Finding aid of the Dan Siminoski Collection on Federal
Bureau of Investigation Surveillance of Gays and Lesbians
Michael P. Palmer
Revised edition.
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
Phone: (213) 741-0094
Fax: (213) 741-0220
Email: askone@onearchives.org
URL: http://www.onearchives.org
© 2007
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the Dan Siminoski Collection on Federal Bureau
of Investigation Surveillance of Gays and Lesbians
Collection number: Coll2007-002
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
Los Angeles,
California
- Processed by:
- Michael P. Palmer
- Date Completed:
- February 26, 2007
- Encoded by:
- Michael P. Palmer
© 2007 ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant
from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Dan Siminoski collection on Federal Bureau of
Investigation surveillance of gays and lesbians
Dates: 1953-2001
Bulk Dates: (bulk
1953-1986)
Collection number: Coll2007-002
Creator:
Siminoski, Dan (b. 1947)
Collection Size: 19 archive boxes.
7.5 linear feet.
Repository:
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
Abstract: The collection comprises materials received,
collected, and created by Dan Siminoski in the course of prosecuting his 1982
request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the subsequent 1983
lawsuit, for copies of FBI documents relating to the Bureau's surveillance of
gays and lesbians from 1950 to 1982. The materials include photocopies of
approximately 2,200 documents (7,000 pages) from FBI Headquarters and various
regional offices, relating primarily to the Daughters of Bilitis, Gay Activists
Alliance, Gay Liberation Front, and the Mattachine Society, as well as indexes,
summaries, and various statistical analyses of these documents. Additional
materials include the legal filings in the case, litigation correspondence,
drafts by Siminoski and his counsel of various legal filings, and materials
relating to Siminoski's speaking tour and media campaign to publicize his
lawsuit. Personal and professional materials in the collection include personal
correspondence, copies and drafts of scholarly articles, conference
presentations, Siminoski's syndicated column for Stonewall Features, and pieces
for other publications; his academic vita; and his will.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access
restrictions.
Publication Rights
Researchers wishing to publish materials must obtain permission in
writing from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives as the physical owner.
Researchers must also obtain clearance from the holder(s) of any copyrights in
the materials. Note that ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives can grant
copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold the copyright.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for
all other materials directly from the copyright holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Box #, folder #, Dan Siminoski Collection on Federal Bureau of
Investigation Surveillance of Gays and Lesbians, Coll2007-002, ONE National Gay
and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Dan Siminoski, January 30, 2002
Processing Information
Formerly housed in boxes 103-092, 103-204, 103-304, 103-05, 103-348,
103-350, 103-357, 104-001, 104-028, and 104-029. Collection processed by
Michael Palmer, February, 2007; revised June 18, 2007.
Processing this collection has been funded
by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission.
Biography
Dan Siminoski was born in Los Angeles on January 1, 1947, to a
progressive family. He displayed his commitment to human rights at an early
age, when he co-chaired Mid-City Youth Against Proposition 14, a state-wide
initiative to invalidate the California Fair Housing Law. He studied at the
University of California at Berkeley, where he was involved in the Free Speech
and anti-war movements and became the Berkeley co-chairman of Senator Eugene
McCarthy's presidential campaign; he received a BA in Political Science and was
elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1968. Before entering graduate school, Siminoski
served as a staff investigator for the Fair Campaign Practices Committee in
Washington, DC, and then as legislative aid to Senator Wayne Morse. He earned
his MA with honors in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin in
1970, when he was also awarded a Ford Fellowship. His doctoral research brought
Siminoski back to Los Angeles where he came out in 1973 and became active in
gay rights causes. In 1976-1977, he was an Instructor in the Social Sciences
Department at Long Beach City College. He received his PhD in Political Science
from the University of Wisconsin in 1978. In 1979-1980, he was Visiting
Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Arizona State
University, and in 1980-1981, he held the same position at the University of
Missouri St. Louis. He was appointed Visiting Lecturer in Political Science at
Texas Tech University in 1981.
His long-held interest in gay and lesbian civil rights led Siminoski to
file a request with the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) on October 22, 1982, for copies of all FBI Headquarters
and field office records relating to the surveillance of gays and lesbians from
1950 to 1982. When the FBI failed to comply with the request fully and in a
timely manner, Siminoski, represented by the ACLU Foundation of Southern
California, filed suit against the Bureau in Federal District Court in Los
Angeles, on October 11, 1983. Simultaneously, Siminoski, who had left teaching
and moved to Los Angeles in the late summer of 1983 to devote himself full-time
to the impending lawsuit, launched Siminoski vs. FBI 1984 , a speaking tour and
media campaign to publicize his case. Although the FBI began releasing
documents in quantity to him by the end of the first quarter of 1984, Siminoski
continued his case on the grounds that the documents were unnecessarily
redacted. In late 1984, Siminoski, whose project had found a home at Jim Kepner
s International Gay and Lesbian Archives (formerly Western Gay Archives) at
1654 North Hudson St., initiated the Freedom of Information Project. The
purpose of this project was to analyze the documents released by the FBI and to
gather signed and notarized Privacy Act Waiver Forms from leading gay
activists, with the intention of turning his legal action into a class action
lawsuit and expanding the scope of the FBI records sought. Although Siminoski
collected properly executed Privacy Act Waiver Forms from a number of prominent
gay activists, this latter purpose was not realized.
