The Lois Bencangey papers consist of articles, correspondence, financial records, fliers, leaflets, pamphlets, announcements and invitations from the Califia Community, of which Bencangey was a member, and from other organizations devoted to anti-racism, homosexuality and feminism. The collection also includes materials from Connexxus, Dykes Against Racism Everywhere (DARE), the National Gay Task Force (NGTF), the National Organization of Lesbians and Gays, National Organization for Women (NOW), Southern California Women for Understanding (SCWU) and White Women Against Racism (WWAR). Conference fliers outline workshops and meetings geared towards the lesbian and feminist communities in California. The collection further includes three letters written by Marilyn Murphy in 1986 to help her sister, Sharon Murphy, with legal fees that were accrued during her battle to gain custody of her son and avoid jail time for kidnapping. The collection also includes material related to the motion picture Desert Hearts (1986).