Description
The Billy DeFrank
LGBT Silicon Valley Community Center Records consist of news clippings, newsletters, and magazines. There is a sizeable photographic
collection that contains pictures of social events hosted by the Billy DeFrank
LGBT Silicon Valley Community Center, including Gay Pride San José and other social outings.
Background
The Billy DeFrank Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (
LGBT) Silicon Valley Center (also known as the Billy DeFrank Gay and Lesbian Community Center) opened its doors on March 1, 1981
in downtown San José, California. The center was posthumously named after Billy DeFrank, the stage name of William Price (1936-1980).
From San José, William Price was a well known African-American drag entertainer as well as a prominent gay rights activist
who dedicated his talents to the development of gay communities throughout California. He was considered one of the "best-loved
goodwill ambassadors" for the
LGBT community. At the time
LGBT activists were generally influenced by the political legacy of Stonewall. The Stonewall riots, the escalation of a series
of violent confrontations between gay rights activists and police that began on June 28, 1969 outside the Stonewall Inn (a
bar in New York City), became the genesis of an international gay rights movement focused on social justice and human rights
for the
LGBT community. The founders of the DeFrank Center concerned with practical challenges and most concerned about the lack of housing
and employment protections for lesbians and gay men living in Santa Clara County envisioned transforming the legacy of the
Stonewall riots by creating "a place to call home". The grassroots efforts to establish this
LGBT center were driven by forces from within the Lambda Association Board of Directors of San José, San Jose Staté University's
Women's Center, and other local activists. The center became the fulcrum whereby the large and diverse community of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the South Bay could find refuge. The inception of the center's success was marked
by an increase in activist support from local political figures such as Mayor Janet Gray Hayes in the late 1970s and early
1980s. The center continues to offer a safe haven for a large and diverse community.
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives 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 by the reader. Copyright restrictions
also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational
purposes.