In 1986, Siminoski, who had supported himself since leaving teaching as
a free-lance political consultant and syndicated columnist, withdrew for health
reasons from active participation in the lawsuit. In 1988, he earned a master's
degree in Social Work from California State University Long Beach. He now lives
in San Diego. In November 1988, Ralph J. Geffen, acting as Special Master,
reported favorably on most of Siminoski's legal claims; however, many of his
recommendations were overruled by Judge William D. Keller in his decision of
January 1990, which was not appealed.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Dan Siminoski Collection on Federal Bureau of Investigation
Surveillance of Gays and Lesbians comprises materials received, collected, and
created by Siminoski as a consequence of his 1982 request under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), and subsequent 1983 lawsuit, for copies of FBI
documents relating to the Bureau's surveillance of gays and lesbians from 1950
to 1982. These materials include photocopies of approximately 2,200 documents
(7,000 pages) from FBI Headquarters and various regional offices, relating
primarily to the Daughters of Bilitis, Gay Activists Alliance, Gay Liberation
Front, and the Mattachine Society, as well as indexes, summaries, and various
statistical analyses of these documents. The materials also include Siminoski's
correspondence with the FBI and with his legal counsel, the legal filings in
the case, litigation correspondence between counsel for both parties, drafts by
Siminoski and his counsel of various legal filings, additional attorney notes
and drafts, and materials relating to Siminoski's lawsuit and to his speaking
tour and media campaign to publicize it. The collection contains materials
collected by Siminoski relating to the implementation of the FOIA by federal
law enforcement agencies, in particular the FBI, including photocopies of
extensive portions of FBI Headquarters file 190-3, relating to the impact of
the FOIA and the Privacy Act on law enforcement activities. Personal and
professional materials in the collection include personal correspondence not
directly connected with the FOIA request and lawsuit; copies and drafts of
scholarly articles, conference presentations, Siminoski's syndicated column for
Stonewall Features, and pieces for
The News and
The Advocate; Siminoski's academic vita; and his
will.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
ACLU Foundation of Southern
California
Daughters of Bilitis
East Coast Homophile
Organization
Gay Activists Alliance
Gay Liberation Front
Gay rights--United States--History--20th
century
Mattachine Society
National Gay Task Force
ONE, Inc
Radical Lesbians
Siminoski, Dan, 1947-
Society for Individual
Rights
United States. Federal Bureau of
Investigation--Archives
United States. Federal Bureau of
Investigation--Surveillance
Series 1.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Files
1953-1984
Physical Description: 4.8 linear feet.
Series Scope and Content
This series contains the records of the FBI obtained by Dan
Siminoski as a consequence of his FOIA request dated October 22, 1982, and of
the lawsuit filed on his behalf by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California
on October 11, 1983, as well as materials created or collected by Siminoski in
the course of analyzing these records. The records released by the FBI total
approximately 2,200 documents, or 7,000 pages, from FBI Headquarters and
various regional offices and relating primarily to the Daughters of Bilitis,
Gay Activists Alliance, Gay Liberation Front, and the Mattachine Society. The
analytical documents include a "Vaughn Index" to the documents, prepared by the
FBI; document summaries, in several formats (typescript, manuscript, and on
audio tape cassette); lists of documents and the "exemption codes" by which the
FBI justified its redactions; document coding forms and instructions; and
analytical and statistical notes compiled by Siminoski. The series is divided
into two subseries: 1. Headquarters and Field Office Files, containing the
files themselves, and 2. Document Analysis, containing Siminoski's analysis of
the records, and related documents.
Subseries 1.1.
Headquarters and Field Office Files
1953-1979
Physical Description: 3.1 linear feet.
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries comprises the copies of FBI files released to
Siminoski by the Bureau as a consequence of his letter of October 22, 1982, and
his lawsuit filed on October 11, 1983. The files are arranged alphabetically by
the name of the gay or lesbian organization they concern: the Daughters of
Bilitis, East Coast Homophile Organization (ECHO), Gay Activists Alliance, Gay
Liberation Front, Mattachine Society, National Gay Task Force, ONE, Radical
Lesbians, and Society for Individual Rights. Within each organizational group,
files are ordered according to the FBI office that maintained the file: FBI
Headquarters in Washington, DC, and the following field offices, in
alphabetical order: Albany, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland,
Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Newark,
Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, and the Washington, DC. The materials
total approximately 2,200 documents, or 7,000 pages, and date from the early
1950s to the late 1970s. The bulk of the materials relate to the Mattachine
Society and the Gay Liberation Front; the earliest documents concern the
Mattachine Society, and the Daughters of Bilitis. The files for the Mattachine
Society also include material on ONE Magazine and One., Inc. Over half the
materials consist of organizational publications, including newsletters,
pamphlets, calendars, and magazines, several of which, such as the
Ladder,
Mattachine
Review
, and
ONE Magazine, were publicly
sold on newsstands. Other materials include descriptions of private and public
meetings and lists of people attending them, photographs of public
demonstrations, and correspondence concerning the activities of known and
suspected homosexuals. There is considerable duplication of materials, in
particular between FBI Headquarters and the individual field offices, but also
between various field offices. Approximately 70 per cent of the materials are
redacted (censored), some heavily so: many sheets are place-holders for pages
withheld in their entirety. Both photocopies of original redacted pages and
place-holder sheets are marked with one or more "exemption" codes indicating
the reason for the redaction or withholding. The series also includes a number
of "revised" documents, second releases of materials already delivered to
Siminoski. In most cases the "revised" documents contain fewer redactions than
those released earlier; however, in a few cases, they contain more
revisions.
