Finding aid of the Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen
Collection
Loni Shibuyama
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
© 2008
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen
Collection
Collection number: Coll2008-069
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
Los Angeles,
California
- Processed by:
- Loni Shibuyama
- Date Completed:
- December 17, 2008
- Encoded by:
- Loni Shibuyama
© 2008 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: Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen collection
Dates: 1962-2007
Collection number: Coll2008-069
Creator:
Gittings, Barbara, 1932-2007
Creator:
Lahusen, Kay Tobin, 1932-
Collection Size: 1.1 linear feet.
(3 archive cartons).
Repository:
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
Abstract: News clippings, journal articles, pamphlets,
flyers, printed materials from activist organizations, a videocassette and a
DVD, relating to pioneering lesbian activists Barbara Gittings and her partner
of 46 years, Kay Tobin Lahusen. Active from the 1960s, Gittings marched in the
first gay rights demonstrations at the White House, Pentagon and Independence
Hall; she worked with Frank Kameny to persuade the American Psychiatric
Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders; and she
headed the Gay Task Force of the American Library Association from 1971 to
1986. The collection contains articles by and about Gittings and Lahusen;
subject files covering a variety of topics, such as religion, mental health and
education; and printed material from several activist organizations, including
the Gay Task Force of the ALA, the Homophile Action League, the Mattachine
Society, the Gay Activist Alliance and the National Gay Task Force.
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 #, Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen Collection , Coll2008-069, ONE
National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Kay Tobin Lahusen, 2007.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Loni Shibuyama,
December 17, 2008.
Processing this collection has been funded
by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission.
Biography
Barbara Gittings was born on July 31, 1932, in Vienna, Austria, where
her father was stationed as a United States diplomat. Returning to the U.S.,
the family eventually settled in Wilmington, Delaware. She entered Northwestern
University and soon came out as a lesbian. She left Northwestern after her
freshman year, settled in Philadelphia and supported herself with clerical
jobs.
In 1958 she began her long career as a gay rights advocate when she
founded the first East Coast chapter of Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) and later
edited its national lesbian magazine,
The Ladder, from 1963 - 1966. It was around
this time when Gittings met the woman who would be her partner for 46 years,
Kay Tobin Lahusen. In the mid-1960s, Gittings marched in the first gay
demonstrations at the White House, Pentagon and Independence Hall. During the
1970s, Gittings became a charter member of the boards of directors for both the
National Gay Task Force (1973) and the Gay Rights National Lobby (1976). At
this time, she was also active in the American Psychiatric Association, running
gay exhibits at APA conferences and working with prominent gay rights activist
Dr. Frank Kameny to persuade the Association to remove homosexuality from its
list of mental disorders. Though she is not a librarian, Gittings became
involved in the Gay Task Force of the American Library Association, the first
gay caucus in a professional association. From 1971 to 1986, she headed the
group and campaigned to get positive gay and lesbian materials into libraries
and out to users and to end discrimination against gay library workers and
patrons. In 2003, the ALA awarded her with a lifetime honorary membership.
Kay Tobin Lahusen is a photojournalist, writer and activist who was born
in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1932. She later moved to Boston, where she worked in the
reference library of the Christian Science Monitor.
Her life as a gay rights activist began in 1961 when she joined the
Daughters of Bilitis, where she met the woman who would become her life
partner, Barbara Gittings. Soon after, she moved to Philadelphia to live with
Gittings. During the mid-1960s, Lahusen marched in the earliest picket lines
for gay rights, and in 1970, she became one of the founding members of the Gay
Activists Alliance in New York. She also worked in the Oscar Wilde Memorial
Bookshop, wrote for the newspaper,
Gay, and was active in the Gay Task Force of
the American Library Association. In 1972, she co-authored a book of
biographies of gay activists,
The Gay Crusaders (1972).
