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Collection Overview

Creator:
Princeton University. Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance.
Title:
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance Records
Repository:
Princeton University Archives
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/6q182k13h
Dates:
1972-2019
Size:
7 boxes, 1 folder, and 1.9 GB
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-7
Language:
English

Abstract

The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance (LGBA), is the social and political organization for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students at Princeton University. The LGBA is the successor to the Gay Alliance of Princeton (GAP), Gay Women of Princeton (GWOP), the Lesbian and Bisexual Task Force (LBTF), and Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Princeton (GALAP). The records contain material regarding the LGBA's programs and its publications, as well as subject files assembled by the LGBA's officers and staff.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

This collection documents both LGBA activities and issues affecting lesbian, gay, and bisexual people at Princeton and elsewhere. Since the LGBA is generally a student organization, the completeness of this collection varies according to student interest in collecting material. The office files since the arrival of the director are no less incomplete. The collection includes interviews with the founding students of Princeton University's first gay student organization Judith Schaeffer and Arthur Eisenbach which can be found in Series 1, Organizational Papers.

Collection Creator Biography:

Princeton University. Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance.

In May 1972 a student, looking for other gay Princetonians, placed a classified advertisement in the Daily Princetonian reading "Closet Queens Unite!;" the following fall a group of students–mainly men–founded the Gay Alliance of Princeton and sought recognition as a student organization. The alliance sponsored discussion groups and social events; in May, 1973, it held the largest (up to that date) gay dance in New Jersey. GAP officially welcomed men and women, but men dominated both the membership and the leadership. While the organization initially attracted townspeople, they soon split off to create Gay People of Princeton.

Most gay Princetonians found the campus a comfortable, if not overly welcoming, environment; as a result, the Alliance was largely apolitical. The late 1970s, however, were marked by several incidents of harassment that sparked the Alliance to activism. Student leaders pushed for a non-discrimination policy, which–despite much campus debate–was not adopted until 1985.

In the 1980s GAP became more visible, sponsoring speakers and conferences as well as dances and discussion groups. While officially co-ed, GAP meetings remained sixty to eighty percent male; seeking some independence, a group of lesbians founded Gay Women of Princeton in 1982. GAP and GWOP shared an office and a budget, and cosponsored some events. After a few years, GWOP faded, eventually replaced by the Lesbian and Bisexual Task Force. In 1987 GAP and the LBTF joined under the umbrella name of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Princeton (GALAP), meeting independently while joining together for dances and speakers. In 1991, the name changed to GLOBAL–briefly–and then to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance. Under the LGBA umbrella are the men's group (formerly the Men's Auxiliary, then He's Interested in Men [HIM]), the women's group (formerly Princeton's Eagerly Awaited Radical Lesbians [PEARL] and then Women Oriented Women [WOW]), and a bisexual group (Bisexual Interest Group, or BIG). Affiliate organizations include the Coalition Against Homophobia and the AIDS Activist Coalition for Education (AACE). The LGBA sponsors dances, meetings, and a film festival. The biggest events of the year are Awareness Week, held in the fall and including Gay Jeans Day, and Pride Week, held in the spring.

In 1989 the offices of the Dean of the Chapel and the Dean of Student Life began hiring graduate students to help organize the GALAP office and activities. In 1994 the position became a full-time position within the Dean of Student Life office.

Over the years, many students and staff recognized the need for a dedicated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) center at Princeton. In the spring of 2002, students began writing a proposal for the creation of a LGBT center. In the summer of 2005, the LGBT Student Services office evolved into The LGBT Center. Construction for the new LGBT Center in Frist began in October 2005, and the new Center opened its doors in March 2006.

Collection History

Acquisition:

No acquisition information was available at the time of processing.

Appraisal

No appraisal information was available at time of processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Daniel Sack in July 1995. Finding aid written by Daniel Sack in July 1995. Materials in box 6 and the oversize drawer were added by Christie Peterson in May 2012. The 2023 accession of digital materials was processed by Caitlin Abadir-Mullally in July 2023, at which point the finding aid was updated and materials were intellectually integrated into existing topical series.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.

For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance Records; Princeton University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/6q182k13h
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-7