GB 0097 HCA/Chesterman - CHESTERMAN, John, d 1996, gay activist

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0097 HCA/Chesterman

Title

CHESTERMAN, John, d 1996, gay activist

Date(s)

  • 1970-1978 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

2 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Chesterman was closely involved in the formation of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in 1970, and the production of the Gay International News, which preceded Gay News. The GLF began life in a basement room at the London School of Economics on 13 October 1970. Though without a formal structure, the movement grew rapidly for the next few years and undertook a great number of consciousness-raising activities, such as demonstrations, debates and the establishment of a new gay press.

Archival history

Given by John Chesterman in 1993 and 1995.
GB 0097 HCA/Chesterman 1970-1978 Subfonds of the Hall-Carpenter Archives 2 boxes Chesterman , John , d 1996 , gay activist
John Chesterman was closely involved in the formation of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in 1970, and the production of the Gay International News, which preceded Gay News. The GLF began life in a basement room at the London School of Economics on 13 October 1970. Though without a formal structure, the movement grew rapidly for the next few years and undertook a great number of consciousness-raising activities, such as demonstrations, debates and the establishment of a new gay press.

Given by John Chesterman in 1993 and 1995.

Papers collected by John Chesterman relating to the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), 1970-1978, including a GLF manifesto, 1971; early GLF leaflets and fliers, 1971-1974, and other papers mainly relating to organised demonstrations; GLF diaries, [1971-1973]; papers relating to GLF regional and special interest groups, [1972], notably the London and South London GLF, the first gay squat, the GLF Counter Psychiatry Group, the Women's Liberation Workshop, Leeds GLF, Camden GLF and the transvestites newsletter; press cuttings and reports relating to GLF, 1970-1973, mainly concerning gay social life, and including the first mentions of GLF in print; material relating to gay publications, 1970-1972, such as Come Together and Gay News, including photographs of their production; material relating to the GLF campaign against Everything you always wanted to know about sex (W H Allen, London and New York, 1970) by David Robert Reuben, [1971]; material concerning GLF conferences, seminars and debates, 1971- 1972, including a typescript report on the first national GLF think-in at Leeds University and photographs of a debate at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh; GLF stickers.

The papers have been listed according to the files created by Chesterman.

Open

Copyright retained by the depositor and their heirs.
English
Some of the material is in poor condition.

Full handlist and on-line catalogue available.

The Hall-Carpenter Archives at the British Library of Political and Economic Science also contain the papers of the Gay Liberation Front, and the papers of Rupert Beach relating to the GLF.

Sources: British Library of Political and Economic Science Archives catalogue. Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Oct 2000 Bisexuality Camden Chesterman , John , d 1996 , gay activist Cultural conditions Cultural life Edinburgh England Europe Gay Liberation Front Gay liberation movement Groups Homosexuality Leeds Leeds University Lesbian, gay and bisexual campaigning groups Lesbianism Liberation movements Life styles London Midlothian Political movements Scotland Sexuality St Pancras Transvestism Traverse Theatre , Edinburgh UK Western Europe West Riding Womens liberation movement Yorkshire

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers collected by John Chesterman relating to the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), 1970-1978, including a GLF manifesto, 1971; early GLF leaflets and fliers, 1971-1974, and other papers mainly relating to organised demonstrations; GLF diaries, [1971-1973]; papers relating to GLF regional and special interest groups, [1972], notably the London and South London GLF, the first gay squat, the GLF Counter Psychiatry Group, the Women's Liberation Workshop, Leeds GLF, Camden GLF and the transvestites newsletter; press cuttings and reports relating to GLF, 1970-1973, mainly concerning gay social life, and including the first mentions of GLF in print; material relating to gay publications, 1970-1972, such as Come Together and Gay News, including photographs of their production; material relating to the GLF campaign against Everything you always wanted to know about sex (W H Allen, London and New York, 1970) by David Robert Reuben, [1971]; material concerning GLF conferences, seminars and debates, 1971- 1972, including a typescript report on the first national GLF think-in at Leeds University and photographs of a debate at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh; GLF stickers.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The papers have been listed according to the files created by Chesterman.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright retained by the depositor and their heirs.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The Hall-Carpenter Archives at the British Library of Political and Economic Science also contain the papers of the Gay Liberation Front, and the papers of Rupert Beach relating to the GLF.

Finding aids

Full handlist and on-line catalogue available.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

British Library of Political and Economic Science

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area