareness of human rights abuses in
countries around the world. The bulk of the records are resource materials organized by
country or region. It contains paper files, various audio visual materials and a small
amount of photographs. Photographs were left in source files and are marked with flags.
Series 1: Human rights work files (1989-2001)This series is
divided into 3 subseries: Asylum case files; Asylum case work research files; International
Tribunal.
Asylum case files are organized by case number which is also roughly chronological. They
include the initial contact letter or transcript detailing the reason(s) that the
individuals sought asylum, follow-up communications, and the final judgment or outcome. All
cases include the country of origin of the applicant. About half of the cases include the
names and other identifying information about the individuals and their circumstances. Some
files contain pertinent information on asylum for the country in question.
Asylum case work research files are arranged alphabetically by subject. Files concern
issues such as assylum support packets, HIV/AIDS and Immigration.
Tribunal files concern the Human Rights Tribunal held in October 1995. Chaired by Charlotte
Bunch, the tribunal included testimony by several individuals on human rights abuses. Files
are arranged alphabetically.
Series 2: Staff files (1988-2002) The series is arranged
geographically by region and/or staff member, and alphabetically within each subseries. The
series is divided into 3 subseries: Asia Pacific Islands (Daniel Lee files); Eastern Europe
Central Asia (Sara Moore files); and files connected to Sydney Levy. Sydney Levy files
contain files related to the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees.
Sara Moore was a staff member in the San Francisco office and primarily worked on Russian
and Eastern Europe/Central Asia asylum cases in the 1990s. Daniel Lee also worked in the San
Francisco office and oversaw cases involving Asians and Pacific Islanders. Sydney Levy held
various titles including Research and advocacy director, Program Director, Coordinator of
the Asylum Project and Communications Director. The Levy subseries contains reports, and
reference materials, as well as files related to United Nations High Commissioners for
Refugees (UNHCR).
Series 3: Foreign Country Reports (1988-2004) This series
contains collected material on the position of each country on human rights issues related
to sexuality and/or sexual identity. Some materials are produced by the country, other
materials are reports or articles written by outside sources. The files contain
correspondence, articles, reports, some correspondence, news bulletins, press releases,
flyers, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, and drafts.
The series is divided into 3 subseries: Emergency Response Network; Country resource files;
subject files.
The Emergency Response Network (Action Alert) was an IGLHRC publication focused on
individual countries. The subseries is organized by issue and roughly by date.
The Country Resource Files are organized alphabetically by country and contain background
information on each country and include some summary reports that are usually out-of-date.
Most files contain periodic updates on each country with references to cases pending or
recently settled.
Subject files are filed alphabetically by subject. Contains collected information on
subjects rather than countries. Files concern issues such as women's rights and AIDS.
Series 4: Reference library (bulk 1990-2003) Contains books,
reports, periodicals, videocassette and audiocassette tapes, compact and floppy discs.
Videotapes are in VHS and BETA formats. Audio Visual formats are noted in the items listing.
If not noted the item is print material. Some of the material relates to the Human Rights
Tribunal held in 1995 (see also Series 1). Some tapes contain testimony by individuals
seeking asylum. There are a few commercially produced videotapes. Contains one demonstration
sign. Contents are listed by box number.
The collection is arranged in 4 series: Human Rights Work files, Staff files, Foreign
Country Reports, and Reference Library.
- Series 1: Human Rights Work files
- Subseries 1.1 Asylum Case files
- Subseries 1.2 Asylum Case Work research files
- Subseries 1.3 International Tribunal of Human Rights
- Series 2: Staff files
- Subseries 2.1 Asia Pacific Islands (Daniel Lee files)
- Subseries 2.2 Eastern Europe Central Asia (Sara Moore files)
- Subseries 2.3 Sydney Levy
- Series 3: Foreign Country Reports
- Subseries 3.1 Emergency Response Network (ERN) Action Alert
- Subseries 3.2 Country resource files
- Subseries 3.3 Subject files
- Series 4: Reference library
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gay rights -- United States.
Asylum, Right of.
Refugees -- Legal status, laws, etc.
Gays -- Legal status, laws, etc.
International Gay and Lesbian Human
Rights Commission (San Francisco)
International Tribunal on Human Rights
Violations Against Sexual Minorities (1995) (New York, N.Y.)