Throughout their lives, Gittings and Lahusen continued to advocate for
gay rights causes. Their 46-year partnership ended on February 18, 2007 when
Gittings died of breast cancer at the age of 74 at their home in
Pennsylvania.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen Collection contains news
clippings, journal articles, flyers, pamphlets, a DVD videodisc, a VHS
videocassette, and other materials related to Gittings and Lahusen's activities
in the gay and lesbian liberation movement. The collection is divided into two
series: (1) Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen Personal Materials, and (2)
Organizational and Subject Files. The bulk of the Barbara Gittings and Kay
Tobin Lahusen Personal Materials series consists of photocopies of their
personal papers, including articles and speeches written by them; other
materials include correspondence, and news clippings referencing them. The
Organizational and Subject Files series contains news clippings, journal
articles, a VHS videotape, a DVD videodisc, and other materials related to
Gittings' work on the Gay Task Force of the American Library Association;
advocacy on behalf of prominent gay rights activist Frank Kameny; public
outreach and education on gay and lesbian issues; and participation in a number
of gay rights organizations. The series also includes subject files on such
topics as mental health and psychiatry, university education, employment
discrimination, families, and religion.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Gittings, Barbara,
1932-2007
Lahusen, Kay Tobin, 1932-
Gay activists--United States--History
Gay and lesbian rights
Gay liberation movement
Gays--Civil rights
Lesbian activists
Lesbians--Civil rights
Related Material
Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen Gay History Papers and
Photographs, Archives and Manuscripts Division, New York Public Library, Astor,
Lenox and Tilden Foundations.
Separated Material
The following publications have been separated from the Barbara Gittings
and Kay Tobin Lahusen collection and entered into the ONE National Gay &
Lesbian Archives' database:
Tobin, Kay and Randy Wicker.
The Gay Crusaders. New York: Paperback
Library, 1972.
The Advocate
Armed Forces Informer
Capitol Hill: The Newsletter of the Gay Rights
National Lobby
Central Michigan Gayzette
Come Out! A Newspaper By and For the Gay
Community
Concern: Newsletter of the Southern California
Council on Religion and the Homophile
Connexion: UMHE
Daughters of Bilitis / New York
Newsletter
Daughters of Bilitis Philadelphia Chapter
Newsletter
Dorian Collumns: Dorian Society of
Seattle
Eastern Mattachine Magazine
Focus: Orange County
Gay Academic Union Journal: Gai Saber
The Gay Alternative
The Gay Blade
Gay Vue
Gayzette: The Weekly Philadelphia
Gayzette
Homophile Action League Newsletter
Homosexual Counseling Journal: The Quarterly Journal
of the Homosexual Community Counseling Center
Interchange: National Gay Student Center
The Ladder
Mattachine Midwest Newsletter
Metropolitan Community Church: Community News
Calendar
Mother
Motive
New Gay Life
New York Mattachine Newsletter
On the Line: The Newsletter of the Gay Rights
National Lobby
One: The Homosexual Viewpoint
One-to-One: A Lesbian / Feminist Journal of
Communication
Our Community
The Phoenix: Midwest Homophile Voice
Pursuit & Symposium
Wicce: A Lesbian / Feminist Newspaper
Series Descriptions and Container List
Box: 1 : 1 - 10
Series 1.
Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen Personal
Materials
1966-2007
Physical Description: 0.2 linear foot.
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of news clippings, correspondence, flyers,
programs, typescripts, and other materials by or directly referencing Barbara
Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen. The bulk of this material consists of
photocopies of their personal papers, including articles and speeches written
by Gittings and Lahusen, as well as programs from Gittings' memorial
service.
Box 1 : 1 - 8
Barbara Gittings
1966 - 2007
Box 1 : 1
Biographical information
1994 -
2006
Box 1 : 2
Correspondence
1967 -
1974
Box 1 : 3
Flyers and programs
circa 1975 -
2006
Box 1 : 5
Memorial service programs
2007
Box 1 : 6
Writings and speeches by Barbara Gittings
1966 -
1990
Box 1 : 7 - 8
Kay Tobin Lahusen
1970 - 2002
Box 1 : 7
Biographical information
date
unknown
Box 1 : 8
Articles by Kay Tobin Lahusen
1970 -
2002
Box 1 : 9 - 10
News clippings referencing Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin
Lahusen
1969 - 2007
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box: 1 : 11 - 39 ; 2 : 1 - 28 ; 3 : 1 -
3
Series 2.
Organizational and Subject Files
1962-2007
Physical Description: 0.9 linear foot.
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of news clippings, journal articles,
bibliographies, flyers, pamphlets, a VHS videocassette, a DVD videodisc, and
other materials related in particular to Gittings' activities in various
organizations in the gay and lesbian liberation movement, including the
American Library Association's Gay Task Force, the National Gay Task Force, the
Homophile Action League, as well as a number of other organizations and
activist causes. The series also includes subject files on such topics as
religion, university education, family, legal matters, police harassment, and
mental health and psychiatry.