Box 1 : 1
Listing of FBI surveillance files by file
number
circa 1986
Box 1 : 2-9
Daughters of Bilitis
1956-1973
Box 1 : 2
FBI Headquarters
1966-1971
Box 1 : 3
FBI Headquarters file 31-90277
1964
Box 1 : 5
FBI Los Angeles
1971-1972
Box 1 : 7
FBI San Francisco file 94-843, volume 1
1956-1966
Box 1 : 8
FBI San Francisco file 94-843, volume 2
1966-1979
Box 1 : 9
FBI San Francisco file 94-843. Sub A
Exhibits
1956-1961
Box 1 : 10
East Coast Homophile Organization (ECHO)
1965
Box 1 : 10
FBI Headquarters file 163-12514
1965
Box 1 : 11 - 2 : 11
Gay Activists Alliance
1970-1979
Box 1 : 11
FBI Headquarters
1972-1974
Box 1 : 12
FBI Headquarters file 100-469170
1971-1976
Box 1 : 13
FBI Headquarters file 100-469170. Revised
documents
1972-1974
Box 1 : 14
FBI Albany file 100-22972
1972
Box 1 : 15
FBI Baltimore file 100-30225
1972
Box 1 : 16
FBI Baltimore file 100-30225. Revised
document
1972
Box 1 : 18-19
FBI Cincinnati file 100-20096
1971-1975
Box 1 : 20
FBI Cincinnati file 100-20096. Revised
Documents
1971-1973
Box 1 : 21
FBI Cincinnati file 100-20096. Sub A
Exhibits
1972-1975
Box 2 : 1
FBI Detroit file 100-40944
1972
Box 2 : 2
FBI Miami file 100-16589
1972
Box 2 : 3
FBI Miami file 100-16589. Revised
Documents
1972
Box 2 : 4
FBI Miami file 100-16589-1A
1972
Box 2 : 6
FBI New York file 52-11200
1974-1979
Box 2 : 7
FBI New York file 100-170388
1970-1974
Box 2 : 8
FBI New York file 100-170388. Revised
Documents
1971-1974
Box 2 : 9
FBI Newark file 100-55060
1972
Box 2 : 10
FBI San Francisco file 100-73494
1975
Box 2 : 11
FBI Washington Field Office
1971-1972
Box 2 : 12 - 4 : 16 ; 14 OS :
1
Gay Liberation Front
1969-1978
Box 14 OS : 1
FBI Headquarters
1969-1972
Box 2 : 12
FBI Headquarters file 100-450225
1970-1972
Box 2 : 13
FBI Headquarters file 100-450225. Revised
Documents
1970
Box 2 : 14
FBI Headquarters file 100-464380
1971
Box 2 : 15
FBI Headquarters file 100-464462
1971
Box 2 : 16
FBI Headquarters file 100-470952
1972
Box 2 : 17
FBI Headquarters file 100-470952. Revised
Documents
1972
Box 2 : 18
FBI Headquarters file 100-472348
1972
Box 2 : 19
FBI Headquarters file 174-7829
1977
Box 2 : 21
FBI Boston file 100-42796
1971
Box 2 : 22
FBI Chicago file 100-49116
1970-1972
Box 2 : 23
FBI Chicago file 100-49116. Revised
Documents
1970
Box 2 : 24
FBI Cincinnati file 100-20632
1972
Box 2 : 25
FBI Cincinnati file 100-20632. Revised
Document
1972
Box 2 : 26
FBI Cleveland file 100-32464
1972
Box 3 : 1
FBI Cleveland file 100-32464. Revised
Documents
1972-1974
Box 3 : 2-3
FBI Cleveland file 100-32540
1971-1972
Physical Description: 2 volumes
Box 3 : 4
FBI Cleveland file 100-32540. Revised
Documents
1972
Box 3 : 5
FBI Detroit file 100-37274
1970-1972
Box 3 : 6
FBI Detroit file 100-37274. Revised
Documents
1971
Box 3 : 7
FBI Los Angeles
1970-1971
Box 3 : 8-10
FBI Los Angeles file 100-76507
1970-1975
Physical Description: 3 volumes
Box 4 : 1
FBI Los Angeles file 100-76507. Revised
Documents
1970-1973
Box 4 : 2
FBI Minneapolis file 100-14970
1970
Box 4 : 3
FBI Minneapolis file 100-14970. Revised
Documents
no date
Box 4 : 5
FBI Philadelphia file 100-52208
1970-1972
Box 4 : 6
FBI Philadelphia file 100-52208. Revised
Documents
1970
Box 4 : 7
FBI San Diego file 100-15560
1970-1972
Box 4 : 8
FBI San Diego file 100-15560. Revised
Documents
1970-1972
Box 4 : 9
FBI San Francisco
1970-1972
Box 4 : 10
FBI San Francisco file 100-65673
1970-1975
Box 4 : 11
FBI San Francisco file 100-65673. Revised
Documents
1970-1972
Box 4 : 12
FBI San Francisco file 174-1625
1977
Box 4 : 13
FBI San Francisco file 174-1677
1977-1978
Box 4 : 14
FBI Washington Field Office
1970-1972
Box 4 : 15
FBI Washington Field Office file 100-52906
1970-1973
Box 4 : 16
FBI Washington Field Office file 100-52906. Revised
Documents
no date
Box 4 : 17 - 7 : 6 ; 14 OS :
2-4
Mattachine Society
1953-1972
Box 4 : 17
FBI Headquarters
1962-1966
Box 14 OS : 2
FBI Headquarters file 100-403320, volume 1
1953
Box 4 : 18
FBI Headquarters file 100-403320, volume 2
1954-1956
Box 5 : 1-2
FBI Headquarters file 100-403320, volume 3
1956
Physical Description: 2 parts.
