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Brian Coyle journals and papers

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: Coll2013-107

Scope and Content

The collection consists of photographs; articles by and about Brian Coyle; electoral materials documenting his unsuccessful senatorial, mayoral and city council campaigns, as well as his successful 1983 city council campaign; flyers; photocopies of family correspondence and greeting cards; and photocopies of articles, papers, photographs and drawings from Coyle's childhood, high school and college years. The collection also includes seven volumes of his personal journals, from the fall of 1989 up until days before his death. The journals focus on Coyle's experience of his illness, including plans for his funeral. Also included in the collection are newspaper obituaries and documents from his memorial service.

Dates

  • Creation: 1948-1992

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biography

A 1960s civil rights and anti-war activist who became the first openly gay Minneapolis City Council member, Brian Coyle died of AIDS on August 23, 1991. A community activist during his 20s, Coyle entered electoral politics in the late 1970s, running unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 1978, for the mayor of Minneapolis in 1979, and for the Minneapolis City Council in 1981. Coyle was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 1983 and was chosen by his Council peers as Vice-President in 1990. As a council member, Coyle was an advocate for senior citizens, the poor and homeless, people of color, and gays and lesbians. He lobbied for increased AIDS funding, and his last and proudest political achievement was the passage, in 1990, of a local domestic partners ordinance, which, at its time, was the most progressive legislation of its kind in the Midwest. Coyle made his first public disclosure about his HIV status in the fall of 1990 at the annual meeting of Lesbian and Gay Appointed and Elected Officials. He went public about his HIV in the Twin Cities in April of 1991, making his disclosure an opportunity to educate the citizens of Minneapolis about HIV. His health deteriorated quickly following his public disclosure.

Extent

1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection consists of photographs; articles by and about Brian Coyle; electoral materials documenting his unsuccessful senatorial, mayoral and city council campaigns, as well as his successful 1983 city council campaign; flyers; photocopies of family correspondence and greeting cards; and photocopies of articles, papers, photographs and drawings from Coyle's childhood, high school and college years. A 1960s civil rights and anti-war activist who became the first openly gay Minneapolis City Council member, Brian Coyle died of AIDS on August 23, 1991.

Arrangement

This collection reflects the original chronological arrangement by the donor.

Acquisition

Materials donated to the International Gay & Lesbian Archives by Clark Miller in 1992-1993.

Separated Materials

Seperated to one program collection:

Twin Cities Men's Chorus - March 1, 1986

The Names Project National Tour - 1988

The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt Minnesota Tour '88 - July 16-17, 1988

Official Pride Guide (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - June 17-27, 1988; 1990

Processing Information

Collection processed by Ian Stulberg, 2013.

Title
Finding Aid to the Brian Coyle Journals and Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Ian Stulberg
Date
(c) 2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Sponsor
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Repository Details

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

Contact:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles California 90007 United States
(213) 821-2771