Box 1 : 11
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
1967 - 1975
Box 1 : 12
American Library Association Gay Task Force
1970 - 1988
Box 1 : 13
Atlanta, City of. Proclamation: Gay Pride Day
June 26,
1976
Box 1 : 14
Bibliographies, book reviews and press
material
1967 - 2004
Box 1 : 16
Committee to Fight Exclusion of Homosexuals from the Armed
Forces
1967 - 1969
Box 1 : 17
Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH)
1965 - 1974
Box 1 : 18
Daughters of Bilitis (DOB)
1965 - 1970
Box 1 : 20
Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile
Organizations
1967 - 1970
Box 1 : 21
Employment discrimination
1964 - 1975
Box 1 : 22
Essays on Homosexuality, No. 1 and
4
circa 1969 -
1970
Box 1 : 23 - 24 ; 3 : 2 - 3
Film, video and media
1967 - 2005
Box 1 : 24 ; 3 : 2 - 3
Gay Pioneers
2004
Physical Description: 1 press kit + 1 videocassette (VHS) + 1 videodisc
(DVD).
Box 1 : 25
Frank, Barney, State Representative for Ward 5
date unknown
Box 1 : 26
Gay Academic Union (GAU)
1975
Box 1 : 27
Gay Activist Alliance (GAA)
1970 - 1973
Box 1 : 28
Gay Alliance Toward Equality
date unknown
Box 1 : 29
Gay Community Pamphlets, Vol. 1, No.
1 and 3
1975
Box 1 : 30
Gay Community Services Center
date unknown
Box 1 : 31
Gay Liberation Front (GLF)
1970 - 1972
Box 1 : 32
Gay Nurses' Alliance
circa 1979
Box 1 : 33
Gay pride festivals and parade flyers
1970 - 1973
Box 1 : 34
Gay Support and Action Group
1974 - 1975
Box 1 : 35
Homophile Action League
1969 - 1971
Box 1 : 36
Janus Society
date unknown
Box 1 : 37
Fryer, John E., MD memorial photograph
2003
Box 1 : 38
Kameny, Frank
1969 - 1971
Box 1 : 39
Karlsson, Gene, Open Letter from
1965
Box 2 : 1
Legislation and legal issues
1968 - 1975
Box 2 : 2 - 4
Mattachine Society
1962 - 1969
Box 2 : 2
Mattachine Society of New York
1965
Box 2 : 3
Mattachine Society of Philadelphia
1965
Box 2 : 4
Mattachine Society of Washington
1962 -
1969
Box 2 : 5
Mental health and psychiatry
1964 - 1975
Box 2 : 6
Minnesota Council for the Church and the
Homophile
1970 - 1971
Box 2 : 7
National Committee for Sexual Civil Liberties
date unknown
Box 2 : 8
National Gay Mobilizing Center
date unknown
Box 2 : 9
National Gay Task Force
1969 - 1980
Box 2 : 10
National Institute of Mental Health Task Force on
Homosexuality: Final Report and Background Papers
1972
Box 2 : 11
National Organization for Women
1975
Box 2 : 12
North American Conference of Homophile Organizations
(NACHO)
1968 - 1969
Box 2 : 13
Parents, children and families
1973 - 1980
Box 2 : 14
People's Party flyer
1972
Box 2 : 15
Philadelphia Gay Movement Conference
April 5 - 7,
1974
Box 2 : 16
Police harassment and entrapment
circa 1971 -
1980
Box 2 : 17
Queens Liberation Front
circa 1971
Box 2 : 19
Society of Individual Rights (SIR)
date unknown
Box 2 : 20
Stonewall Chorale program
February 9,
1985
Box 2 : 21
Teachers, students and education
1970 - 1976
Box 2 : 22
Tretter (Jean-Nickolaus) Collection in Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender Studies
2003 - 2006
Box 2 : 23
Columbia University Student Homophile League
1967 -
1969
Box 2 : 24
"Gays on Campus," edited by J. Lee Lehmen of the
National Gay Student Center for the United States National Student
Association
1975
Box 2 : 25
University course descriptions, student papers and
educational outreach
1965 -
1976
Box 2 : 26
West Side Discussion Group
1967
Box 2 : 28
Leaflets and pamphlets
circa 1965 -
1980
Box 3 : 1
News clippings
1964 - 2006