Box 5 : 3
FBI Headquarters file 100-403320, volume 4
1956-1957
Box 5 : 4
FBI Headquarters file 100-403320, volume 5
1956-1961
Box 14 OS : 3
FBI Headquarters file 100-403320, volume 6
1961-1966
Box 14 OS : 4
FBI Headquarters file 100-403320. Revised
Documents
1953-1963
Box 5 : 5
FBI Baltimore file 105-2377
1957
Box 5 : 6
FBI Boston file 100-31634
1960
Box 5 : 7
FBI Chicago file 100-32819
no date
Box 5 : 8
FBI Denver file 100-8362
1959
Box 5 : 9
FBI Detroit file 100-27579
1954-1959
Box 5 : 10
FBI Los Angeles
1956-1964
Box 5 : 11
FBI Los Angeles file 100-45888, volume 1
1953-1958
Box 6 : 1
FBI Los Angeles file 100-45888, volume 2
1954-1959
Box 6 : 2
FBI Los Angeles file 100-45888. Revised
Documents
1954-1965
Box 6 : 4-6
FBI New York file 100-132065 (3 folders)
1956-1964
Box 6 : 7
FBI New York file 100-132065. Revised
Documents
1959-1963
Box 6 : 8
FBI San Francisco file 100-37894, volume 1
1953-1961
Box 6 : 9
FBI San Francisco file 100-37894, volume 2
1961-1968
Box 6 : 10
FBI San Francisco file 100-37394. Revised
Document
1961
Box 7 : 1
FBI San Francisco file 100-37394. Sub A
Exhibits
1953-1963
Box 7 : 2
FBI Seattle file 100-22500
1953-1963
Box 7 : 3
FBI Washington Field Office
no date
Box 7 : 4
FBI Washington Field Office file 100-33796, volume
1
1957-1963
Box 7 : 5
FBI Washington Field Office file 100-33796, volume
2
1972
Box 7 : 6
FBI Washington Field Office file 100-33796. Revised
Documents
1962-1965
Box 7 : 7-10
National Gay Task Force
1975-1982
Box 7 : 7
FBI Headquarters file 9-63959
1978
Box 7 : 8
FBI Headquarters file 62-118584
1980-1982
Box 7 : 12
FBI Los Angeles
1960-1961
Box 7 : 14-15 ; 14 OS : 5
Society for Individual Rights
1965-1973
Box 7 : 14
FBI Headquarters
1965-1972
Box 14 OS : 5
FBI Headquarters file 62-114520
1971-1973
Subseries 1.2.
Document Analysis
1953-1984
Physical Description: 1.7 linear feet.
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries contains the materials created or collected by
Siminoski in the course of analyzing the documents released to him by the FBI.
The FBI was required to deliver to Siminoski a "Vaughn Index" to the documents
it released, identifying each document, indicating the statutory exemption (for
redaction or withdrawal) claimed, and explaining how disclosure would damage
the interests protected by the claimed exemption. The subseries contains two
versions of this index, both incomplete. The subseries also contains summaries
of the documents released by the FBI, in typescript (documents numbers
1011-2047), manuscript (2048-2227), and on audio tape cassette (12-2047). Few
of the FBI documents are marked with the number assigned them in the Vaughn
index: a series of folders contains copies of documents that are so marked,
arranged in numerical order. Because one of the pillars of his case was the
FBI's improper use of exemptions to redact and withhold information, Siminoski
and his legal counsel spent considerable effort to determine precisely what
exemptions were claimed on each document. The subseries contains Siminoski's
manuscript notes, listing each document in Vaughn index number order, and
indicating for each document the code for each exemption claimed. The subseries
includes a tally sheet, listing each exemption in numerical order and
indicating the number of documents in which each exemption was claimed.
Siminoski also arranged copies of the FBI documents for analysis by FBI
Headquarters or field office. These records were marked with the name of the
office and a number representing the year of the document and the sequence of
each document within that year, e.g., "LA 53-1"; in most cases, a form for
analyzing the contents of the document was also attached. A small number of
these documents survive, relating primarily to the Mattachine Society; these
documents have been arranged by FBI office name and file number. Siminoski
encoded all documents for entry into a computer database, and held "coding
parties" each week at Jim Kepner's archives on North Hudson St., in Los
Angeles. His correspondence with his ACLU legal counsel also refers to a
printout of the information in this database. The collection contains no copy
of this printout, and only a handful of encoded documents were found when the
collection was processed. A representative number of these coded documents has
been retained, as well as sample coding sheets and document coding
instructions. The subseries also contains a small folder of Siminoski's
analytical and statistical notes on the documents; a larger number of similar
notes will be found attached to Siminoski's 1986 memoranda to his legal counsel
in Series 2, Subseries 2 (box 15, folders 9-10).
