Lisa Kaye papers, 1975-1996, bulk Bulk, 1980-1995

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Summary

Creators:
Kaye, Lisa
Abstract:
Meeting minutes, administrative records, training workshop materials, political campaign records, publicity material and other papers, 1975-1996, from lesbian activist and community organizer Lisa Kaye from Orange County, California. Materials in the collection document Kaye's political and activist career with the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club of Orange County, a gay and lesbian community organization; Elections Committee of the County of Orange, a bi-partisan political action committee; Irvine Citizens United, a group that attempted to defeat a 1988 referendum to remove gays and lesbians from the city's anti-discrimination protections; Orange County Federation of Lesbian, Gay & AIDS Support Organizations; and the campaigns against California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative (1978) and Proposition 64 LaRouche Initiative (1986), among others.
Extent:
11.3 linear feet. 10 archive boxes + 1 flat archive box.
Language:
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder #, or item name] Lisa Kaye Papers, Coll2013-083, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection comprises meeting minutes, administrative records, training workshop materials, political campaign records, publicity material and other papers, 1975-1996, from lesbian activist and community organizer Lisa Kaye from Orange County, California. The bulk of the collection is administrative records from Kaye's political and activist career, including involvement with the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club; Elections Committee of the County of Orange, a bi-partisan political action committee in which Kaye was instrumental in organizing the "Putting Lesbians in Power" workshop; Irvine Citizens United, a group that attempted to defeat a 1988 referendum to remove gays and lesbians from the city's anti-discrimination protections; Orange County Federation of Lesbian, Gay & AIDS Support Organizations in which Kaye organized a Leadership Training Program for local activists; as well as the campaigns against California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative (1978) and the Proposition 64 LaRouche Initiative (1986), among others. In addition to Kaye's legislative and election campaign materials, the collection also includes Kaye's interests in other gay and lesbian subjects and organizations such as the Whitman-Brooks Foundation, Southern California Women for Understanding, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, LIFE AIDS Lobby, the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County; as well as Jewish organizations such as Chavurah and Kol Simcha. Some general correspondence and Kaye's arrest record for "failure to disperse" make up the only personal papers in this collection.

Biographical / historical:

Lisa Kaye has been an activist since 1978 when she was the Orange County coordinator for the campaign against California Proposition 6, the Briggs Initiative. In 1982, she joined the first board of directors for the Elections Committee of the County of Orange (ECCO) and worked with Dan Wooldridge and George Garrett-Norris who were the founding co-chairs. In 1988, she joined the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club and quickly moved up to being co-chair with John Duran. Membership rose from 20 to over 200 during this time. She coordinated volunteers for Tom Umberg for Assembly, was a spokesperson for Irvine Citizens United, and was a staff aide for an Irvine city councilmember.

Kaye began working on the steering committee for the Orange County Federation of Lesbian, Gay and AIDS Support Organizations in 1989. While working with the Federation, she began planning a board member training program with Libby Cowan, Arlene Sontag and Julie Tanit. From its kick-off in 1990 until the end of 1994, Kaye helped run the Federation's Leadership Training Program. She has been acknowledged by the Orange County Human Relations Commission, ECCO, Southern California Women for Understanding, OCCP and the California State Assembly for her activism. Throughout this time, Kaye also had careers as a private investigator, mental health casemanager, and landlord.

After her retirement, Kaye moved to Oregon where she served as a board member for Oregon Wool Growers cooperative and Interfaith Prayer Services; and as a steering committee member for the Save Our Valley--Stop Enron and Coburg Power campaign. In 2007, Kaye founded SpiritPathNow, a community calendar for events serving spiritually progressive organizations and practitioners in the Pacific Northwest.

As of 2013, Kaye lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Source:

Box 7, Folder 8, Lisa Kaye Papers, Coll2013-083, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Acquisition information:
Donor and date of acquisition unknown.
Processing information:

Formerly housed in boxes 103-023, 103-156, 103-159, 103-160, 103-161, 103-162, 103-163, 103-164, 103-165, 103-166, 103-170, and 104-098. Collection processed by Loni Shibuyama with assistance from Sarah Wilson, December 2013.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1. Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club

Series 2. Elections Committee of the County of Orange

Series 3. Irvine Citizens United

Series 4. Orange County Federation of Lesbian, Gay & AIDS Support Organizations

Series 5. Other activism and political activities

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries 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.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder #, or item name] Lisa Kaye Papers, Coll2013-083, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Location of this collection:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007, US
Contact:
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu
Website