Note: This finding aid addresses two different MS 0764 Series
Records of the Gay Community Center of DC, Eaton-Kesinger Research Service Collection component (Series IX)
Community Newsletters Collection (Series X)
aka. Eaton-Kesinger Research Service Collection, 1970s to 1990s
Finding aid updated:
13 June 2023 by Vincent E. Slatt
Descriptive summary
Title: Records of the Gay Community Center of DC, Eaton-Kesinger Research Service Collection
Dates: 1970s to 1990s, bulk late 1980s early 1990s.
Accession number: 2014.046, 2023.032
Creator: These records were most likely gathered at the former Gay Community Center of DC, which at one time had attempted to create a GLBT archives of Washington DC.
Extent: 10 Hollinger boxes and one banker’s box; roughly 7 feet of records.
Repository: DC History Center, as of 12 April 2014. Prior to that, they were stored at the home of Chuck Goldfarb during the processing stage, after having been sent, unsolicited to the Rainbow History Project in December 2013 from Alta Loma, California.
Abstract: Collected newsletters, fliers and clippings related to gay community organizations in the late 1970s through the early 1990s; newspaper clippings chronologically, thematically, and loosely organized; also, correspondence and some records of the Gay Community Center of DC.
Biographical note: Richard Eaton served in a leadership capacity of the Gay Community Center of DC during its operation in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his time in DC at the Center, he was active in creating an LGBT community archives in the city and compiled newsletters, fliers, and other correspondence about multiple gay organizations and activities; selected clippings of events from the Washington Blade and other newspapers; and organized correspondence between different community figures. James Crutchfield, a founding member of RHP, attempted to contact Richard Eaton when RHP was created in order to build off previous efforts but was never successful.
Scope and content of collection: Includes newsletters collected from various sources related to the activities of many community organizations. Fliers, advertisements, brochures and pamphlets related to these groups are also held with the newsletters. Large clipping projects had been conducted from various sources, primarily the Washington Blade but also the Washington Post, to thematically and chronologically present community history; some of these clippings are organized and bound, others are loose. Several large bindings of correspondence and other records of the Gay Community Center are also present, along with a large amount of newsletters about the activities of the Center. Some material related to non-DC groups and activities are also present and were most likely sent to people at the Center from contacts outside the city. Advertisements, fliers, and event information is widely available throughout the records as well as a few loose photographs.
System of arrangement
Series IX: Records of the Gay Community Center of DC
Series X: “Community Newsletters” Newsletters and Fliers of the LGBT Community
Administrative Information
Access: Collection is available to all researchers by appointment at the DC History Center.
Reproduction and use: Collection is available for use. HSW has physical custody of the material but RHP has no completed deed of gift from the donor/creators; all material is believed to be under copyright.
Acquisition information: The material was sent, unsolicited, to the RHP post office box with no contact information or announcement letter. Chuck Goldfarb has written a letter to the return address “Eaton-Kesinger Research Service, 10210 Baseline Road #243, Alta Loma, CA, 91701.” No response has been received as of 2014 Feb 23. Some of the newsletters have the original postal address “Gay and Lesbian Archive of Washington DC; PO Box 4218, Falls Church, VA, 22044.” They may have been transported to California by Richard Eaton when he moved there. These records were probably created and stored in Washington, DC at the Community Center.
Processing history:
2014.01.22 Chuck Goldfarb receives 7 boxes from the post office and transports them to his home
2014.01.25 Chuck and Vincent Slatt review the boxes and identify 3 initial series.
2014.02.09 Chuck, Vincent, Richard Haight, Jose Gutierrez, and Tim Meagher conduct an Archiving 101 session to identify the series and do an initial sort. Draft finding aid is created by Vincent Slatt.
2014.02.23 Chuck, Richard, Jose and Vincent were joined by Philip Clark and Jon Shimabukuro to conduct a review of the newsletters section and reorganization of the boxes.
2014.04.05 Chuck, Richard, Jose, and Vincent processed the newspaper clippings and were joined by Bonnie Morris, Philip Clark and new volunteers Jesus Chavez and Kevin Jones.
2014.04.12 Philip and Chuck delivered the materials to the Historical Society of Washington.
2014.08.23 Vincent and Philip along with volunteers Brian Miller, Esperanza Pastor, Eric Gonzaba, Thomas Knapp, Donald Burch, and Mara Dauphin, met at the HSW to process the materials into 2 separate collections: 8 box of Newsletters and 3 boxes of records of the Gay Community Center. Some items were scanned for use online in the collection “Newsletters and Fliers.” (http://rainbowhistory.omeka.net/collections/show/37)
2014.09.29 Vincent worked on scanning materials from Newsletters, Box 1; rehousing and updating labels.
2014.11.16 Chuck announced that Richard Eaton had sent additional material: five 11 x 17 prints of DC City Council proclamations for Capital Pride from the mid-1980s. Vincent took the materials from Chuck for scanning and submission to HSW.
2023.06.23 Vincent brought more Tracks newsletters (already scanned); and some Gay Men’s Chorus booklets for Series X; for Series IX, he brought 1 folder of DC Center Newsletters for box 3. (Acc. 2023.032)
Processing next step:
We need to refolder the collection in permanent acid-free folders, verify the folder titles--perhaps with date ranges--against the finding aid, and continue scanning for online. The Gay Community Center records and the research service clippings need further review and proper foldering.