Box 7 : 16-18 ; 14 OS : 6
; 17 OS : 1-3
Indexes to FBI Documents
1983-circa
1986
Box 7 : 17
Vaughn index, documents 1-1794 [1853]
no date
Box 7 : 18
Document summaries, 1011-2047
circa
1984
Box 14 OS : 6
Document summaries, 2048-2227
circa
1984
Box 17 OS : 1
Audio tape cassettes of document summaries, part
1
circa
1984
Physical Description: 4 tape cassettes: 1 (12, 13; 363-370); 2
(14-54; 55-106); 3 (107-181; 172-334); 4 (335-461;
462-530).
Box 17 OS : 2
Audio tape cassettes of document summaries, part
2
circa
1984
Physical Description: 4 tape cassettes: 5(531-623; 624-772); 6
(773-888; 889-1010); 7(1011-1114; 1115-1187); 8(1188-1279;
1280-1355).
Box 17 OS : 3
Audio tape cassettes of document summaries, part
3
circa 1984
Physical Description: 4 tapes cassettes; 9 (1356-1460; 1461-1553); 10
(1553-1614; 1615-1735); 11 (1736-1815; 1816-1898); 12 (1899-1969;
1970-2047).
Box 7 : 19 - 8 : 12
Numbered Documents (Vaughn Index)
1954-1974
Box 7 : 20
Documents 84, 402, 403
1957
Box 8 : 2
Documents 255, 281, 358, 535, 590
1959-1966
Box 8 : 6
Documents 754, 755, 757, 758
1968
Box 8 : 8
Documents 992, 1003, 1004, 1010
1972-1974
Box 8 : 10
Documents 1540, 1541
1970
Box 8 : 12
Document 2028/2029
no date
Box 14 OS : 7 - 15 OS : 2
FBI Exemption Codes
1984-1986
Box 14 OS : 7
Vaughn index documents 1-771
1984-1986
Box 14 OS : 8
Vaughn index documents 772-2047
1984-1986
Box 15 OS : 1
Vaughn index documents (incomplete)
1984-1986
Box 15 OS : 2
Exemption code usage statistics
1984-1986
Box 8 : 13-21 ; 15 OS : 3-7
Documents Selected for Analysis
1953-1973
Box 8 : 13-14 ; 15 OS : 3; 18 OS : 1-7;
19 : 1-4
FBI Headquarters files
1954-1966
Box 8 : 13
100-403320 (East Coast Homophile Organization -
ECHO)
1965-1966
Box 18 : 1-7
100-403320 (Mattachine Society/ONE)
1953-1971
Box 8 : 14
FBI Baltimore file
1972-1973
Box 8 : 14
100-30225 (Gay Activists Alliance)
1972-1973
Box 8 : 15
FBI Denver file
1959,
1961,
1967
Box 8 : 15
100-8362 (Mattachine Society/ONE)
1959,
1961,
1967
Box 8 : 16
FBI Detroit (Gay Activists Alliance)
1972
Box 15 OS : 4-6
FBI Los Angeles file 100-45888 (Mattachine
Society/ONE)
1953-1966
Box 8 : 18
100-55060 (Gay Activists Alliance)
1972
Box 8 : 19
FBI San Francisco file
1975
Box 8 : 19
100-73494 (Gay Activists Alliance)
1975
Box 19 : 1-4
FBI Washington Field Office file 100-33796 (Mattachine
Society/ONE)
1957-1972
Box 8 : 20
Document coding instructions
1984
Box 8 : 21
Coded documents (sample)
no date
Box 15 OS : 7
Document Analysis
circa 1984
Box 15 OS : 7
Analytical and statistical notes
circa 1984
Series 2.
Siminoski v. FBI
1982-2001
Physical Description: 1.8 linear feet.
Series Scope and Content
This series comprises the records of Siminoski's request of October
22, 1982, for all FBI documents relating to the surveillance of gays and
lesbians between 1950 and 1982, and of the subsequent lawsuit filed on his
behalf by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California on October 11, 1983. These
records include Siminoski's correspondence with the FBI and with his legal
counsel, the legal filings in the case, litigation correspondence between
Siminoski's counsel and counsel for the FBI, drafts by Siminoski and his
counsel of various legal filings, additional attorney notes and drafts, and
materials created or collected by Siminoski in the course of his lawsuit. The
series is divided into three subseries: 1. Legal Filings, 2. ACLU Files, and 3.
Dan Siminoski files.
Subseries 2.1.
Legal Filings
1982-1990
Physical Description: 0.8 linear feet.
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries contains the legal papers filed and proposed in
Siminoski v. FBI, as well as the correspondence between Siminoski and the FBI,
and between Siminoski's legal counsel, the ACLU Foundation of Southern
California (represented by Joan Howarth, John Heilman, Paul Hoffman, and Jon W.
Davidson), and the FBI and its counsel. The principal records are the complaint
for injunctive relief (October 11, 1983; box 8, folder 9); the plaintiff's
proposed statement of uncontroverted facts and conclusions of law, motion for
summary judgment, and memorandum of points and authorities (June 23, 1986; box
9, folders 2-3); the report and recommendation of the Special Master, Ralph J.
Geffen (November 3, 1988); transcripts of proceedings before Judge William D.
