GB 0097 HCA/Gay Activists Alliance - Gay Activists Alliance

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0097 HCA/Gay Activists Alliance

Title

Gay Activists Alliance

Date(s)

  • 1977-1980 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) grew out of the Gay News Defence Committee set up to support Gay News against a blasphemy charge and organise a large support demonstration on 11 Feb 1978. On 15 Feb, a special meeting agreed to form an umbrella organisation to monitor issues concerning gay people and generate and publicise action. GAA had no social function, but simply drew together individuals and groups concerned with gay issues. Regional groups were formed in Brighton, London, Oxford, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leicester, Coventry and Birmingham. A secretariat coordinating the work of these local groups rotated between them on a six-monthly basis. Local groups were autonomous and the secretariat had no decision-making powers. The GAA concerned itself with issues such as the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Scotland, the refusal of W H Smith's to stock Gay News, paedophilia, opposition to the National Festival of Light, the age of consent and police harassment.

Archival history

[Deposited in the Hall-Carpenter Archives prior to their move to the British Library of Political and Economic Science in 1988].
GB 0097 HCA/Gay Activists Alliance 1977-1980 Subfonds of the Hall-Carpenter Archives 1 box Gay Activists Alliance
The Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) grew out of the Gay News Defence Committee set up to support Gay News against a blasphemy charge and organise a large support demonstration on 11 Feb 1978. On 15 Feb, a special meeting agreed to form an umbrella organisation to monitor issues concerning gay people and generate and publicise action. GAA had no social function, but simply drew together individuals and groups concerned with gay issues. Regional groups were formed in Brighton, London, Oxford, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leicester, Coventry and Birmingham. A secretariat coordinating the work of these local groups rotated between them on a six-monthly basis. Local groups were autonomous and the secretariat had no decision-making powers. The GAA concerned itself with issues such as the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Scotland, the refusal of W H Smith's to stock Gay News, paedophilia, opposition to the National Festival of Light, the age of consent and police harassment.

[Deposited in the Hall-Carpenter Archives prior to their move to the British Library of Political and Economic Science in 1988].

Papers of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), 1977-1980, notably GAA minutes, 1978, especially concerning Gay News; GAA newsletters, 1978-1979, and bulletins, 1979-1980; material relating to local groups, 1978-1980, namely the Edinburgh Gay Activists Alliance and the Scottish Gay Activists Alliance; GAA leaflets and pamphlets, 1979, on subjects including fascism, the National Abortion Campaign and the Moss Side Community Press; general papers, 1976-1979, including material relating to the Gay Liberation Front and the Nighthawks.

Arranged in sections as follows: minutes, newsletters, local groups, leaflets, pamphlets and general papers.

Apply to Archivist.

Apply to Archivist for copyright details.
English

Full handlist and on-line catalogue available.

The Hall-Carpenter Archives at the British Library of Political and Economic Science hold material relating to the Gay Activists Alliance in the papers of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, the Gay Christian Movement, the Joint Council on Gay Teenagers, and Antony Grey, as well as in the Hall-Carpenter ephemera and journals collections.

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. Nov 2000 Bisexuality England Europe Gay Activists Alliance Gay Liberation Front Groups Homosexuality Homosexual law reform Lancashire Law Law reform Legal systems Lesbian and gay press Lesbian, gay and bisexual campaigning groups Lesbianism Manchester Moss Side Community Press National Abortion Campaign Nighthawks Press Sexuality UK Western Europe London

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), 1977-1980, notably GAA minutes, 1978, especially concerning Gay News; GAA newsletters, 1978-1979, and bulletins, 1979-1980; material relating to local groups, 1978-1980, namely the Edinburgh Gay Activists Alliance and the Scottish Gay Activists Alliance; GAA leaflets and pamphlets, 1979, on subjects including fascism, the National Abortion Campaign and the Moss Side Community Press; general papers, 1976-1979, including material relating to the Gay Liberation Front and the Nighthawks.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Arranged in sections as follows: minutes, newsletters, local groups, leaflets, pamphlets and general papers.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Apply to Archivist.

Conditions governing reproduction

Apply to Archivist for copyright details.

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 hold material relating to the Gay Activists Alliance in the papers of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, the Gay Christian Movement, the Joint Council on Gay Teenagers, and Antony Grey, as well as in the Hall-Carpenter ephemera and journals collections.

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

Subject 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