CONTAINER LIST--INITIAL INVENTORY
Series IX: Records of the Gay Community Center of DC
Box 1 of 3 (Banker’s Box)
1 Folder of loose newsletter issues to be interfiled with other issues.
Newspapers clippings and loose material in the following folders:
DC Gay History
DC Carding Bill/Human Rights Commission
DC Government: LGBT issues, Political Appointments
DC/US Congress Conflicts on LGBT issues
DC Elections: Candidates
Gertrude Stein Democratic Club
Hughes-Roosevelt Democratic Club
Gaylaw
Discrimination in Federal Employment
Suburban LGBT Political organizations/issues
Jay Fisette
Tom Chorlton
Jim Graham
Lesbian Organizations/Groups
Lesbian Social Venues and Sports Groups
Gay Sports
Religious Organizations
DC Coalition of Black Lesbians, Gay Men and Bisexuals
Lesbian and Gay Chorus of DC
Youth/SMYAL/GLSEN/PFLAG
Gay Men’s VD Clinic (Precursor to Whitman Walker Clinic)
Gay Men’s Counseling collective/Northern VA Peer Counseling
Hotlines, Switchboards, etc.
Gay Community Center (Various incarnations)
Miscellaneous LGBT Organizations
Leather
Gay Charities/BHT
Food and Friends
Arts and Literary Events
Bars, Clubs, Events
Gay Clubs and Neighborhood Oppositions/Nightclub Restrictions
Neighborhoods
Internet, Radio
Community Resource Listings
“For the Record” Blade
Events/Schedule Calendar
Blade Year in Review, 1993, 1995
Blade Year in Review, 1996, 2003
Condoms Distribution
Whitman Walker Clinic 1 of 2
Whitman Walker Clinic 2 of 2
Carl Vogel Center
Washington Times 1990s
Opinions
GLAAD
Marches on Washington
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Bios and Resumes
Box 2 of 3 (Hollinger)
Gay Community Center
3 packets of bound clippings from the Washington Blade.
Footer indicates The Gay and Lesbian Archives Washington DC; compiled by the Eaton-Kesinger Library for G&L Studies
*01. Bound correspondence of the Gay Community Center, DC, September 1982 to December 1989. Includes grant proposals, budgets, leases, fundraising, DC Police training program, Project Oasiss, HIV/AIDS forums, and other AIDS support efforts, changes in the board of directors. Prominent names include James Crutchfield, Bob Roehr, Joseph Albanese). Clippings of news coverage about the Gay Community Center from the Washington Blade, 1982-1989. Clippings from the Washington Blade about community events, mostly religious, July 1995-May 1997.
*02. Bound correspondence of the Gay Community Center, DC, January 1990 to October 1990. Non-chronological, bound clippings from various Washington-area newspapers about different resources, newspaper articles, notices and editorials.
Box 3 of 3 (Hollinger)
Gay Community Center
*03. Bound correspondence of the Gay Community Center, DC, March 1982 to December 1989.
7 folders: GCC Newsletters, 1979-1991.
Series X: “Community Newsletters” Newsletters and Fliers of the LGBT Community
Box 1
Adventuring, 1980-1990
Alexandria Gay Community Association
Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance (aka Arlington Virginia Gay Alliance), 1985 - Mar 1989
Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance (aka Arlington Virginia Gay Alliance), Apr 1989 - Nov 2002
Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA) Papers
Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA) Newsletters
Bon Vivant: Newsletter of Women’s Club of Metropolitan Washington
Brethern Mennonite Council for Gay Concerns: Dialogue Newsletter
Brother Help Thyself
Box 2
Bet Mishpachah Newsletters, 1979-1999
Box 3
Bet Mishpachah Newsletters, 2000-2001
Bet Mishpachah Newsletters, 2002-2003
Bet Mishpachah Newsletters, 2004-2005
Chrysalis Arts Group (currently Chrysalis Arts and Culture Group)
Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquets: Metro DC LGBT Chamber of Congress–2006, 2007, 2008; Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Congress, 2011, 2012; CAGLCC Membership Directory, 2017, 2018..”
DC Coalition of Black Gay Men and Women
DC Front Runners
DC Sports Association
DC’s Different Drummers
Box 4
Dignity of Washington
The Eagle
Fairfax Lesbian and Gay Citizens’ Association
Fairness Fund
Faith Temple
Gay Activists Alliance/Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance
Gay Asian Pacific Islander Network
Gay Bookworm (St. Paul, MN) Jan 1990
Gay Celtic Society, 21 Dec. 1987
Gay Fathers Coalition
GAMMA-Gay and Married Men’s Association
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, 1984, 2004, 2017
Box 5
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, 1985-1987
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, 1988-1991
GLASS: Gay and Lesbian Association of Silver Spring
Gay and Lesbian Alumni Association of Georgetown University (GALA)
GLOW: Gay and Lesbian Older Washingtonians
Gayspring--Newsletter of Integrity Washington
Gertrude Stein Democratic Club
Holocaust Memorial Musem (DC)
IN STEP Magazine
Box 6
Lambda Legal
Lambda Rising
LLEGO: Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization
Metropolitan Community Church of the Disciples
OUT Magazine
PEP: People Exchanging Power
Box 7
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 1974-1994
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 1995-1996
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 1997-1998
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 1999
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 2000
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 2001
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 2002
PFLAG: “Flagpole” Newsletter of Parents, Families of Lesbians and Gays, 2003-2005
Box 8
Sigma: Leather Group Newsletters
SMYAL: Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League
Top to Bottom
Tracks Bar 1 (not scanned)
Tracks Bar 2 (scanned)
Virginians for Justice
Washington Blade
Washington Bridge: Gay Asians and Friends. Issue #35, Sept 1987; special issues 16 Sept 1987; #36, Oct 1987; #37, Nov 1987; #38, Dec 1987; #39, Jan 1988; #43, May 1988.
Whitman Walker Clinic
Womens Center and Referral Service