Keller (June 19 and July 20, 1989; box 9, folder 19, and box 10, folder 3); and
Judge Keller's decision (January 16, 1990; box 10, folder 5). While Geffen
found for Siminoski on most points, Judge Keller reversed most of Geffen's
recommendations; after discussion with Siminoski, who for health reasons had
withdrawn from active participation in the case in 1986, the ACLU lawyers did
not appeal Judge Kellers decision. The records also include the motion and
supporting memorandum of points and authorities to disqualify Judge A. Andrew
Hauck, to whom the case had originally been assigned, for anti-homosexual bias
(November 7, 1985; box 8, folders 29-30). The memorandum of points and
authorities of June 23, 1986, is incomplete, lacking exhibit 6 of volume 1, and
all of volumes 2-5; however, the declarations of Robert J. Chester (June 15,
1985; box 8, folder 27) and Philip W. Thomas (October 11, 1985; box 8, folder
28) may be identical to exhibits 8 and 7, respectively, referenced in the index
to volume 2. The litigation correspondence includes a copy of Siminoski's
initial letter to the FBI, dated October 20, 1982, requesting under the FOIA
photocopies of all FBI documents relating to the surveillance of gay and
lesbian groups, as well as letters of transmittal that accompanied the release,
beginning in March 1984, of records by FBI Headquarters and its offices in
various cities; the FBI was still releasing documents under Siminoski's request
in May, 1990. Although Siminoski began receiving copies of FBI documents in the
first quarter of 1984, the lawsuit continued, on the grounds that FBI was not
releasing documents in a timely manner, and that many of the documents released
were improperly redacted. The correspondence between Siminoski's lawyers and
those of the FBI constitute an important supplement to the court papers, as
they provide additional discussion of issues raised in the latter.
Arrangement
Separated into (1) legal filings, followed by (2) litigation
correspondence, both sections ordered chronologically.
Box 8 : 22
Complaint for injunctive relief
October 11,
1983
Box 8 : 23
Answer to complaint
December 28,
1983
Box 8 : 24
Joint report of early meeting of counsel
February 18,
1984
Box 8 : 25
Stipulation to continue pre-trial conference hearing
and order thereon
September 13,
1984
Box 8 : 26
Stipulation to continue pre-trial conference
hearing
December 11,
1984
Box 8 : 27
Declaration of Robert J. Chester
June 15,
1985
Box 8 : 28
Declaration of Philip W. Thomas addressing the
application of exemption one of the Freedom of Information Act
October 11,
1985
Box 8 : 29
Notice of motion and motion to disqualify or in the
alternative to transfer the disqualification decision to another court;
declaration of plaintiff; certificate of good faith
November 7,
1985
Box 8 : 30
Memorandum of points and authorities in support of
plaintiff's motion of disqualification [against judge A. Andrew Hauck];
declarations; exhibit
November 7,
1985
Box 9 : 1
Joint status report
January 2,
1986
Box 9 : 2
Plaintiff's [proposed] statement of uncontroverted
facts and conclusions of law
June 23,
1986
Box 9 : 3
Notice of motion and motion for summary judgment;
memorandum of points and authorities. Volume 1 of 5
June 23,
1986
Box 9 : 4
[Proposed] Order for summary judgment in favor of
plaintiff
June 24,
1986
Box 9 : 5
Stipulation; order
July 2,
1986
Box 9 : 6-10
Defendant's opposition to plaintiff's motion for
summary judgment
November 5,
1986
Physical Description: 3 volumes, volume 2 in 3
folders.
Box 9 : 11
Joan Haworth notes on FBI response
November 17,
1986
Box 9 : 12
Plaintiff's reply to defendant's opposition to
plaintiff's motion for summary judgment; declaration of Joan W. Howarth;
exhibits
November 26,
1986
Box 9 : 13
Stipulation to set hearing on summary judgment kotion,
to establish briefing schedule and to outline issues in dispute; and order
thereon
April 1,
1987
Box 9 : 14
Supplemental opposition to plaintiff's motion for
summary judgment
April 24,
1987
Box 9 : 15
Plaintiff's response to defendant's supplemental
opposition
May 8,
1987
Box 9 : 16
Submission of additional declaration and report
regarding in camera declarations
June 12,
1987
Box 9 : 17
Notice of filing of magistrate's report and
recommendation and the lodging of proposed judgment
November 3,
1988
Box 9 : 18
Defendant's objections to the report and
recommendation of the Special Master
December 12,
1988
Box 9 : 19
Transcript of proceedings [before Judge William D.
Keller]
June 19,
1989
Box 10 : 1
Plaintiff's supplemental memorandum of points and
authorities regarding privacy exemptions to the Freedom of Information
Act
June 30,
1989
Box 10 : 2
Joint status report and stipulation; order
July 12,
1989
Box 10 : 3
Transcript of proceedings [before Judge William D.
Keller]
July 20,
1989
Box 10 : 4
Plaintiff's supplemental memorandum in support of
motion for summary judgment re exemption (b)(7)
July 26,
1989
Box 10 : 5
Order re plaintiff's motion for summary
judgment
January 16,
1990
Box 10 : 6
Gay Liberation Front
undated
Box 10 : 7-13
Litigation Correspondence
1982-1987
1990
Subseries 2.2.
ACLU Files
1983-2001
Physical Description: 0.5 linear feet.
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries contains materials from the files of the ACLU
Foundation of Southern California, which represented Siminoski in his lawsuit
against the FBI. The bulk of the documents--Siminoski's memoranda to Joan
Howarth of February-June 1986, his "Searchability memo" of June 1986, and the
three draft memoranda prepared by ACLU lawyers or paralegals (box 15, folders
8-12; box 16, folder 1)--all relate to the plaintiff's proposed statement of
uncontroverted facts and conclusions of law, motion for summary judgment, and
memorandum of points and authorities, dated June 23, 1986 (box 9, folders 1-2).
