Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen collection

Collection

Identifier: 7645

No requestable containers
Staff Only
Ask a Question

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

DVD "Gay Pioneers" and video "Out of the Past" (a documentary about the gay rights movement), news clippings featuring Gittings, including clippings about the video "Out of the Past," and photocopies of photographs of Gittings in gay rights demonstrations in front of Independence Hall on July 4, 1966 and July 4, 1969, and in front of the White House in October 1965. Also, obituaries and information about Gittings' memorial service; brochures, position statements, flyers and clippings from gay rights events and organizations and on various gay rights subjects, including election materials from Franklin Kameny's congressional run in 1971; and a 1969 clipping about Gittings' visit to speak at Cornell University and 1982 news clippings about efforts to establish a gay scholarship and gay book funds at Cornell.

Dates

1965-2007.

Creator

Gittings, Barbara, 1932-2007. (Person)
Tobin, Kay. (Person)

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Gittings and Lahusen played important roles in the gay liberation movement emerging in the 1950s. Gittings helped organize the New York City chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis in 1958. Lahusen joined the New York City Daughters of Bilitis in 1961, and the two met there. From 1963-66, Gittings served as editor of DOB's periodical publication, THE LADDER, and Lahusen worked on it with her. Lahusen co-authored THE GAY CRUSADERS in 1972. Gittings was active in the campaign that led to the American Psychiatric Association dropping its categorization of homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973. Gittings was also active in the American Library Association for 16 years. Though not a librarian, she was an avid book lover, and joined ALA's Task Force on Gay Liberation as soon as she found out about it in 1970. Gittings and Lahusen remained active in the gay civil rights movement and remained partners until Gittings' death on Febrary 18, 2007.

Extent

.4 cubic feet. (.4 cubic feet.)

Additional Description

Abstract

News clippings featuring Gittings over her years of lesbian and gay rights activism, 1965-2007, including photocopies of photographs of Gittings in demonstrations in front of Independence Hall on July 4, 1966 and July 4, 1969 and in front of the White House in October 1965, a clipping about Gittings' 1969 visit to speak at Cornell University, and obituaries and information about her memorial service. Also, brochures, position statements, and flyers from gay rights events and organizations, including election materials from Franklin Kameny's congressional run in 1971, and 1982 news clippings about efforts to establish a gay scholarship and gay book fund at Cornell.

Abstract

Also, DVD "Gay Pioneers" and video "Out of the Past" (a documentary about the gay rights movement)

SERIES LIST

Series I. About Gittings

Series II. Subject Files

Series III. Organizational Files

Series IV. Clippings and Ephemera

Series V. Videos

RELATED MATERIALS

Collecting program: Human Sexuality Collection.

Original of the July 4, 1969 photograph taken by Nancy Tucker is at the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn, NY.

SEPARATED MATERIAL

The following publications have been separated from collection 7645 and cataloged as individual titles in the Human Sexuality Collection.

Feb. 15, 1974 Commonweal offprint,

May 1973 Connexion (United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry)

Gay Insurgent - nos. 6-7

1972-1973 Gay People and Mental Health - v.1

1969-1971 Homphophile Action League. Newsletter

1958-1966 The Ladder - various issues

1968 Daughters of Bilitis, Philadelphia Chapter. Newsletter - v.1: no.8-11

Physical Description

Publications, photographs.

General

Contact Information:: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:: Brenda Marston
Date completed:: July 2007
EAD encoding:: Andrea HektorPeter Martinez, June 2003Evan Fay Earle, July 2007
Date modified:: RMC Staff, January 2012