Jeanne Cordova papers and photographs, 1948-2011

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Summary

Creators:
C贸rdova, Jeanne
Abstract:
Photo albums, diaries, correspondence, minutes, manuscripts, clippings, posters, memorabilia, audiotapes, computer files and other material from lesbian activist, writer and publisher, Jeanne C贸rdova. In the early 1970s, C贸rdova began her career as a leader in the Los Angeles gay and lesbian and feminist movements by becoming President of the Los Angeles chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis; founding the publication, The Lesbian Tide; and becoming Human Rights Editor and columnist for the Los Angeles Free Press. In 1973, she was a key organizer of the first National Lesbian Conference, and in 1981, she founded the Community Yellow Pages, currently the nation's largest and most comprehensive LGBT directory. Her collection includes organizational records from publications she founded and several activist organizations she led; manuscripts and clippings of articles and books she wrote; personal diaries and correspondence with former lovers. Her collection also includes extensive photo albums with detailed annotation documenting her life and major events in the gay and lesbian liberation movement.
Extent:
33 Linear Feet 12 boxes, 6 cartons, 14 flat boxes, 1 mapcase drawer, and 20 oversize items.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box #, Folder #] Jeanne C贸rdova Papers and Photographs, Coll2008-064, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Jeanne C贸rdova papers and photographs comprise scrapbooks, photographs, diaries, organizational records, correspondence, manuscripts, clippings, posters, memorabilia, computer files, audiotapes and other materials documenting organizations and publications which C贸rdova founded; her leadership in the gay and lesbian and feminist activist movements from the 1970s through the 1990s; her published and unpublished books, articles and essays; her education and experience in a convent; and her relationships with family, friends and former lovers.

The collection is divided into eight series: (1) Publishing, (2) Activism and Politics, (3) Writings, (4) Personal Papers, (5) Scrapbooks and Photographs, (6) Posters, (7) Memorabilia and (8) Sound Recordings, Video Recordings, and Computer Files. The Publishing Series consists of organizational records from three of the five publications C贸rdova founded: The Lesbian Tide (1971,) Community Yellow Pages (1981) and Square Peg (1992.) The Activism and Politics Series comprises correspondence, clippings, organizational records and other papers documenting C贸rdova's numerous activities in the gay and lesbian and feminist movements, including, but not limited to, organizing national lesbian conferences, serving on the boards of several organizations, and political campaigning. The Writings Series comprises manuscripts, notes, clippings and correspondence related to C贸rdova's published and unpublished works, including two unpublished memoirs, The Apostles and Anicha. The Personal Papers Series consists of diaries, correspondence, date books, student papers, real estate records, financial records and other papers documenting C贸rdova's life from her time in a convent (1966-1967,) to her health complications, to her relationships with her family, friends and former lovers. The Scrapbooks and Photographs Series consists of material collected throughout C贸rdova's life, including her childhood in Germany (1948-1954.) The Posters Series includes a poster for "An Evening of Women's Music with Cris Williamson, Margie Adam, Meg Christian, Holly Near," and posters for Robin Tyler and Jill Johnston. The Memorabilia Series comprises buttons, t-shirts and other material from C贸rdova's activities in politics and the gay and lesbian movement. The final Sound Recordings, Video Recordings, and Computer Files Series comprises audiocassettes, videocassettes (VHS), and floppy disks (5 1/4 in.) containing manuscripts, personal diary entries, and other writings.

Biographical / historical:

Jeanne Robert C贸rdova was born on July 18, 1948 in Bremerhaven, Germany. Daughter of Federico Benito and Joan McGuinness, Jeanne is one of twelve siblings. In the 1950s, the family immigrated to New York and eventually relocated to Southern California. As a child, she attended Catholic school in West Covina and, in 1966, entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary convent in Santa Barbara, California. While she was a postulant, she began questioning her sexuality and subsequently became dissatisfied with the Catholic Church. She left the convent a year later, going on to earn Bachelor's and Master's degrees in social work from the University of California, at Los Angeles (UCLA.)

In 1970, C贸rdova began her activist career by joining and, soon after, becoming President of the Los Angeles chapter of the lesbian rights organization, Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). In 1971, the DOB newsletter, which C贸rdova edited, evolved into The Lesbian Tide, the first of five publications she founded. Throughout the 1970s to the 1990s, she was a key organizer or active participant in several events and organizations, including the 1971 West Coast Lesbian Conference; the 1973 National Lesbian Conference at UCLA; the 1977 International Women's Year Conference in Houston, Texas; the 1978 National Lesbian Feminist Organization Conference; a national gay and lesbian caucus at the 1980 Democratic National Convention, in which she served as a convention delegate; the No on California Proposition 64 (LaRouche) campaign in 1986; and numerous other gay and lesbian and women's rights causes. In addition, she founded or served on the board of several organizations, including the Stonewall Democratic Club, Connexxus Women's Business Alliance, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Press Association, Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center, and ONE Institute and International Gay & Lesbian Archives.

C贸rdova also has an extensive writing and publishing career. In addition to her work with The Lesbian Tide, she was also Human Rights Editor and columnist for the Los Angeles Free Press (1973 - 1976). She contributed works to numerous periodicals and anthologies, and in 1976, she wrote her first book, Sexism: It's a Nasty Affair. In 1981, she founded the Community Yellow Pages, which would eventually become the United States' largest and most comprehensive LGBT directory. In 1990, her second book was published, Kicking the Habit: A Lesbian Nun Story, an autobiography recounting her experience in the convent. In addition to Community Yellow Pages, she founded and published Square Peg Magazine in 1992, a magazine devoted to queer culture and literature.

In August 1995, C贸rdova married her partner, Lynn Harris Ballen, in a wedding ceremony in the Hollywood Hills. After selling Community Yellow Pages, C贸rdova and Ballen moved to Mexico in 1999. In 2007, they returned to Southern California. Jeanne C贸rdova remains active in the gay and lesbian and Chicana/Latina movements. In 2008, she founded LEX, The Lesbian Exploratorium, a non-profit organization devoted to culture and history. In 2011, her memoir, When We Were Outlaws, was published by Spinsters Inc. As of 2015, C贸rdova continues to live with Ballen at their home in Los Angeles, California.

Acquisition information:
The Jeanne C贸rdova collection comes from a series of donations from Jeanne C贸rdova in September-November, 2008. An additional 14 linear feet of material was donated in a series of donations on April 14, 2011, September 21, 2011, and November 28, 2011.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Loni Shibuyama, November 24, 2008. An additional 14 linear feet of material was added to the collection in 2011, and processed in 2015. One box (1 linear foot) of deteriorated and damaged materials remains unprocessed.

Processing this collection has been funded in part by Jeanne C贸rdova, and generous grants from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers, with some restrictions. Access to materials marked "restricted" in the container list is restricted during the lifetime of Jeanne C贸rdova. Researchers wishing to access this material must obtain prior permission from Ms. C贸rdova. Researchers may apply for permission through ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives or directly from Ms. C贸rdova.

Terms of access:

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 #] Jeanne C贸rdova Papers and Photographs, Coll2008-064, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.

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