Siminoski's memoranda are cut-and-paste drafts, with extensive manuscript
analytical and statistical notes derived from the FBI documents attached. The
correspondence folder includes communications between Siminoski and his ACLU
lawyers, in particular Joan Haworth and John Heilman, as well as with the Texas
law firm that represented Siminoski before the ACLU Foundation. The subseries
also includes three folders of attorney notes and drafts, relating to the
recovery of attorneys fees (from the FBI), Judge A. Andrew Hauck and judicial
prejudice, and miscellaneous matters.
Box 15 OS : 8
Siminoski/ACLU correspondence
1983-2001
Box 15 OS : 9
Dan Siminoski memoranda to Joan Howarth
February-June 1986
Box 15 OS :
10
Dan Siminoski "Searchability memo"
June 3,
1986
Memorandum of points and authorities in support of
plaintiff's motion for summary judgment, June 23, 1986
1986
Box 16 OS : 2-4
ACLU attorney notes and drafts
1983-1989
Box 16 OS : 2
Recovery of attorneys' fees
1983-1989
Box 16 OS : 3
Judge Andrew Hauck and judicial prejudice
1986
Subseries 2.3.
Dan Siminoski Files
1982-1990
Physical Description: 0.5 linear feet.
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries consists of materials created or collected by
Siminoski in the course of his lawsuit against the FBI. The correspondence
files document Siminoskis relations with other individuals either seeking, or
who had already obtained, access through the FOIA to FBI surveillance files on
GLBT organizations; his travels and lectures on FBI surveillance of gays and
lesbians; and his move in the summer of 1983 from Texas to Los Angeles, where
his project found a home at Jim Kepners Western Gay Archives at 1654 North
Hudson St. They also include a proposal from an admirer in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, for an unrealized television movie on Siminoski's life. The files
contain both original and copy letters, many with Siminoski's handwritten notes
attached; correspondents include Harry Hay, Frank Kameny, and Morris Kight. The
interview notes and followup correspondence document Siminoskis visits to
Washington, DC, in 1982 and 1983, to interview members of the administration,
Congressional staffers, and government experts concerning the FOIA; the latest
notes in the file document a conversation with the assistant to journalist
Randy Shilts, who had also obtained photocopies of many of the same FBI
documents through his own FOIA request, and had published an account of these
records in the San Francisco Chronicle in September 1989. Additional files in
the subseries evidence the intensive media campaign Siminoski launched with the
filing of his lawsuit in October 1983. These files include consultation with a
media consultant, correspondence with the gay media, extensive mailing lists of
gay media organizations and individuals, and a press kit. The subseries also
includes press releases relating to the lawsuit issued by the ACLU Foundation,
and itineraries documenting Siminoskis extensive travels in furtherance of his
project. Siminoski also collected information on leading GLBT organizations,
such as the Gay Rights National Lobby (where he also applied for the position
of executive director), Lambda Legal Defense, and the National Gay Task Force.
The records of the Freedom of Information Project, which Siminoski instituted
in late 1984 with the help of Kepner and his archives (renamed the
International Gay and Lesbian Archives earlier in the year), are of particular
interest, as they include Privacy Act Waiver Forms with the notarized
signatures of many prominent members of the GLBT community in 1984, including
Virginia Apuzzo, Allen Ginsberg, Frank Kameny, and Bruce Voeller.
Box 10 : 14-15 ; 16 OS : 5-6
Correspondence
1982-1987
1991
Box 10 : 16
Freedom of Information Clearing House
1986
Box 16 OS : 7
Freedom of Information project
1984-1985
Box 10 : 17
Gay Rights National Lobby
1983-1984
Box 10 : 18
Lambda Legal Defense
1983
Box 10 : 19
National Gay Task Force
1983
Box 16 OS : 8
Interview notes and followup correspondence
1982-1983
1989
Box 11 : 2
Liberty Hill Foundation grant
1987-1988
Box 11 :
3-4
Mailing lists and contact addresses
circa
1983-1990
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 11 : 7
Press kit materials
1983-1984
Box 16 OS : 9
ACLU press releases
1983-1984
Box 16 OS : 10
Press clippings
1973
1983-1989
Box 11 : 8
Telephone bills
January-February 1984
Series 3.
FOIA and Government Surveillance Reference
Materials
1978-1990
Physical Description: 0.7 linear feet.
Series Scope and Content
This series comprises materials collected by Siminoski relating to
the implementation of the FOIA by federal law enforcement agencies, in
particular the FBI. Publications and papers of the FBI account for almost half
the materials, including photocopies, obtained by news reporter Carl Stern in
1981, of extensive portions of FBI Headquarters file 190-3, relating to the
impact of FOIA and the Privacy Act on law enforcement activities. The materials
also include reports by the General Accounting Office and the Congressional
Research Service, a study by Senator Jim Sasser on Congressional oversight of
the FOIA, and issues of the newsletters FOIA Update and FOIA Alert. The series
also includes a folder of materials relating to the waiving of fees charged for
photocopies of documents obtained under the FOIA; a FOIA files kit, with
step-by-step instructions on how to obtain documents under the FOIA; a small
number of manuscript notes by Siminoski; and a folder of press notices and
other short publications relating to the general topic of government
surveillance.
