Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Thorpe, Charles
- Language:
- English.
Background
- Scope and content:
- Committee for Homosexual Freedom
The bulk of this collection documents the birth, growth, and activities of the Committee for Homosexual Freedom (CHF), probably the first "gay liberation" group in Northern California, originating in the spring of 1969 by Leo Laurence and Gale Whittington. Laurence was the current editor of Vector, the official publication of the Society for Individual Rights (SIR) the largest gay group in San Francisco during the late 1960s. In late March of 1969, Laurence had his young friend Whittington pose as a model for a Vector article on the new fashion styles of young gay men. The photographer hired to shoot the session also took one or more informal photos, including one with Leo hugging the shirtless Whittington. Without their knowledge, a copy of this photograph was acquired by the Berkeley Barb, where it was used to illustrate an interview of Laurence on the increasing militancy among some gay men. The bold headline over the photo was "Don't Hide It" with a smaller "Homo Revolt" to the side. A copy of this paper found its way into the hands of Whittington's boss at the States Line Steamship Company, who fired him from his clerical position on the spot.
Devastated, Whittington went straight to Laurence with the news. The two commiserated and talked well into the evening. Laurence, determined to fight this gross injustice, suggested the two form a new group which could call for action against States Line. Over coffee at the restaurant that would later become Church Street Station, The two agreed on this plan, dubbing the new group the Committee for Homosexual Freedom (CHF). The next day they made a couple of picket signs and a leaflet that explained the situation, urging others to join the protest. Midday they made their way to the States Line offices in the 300 block of California, where they began picketing and handing out flyers to the astonished people passing by. A few joined them in their protest; encouraged by this support, they quickly developed a plan to picket the company every day during the lunch hour when hordes of stockbrokers, bankers and office workers filled the street. More people joined each day, and CHF began holding meetings to discuss the States Line action as well as other issues that came up. Over the next few months, CHF engaged in numerous actions. Although Whittington never got his job back, the group got a lot of publicity, and in another gay related firing at Tower Records, CHF did manage to get the employee rehired. Later in the year CHF was joined by another fledgling group, the Berkeley Gay Liberation Front (GLF), in continuing actions and street theater.
Gay Liberation MaterialsCharles Thorpe, a young student at San Francisco State, was one of the early members of CHF. He actively collected materials from CHF, GLF, and other early gay liberation groups around the country. The newsletters, leaflets, articles, and other documents in the Thorpe Papers are the result of this collecting. They document a great deal about the first year of gay liberation in the Bay Area, and indirectly reveal the rapid development of gay liberation throughout the country. Other documents include information from conferences Thorpe attended, letters and proposals for gay-related courses at both SFSC and UC Berkeley, and political statements from various groups and individuals.
ClippingsSeveral dozen clipped news articles from various sources are also present, including numerous gay- related stories from the Berkeley Barb and the Berkeley Tribe, circa 1969-1972, were retained. Due to their rapid oxidation, the original clippings were photocopied and discarded. Articles accompanied by photographs were retained for visual uses.
- Physical location:
- Housed at the GLBT Historical Society
- Physical description:
- 1 box
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
-
989 Market Street, Lower LevelSan Francisco, CA 94103, US
- Contact:
- (415) 777-5455