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Society for Individual Rights (SIR) Records

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: Coll2011-075

Scope and Content

Meeting minutes, flyers, correspondence, bylaws, press releases, proposals, policy statements, articles, pamphlets, surveys, financial documents, advertisements, articles of incorporation, clippings, municipal permits, legal documents, event programs, organizational constitution, photographs, manuscripts, and other material documenting activities of the Society for Individual Rights (SIR), 1964-1977. Founded in San Francisco in 1964, SIR's goals included public affirmation of gay and lesbian identity, elimination of victimless crime laws, providing a range of social services (including legal aid) to "gays in difficulties," and promoting a sense of gay and lesbian community.

Dates

  • Creation: 1964-1977

Creator

Access

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Publication Rights

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Historical Note

Founded in San Francisco in 1964, the Society for Individual Rights (SIR)'s goals included public affirmation of gay and lesbian identity, elimination of victimless crime laws, providing a range of social services (including legal aid) to "gays in difficulties," and promoting a sense of a gay and lesbian community. In particular, SIR's "leaders were more assertive and confident [as compared to older homophile organizations] in their gay identity. Taking a cue from the burgeoning civil rights movement, SIR demanded equal rights and decried government-sanctioned discrimination." The organization also departed from older groups in its emphasis on the democratic process. By the late 1970s, however, SIR's influence diminished.

Source: Highleyman, Liz, "What Was the Society for Individual Rights?" http://www.gmax.co.za/think/history/2004/040330-SFriscoRights.html, 2004 (accessed April 4, 2012).

Extent

1.6 Linear Feet (1 archive carton + 1 flat archive box.)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Meeting minutes, flyers, correspondence, bylaws, press releases, proposals, policy statements, articles, pamphlets, surveys, financial documents, advertisements, articles of incorporation, clippings, municipal permits, legal documents, event programs, constitution, photographs, manuscripts, and other material documenting activities of the Society for Individual Rights (S.I.R.), 1964-1977. Founded in San Francisco in 1964, SIR's goals included public affirmation of gay and lesbian identity, elimination of victimless crime laws, providing a range of social services (including legal aid) to "gays in difficulties," and promoting a sense of a gay and lesbian community. This collection documents SIR's existance into the late-1970s.

Processing Information

Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In order to provide access to this collection, minimal processing on this collection was expedited in 2011. Date spans were given wherever possible, but do not reflect the most accurate inclusive dates.

Title
Society for Individual Rights (SIR) Records, 1964-1977
Status
Completed
Author
Marc LaRocque
Date
(c) 2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is inEnglish.

Repository Details

Part of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, University of Southern California Repository

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Los Angeles California 90007 United States
(213) 821-2771