Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County records, 1977-2005

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Summary

Creators:
Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County
Abstract:
This collection comprises the records of The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC), a not-for-profit organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in Orange County, California. The collection documents the Center OC's operations, sponsored events, services, fundraising, educational activities, and public health campaigns including those addressing HIV/AIDS. Materials include reports, newsletters, memoranda, event programs, photographs, fliers, posters, training and educational materials, clippings, and audiovisual recordings.
Extent:
14.1 Linear Feet (28 boxes and 3 oversized folders)
Language:
Collection materials are primarily in English with some materials in Spanish.
Preferred citation:

Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County Records. MS-R118. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection comprises the records of The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC), a not-for-profit organization serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Orange County, California. The collection documents the Center's operations, sponsored events, services, fundraising, and programs, particularly those addressing HIV/AIDS. Materials include board of directors meeting agendas, reports, newsletters, memoranda, photographs, event programs, fliers, posters, training and educational materials, clippings, and videotapes.

Biographical / historical:

The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC) is one of the oldest gay and lesbian community centers in the United States, established as a volunteer organization in 1971 and incorporated in 1975 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community-based organization. The Center's programming serves the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, including the Spanish-speaking LGBT community, those who are questioning, LGBT youth, and LGBT families.

Through its AIDS Response Program, The Center was the first community-based agency to address the AIDS crisis in Orange County. The program responded to the crisis with a variety of initiatives, including Stop AIDS Orange County, a volunteer-based HIV/AIDS prevention program that began in 1987. In 1993 the LifeGuard program was created to provide education about safer sex for gay and bisexual men. The Center also designed HIV/AIDS prevention services specifically to serve the Latino and Asian American community. In addition to HIV/AIDS support and education services, The Center has advanced other public health initiatives, including an anti-smoking campaign.

In addition to its public health programs, The Center has organized or sponsored a range of social events and other activities to serve the LGBT community. The Orange Coast Guild was a social group that organized cultural events in the early 1990s. In the early 2000s, The Center co-sponsored Orange County Dyke March events, public demonstrations designed to empower lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. In 2003-2004, The Center was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit charging officials in Costa Mesa, California, with imposing unduly burdensome permit requirements on the Dyke March organizers.

The Center relocated and expanded its facilities to a new Garden Grove location in 1988. In June, 2009, it relocated again to Santa Ana, California.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County, 2004-2007.
Custodial history:

Some of the materials in the collection were contributed as part of the Orange County Historical LGBT Timeline Project.

Processing information:

Processed by Dawn Schmitz, Kimberly Gallon, Christine Kim, and Natalie Newton in 2011.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in 6 series:

  • Series 1. Administrative records, 1984-2004
  • Series 2. Program files, 1983-2003
  • Series 3. Events, 1989-2005
  • Series 4. Research materials, 1977-2002
  • Series 5. Visual materials, 1987-2004
  • Series 6. Awards and commendations, 1998-2004

Accruals:

Accruals are expected.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Select items have been reformatted and have digital preservation copies. Access to original audiovisual recordings is restricted; researchers may request viewing copies.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Preferred citation:

Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County Records. MS-R118. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Location of this collection:
P.O. Box 19557
Irvine, CA , US
Contact:
(949) 824-3947
spcoll@uci.libanswers.com
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