Arrangement
Arrangement: chronologically, by date of publication or creation
(FBI Headquarters File 190-3)
Box 11 : 9
Sarah P. Collins,
Citizen control
over records held by third parties
. Congressional Research Service,
Report 78-255 GOV
1978
Box 11 : 10
General Accounting Office,
Timeliness and completeness of FBI responses to requests under
Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts have improved
April 10,
1978
Box 11 : 11
General Accounting Office,
Data on
Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act provided by Federal law enforcement
agencies
June 16,
1978
Box 11 : 12
General Accounting Office,
mpact of
the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts on law enforcements
agencies
I
November 15,
1978
Box 11 : 13
Federal Bureau of Investigation,
FBI
Proposals to Amend the Freedom of Information Act
1979
Box 11 : 14
Christine M. Marwick, ed.,
The 1980
edition of litigation under the Federal Freedom of Information Act and Privacy
Act
. 5th ed. Washington, DC: Center for National Security Studies,
November 1979. Extracts.
1979
Box 11 : 15 - 12 : 1-6
Carl Stern, Freedom of Information-Privacy Acts (FOIPA)
request for records pertaining to the General Accounting Office (GAO) study to
evaluate the impact of the FOIPA on law enforcement activities. FBI
Headquarters file 190-3
1979-1980
Box 16 OS : 11
FOIA press clippings and photocopies
1980-1984
Box 12 : 7
Center for National Security Studies,
The CIA and the FOIA; a report analyzing CIA proposals to
exempt most agency files from the Freedom of Information Act
1980
Box 12 : 8
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Annual Report to
Congress
1980
Box 12 : 9
Harold C. Relyea and Elaine R. Tomchik,
Managing official information--accessibility and
protection in the federal government: a selected bibliography
.
Congressional Research Service Report 80-183 GOV
1980
Box 12 : 11
Waiver of FOIA fees
1981-1983
Box 12 : 12
Jim Sasser,
Oversight of the
administration of the Federal Freedom of Information Act: a personal
report
1981
Box 12 : 13
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Impact of the Freedom of Information Act upon the Federal
Bureau of Investigation
December 11,
1981
Box 12 : 14
Harold C. Relyea, Modifying the Freedom of Information
Act: ideas and implications. Draft.
Journal of Media Law
and Practice
, vol. 3
May 1982
Box 12 : 15
[William Webster]
Documented
examples of the adverse effects of the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy
Act on law enforcement
1982
Box 12 : 17
Outweek FOIA
request
1990
Box 12 : 18
Fund for Open Information and Accountability: FOIA files
kit
no date
Box 12 : 19
Dan Siminoski notes on FOIA
circa 1982
Box 12 : 20
Government surveillance
1972-1983
Series 4.
Siminoski Personal and Professional
1977-1986
Physical Description: 0.2 linear feet.
Series Scope and Content
This series comprises personal materials and materials created and
acquired by Siminoski in the course of professional activities not directly
connected with his FOIA lawsuit against the FBI. Personal correspondence
includes applications for teaching positions, for positions at the Los Angeles
Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center, and for the Jay Hayes Memorial
Scholarship offered by The Lesbian/Gay Academic Union, as well as
correspondence with both
Frontiers and
The Advocate relating to proposed writing
assignments. A separate file contains Siminoski's correspondence with Alyson
Publications, including a signed contract for his proposed book,
Spies in the Closet: Federal Surveillance of the Gay
Rights Movement, 1950-1982
. Siminoski's writings include two conference
presentations, and the draft of part (the section written by him) of
"Perceptions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Proposed Amendments
by the FOIA Administrators," which he co-wrote with J. Norman Baldwin and which
was published in
Government Information Quarterly,
2 (May 1985). The series also includes copies and drafts of Siminoskis column
"Gay Community/Gay Power", later "Gay Politics/Gay Community" (including
correspondence with Stonewall Features, the syndicate for whom the column was
written), as well as copies of his article "Spies in the Closet", published in
three parts in
The News in 1986, and a draft of
Siminoski's cover article on Robert Rosenkrantz, "A Killing in Calabasas,"
published in the November 11, 1986, issue of
The
Advocate
. Additional documents include materials on the 9th National
Conference of the Gay Academic Union (1983); on the Gay Press Association and
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Press Association, for whom Siminoski was national
political correspondent in 1984; and on a proposed Voter Education Project
(1984), to be jointly sponsored by the Gay Press Association and by the Jim
Kepner's National Gay Archives, as well as several versions of Siminoski's
academic vita, and a copy of his will.
Box 13 : 1
Personal correspondence
1983-1987
Box 16 OS : 12
Correspondence, Alyson publications
1983-1986
Box 13 : 2
Scholarly articles and conference
presentations
1983-1984
Box 13 : 3
Column "Gay Community/Gay Power" aka "Gay Politics / Gay
Community" (Stonewall Features)
1983-1984
Box 16 OS : 13
Column "Spies in the Closet" (
The
News
)
1986
Physical Description: 3 parts.
Box 13 : 4
"A Killing in Calabasas" (
The
Advocate
)
1986
Box 13 : 5
Gay Academic Union, 9th national conference
1983
Box 16 OS : 14
Gay Press Association / Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Press
Association
1983-1984
Box 13 : 6
Voter Education Project proposal
1984
Box 13 : 8
Rhonda R. Rivera, Review of John D'Emilio,
Sexual politics, sexual communities: the making of a
homosexual minority in the United States, 1940-1970
(1983).
University of Pennsylvania Law Review, vol. 132,
no. 2
1984