VCU James Branch Cabell Library
Equality Virginia records
Equality Virginia
M 399
/repositories/5/resources/562
5.88 Linear Feet
14 Document Cases
1972-2008
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Equality Virginia records, 1972-2008, Collection #M 399, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Equality Virginia in 2015.
Biographical/ Historical Information
Equality Virginia was founded in 1989 as Virginians for Justice, which served as a statewide, non-partisan education, outreach, and advocacy organization seeking equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Virginians. The organizational structure consists of members, advisory councils, board of directors, and the executive committee as well as three task force groups: Hate Crimes Task Force, Development Task Force, and Legislative Task Force.
When the organization was founded, their immediate goal was to pursue the enactment of legislation that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in all aspects of life. Specific goals included: to reform the ABC laws discriminating against LGBT establishments, increase penalties for hate crimes, amend the humans rights law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and fight for the rights of victims of the AIDS epidemic. Materials in the collection document strategies employed by Equality Virginia to forward these goals, including the following: uniting LGBT organizations, educating Virginians, communicating to the media, lobbying the members of the State General Assembly and other governmental agencies, and encouraging grassroot response to legislative initiatives.
The organization has had multiple successes in changing Virginia legislation to include equal rights for LGBT Virginians. These successes include fighting the Virginia Housing Development Authority's "Family Rule" legislation, overturning legislation that allowed the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to revoke liquor licenses for homosexual establishments, along with defeating legislation that would ban gay adoption in Virginia.
Scope and Contents
The Equality Virginia records collection includes materials created and acquired by the organization in the course of carrying out its administrative, outreach, and advocacy activities. Materials include minutes, reports, correspondence, bylaws, clippings, newsletters, pamphlets, electronic records, and audio visual materials. The collection is of value as it includes legislative materials and news clippings pertaining to the Bottoms v. Bottoms case, news clippings documenting the HIV/AIDS epidemic, along with clippings of hate crimes that the Virginia LGBT community faced during the 1980s and 1990s. The legislative materials also include the lawsuit against the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control that overturned legislation allowing liquor licenses to be revoked at establishments employing or catering to homosexuals.
A substantial group of materials pertains to the Virginia Housing Development Authority's "Family Rule" which Equality Virginia led the fight against, defeating legislation that would have kept LGBT families from qualifying for low-income loans. Researchers will find content containing materials for potential research in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, LGBT legal rights from 1987 to 2005, the Bottoms v. Bottoms case, or LGBT hate crimes. The collection also provides insight into the personal beliefs and views held by Virginia General Assembly candidates during the 1990s through candidate questionnaires conducted by Equality Virginia.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into four series: Series 1: Administrative records, 1988-2008; Series 2: Outreach materials, 1988-2008; Series 3: Legislative materials, 1972-2008; Series 4: Clippings, 1988-2006.
Efforts have been made to maintain the original file organization. Files are arranged alphabetically in each series and materials within the files are arranged chronologically where applicable.
Gay rights -- Virginia -- Richmond
Gay activists -- Virginia -- Richmond
Series 1: Administrative records1/repositories/5/archival_objects/577961988-2008Annual board of directors retreat/repositories/5/archival_objects/578002002-200311Articles of incorporation, bylaws, and organizational materials/repositories/5/archival_objects/578011988-200712-3Board meeting minutes and reports/repositories/5/archival_objects/578021988-200414-521-3Board resource guide/repositories/5/archival_objects/57803200824Community action teams concept paper and three-year plan/repositories/5/archival_objects/57804200425Correspondence, board of directors/repositories/5/archival_objects/578051991-1992, 2001-200326Correspondence, response to Roanoke Times Living Gay series/repositories/5/archival_objects/57806200127Correspondence, Virginia Housing Development Authority's family policy/repositories/5/archival_objects/5780720032831-5Correspondence, Virginia Tech's removal of sexual orientation from anti-discrimination policy/repositories/5/archival_objects/57808200341Education Fund Report/repositories/5/archival_objects/578091989-200242Education Fund, PAC board meeting reports/repositories/5/archival_objects/578102006-200743Executive director, legislative, and manager reports/repositories/5/archival_objects/578111996-200444Financial report/repositories/5/archival_objects/57812200445Founding material/repositories/5/archival_objects/578131987-198946Funders of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Programs directory/repositories/5/archival_objects/57814199347Internal committee materials/repositories/5/archival_objects/578151993-199448Model release forms/repositories/5/archival_objects/57816200749Newsletters/repositories/5/archival_objects/578171989-1990, 2003410Pledge packet, general information/repositories/5/archival_objects/578182006411Strategic planning/repositories/5/archival_objects/578191990-2003412Tax Forms/repositories/5/archival_objects/578202002413The State of Violence in LGBTQ Communities report/repositories/5/archival_objects/57821200851The Voice newsletter/repositories/5/archival_objects/578221990-200152-4Website hardcopy printouts/repositories/5/archival_objects/57823200855Series 2: Outreach materials2/repositories/5/archival_objects/577971988-200820 OUTstanding Virginians video/repositories/5/archival_objects/57824undated56Action Alerts/repositories/5/archival_objects/57825200357Anti-Hate Crimes and Anti-Violence resources/repositories/5/archival_objects/578262001-200758Christian Right articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/57827circa 1987, undated59Church Materials and Faith-based materials/repositories/5/archival_objects/578282007510Commonwealth Dinner videos/repositories/5/archival_objects/578292005-200661Directory of Virginia Service Organizations for Gays and Lesbians/repositories/5/archival_objects/578301990-199262Equal Rights for Gays and Lesbians audio cassette/repositories/5/archival_objects/57831200463Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Human Genome Research program announcement/repositories/5/archival_objects/57832199364Fairfax Alliance for Citizen Equality information packet/repositories/5/archival_objects/57833199865Fighting for Safe Schools in Virginia transparencies/repositories/5/archival_objects/57834circa 200566Fundraising and Event information/repositories/5/archival_objects/578351994-199967Hate Crimes Task Force program proposals and updates/repositories/5/archival_objects/57836199668Homosexuality Issues Packet by Concerned Women for America of Virginia/repositories/5/archival_objects/57837200569LGBT Contacts in Southern Virginia/repositories/5/archival_objects/57838undated610LGBTQ Capital Gains and Losses report/repositories/5/archival_objects/578391997611Logo and Grapics discs/repositories/5/archival_objects/578402005-2007, undated612Major Donor Planned Giving files/repositories/5/archival_objects/57841undated613Mothers and Others of Virginia promotional information/repositories/5/archival_objects/578422007614National Center for Lesbian Rights publications and materials/repositories/5/archival_objects/578432008615Network Statewide Conference on LGBT Issues/repositories/5/archival_objects/578441992-1999616Organizations' newsletter, pamphlets, and information/repositories/5/archival_objects/578452001-2003617OutReach to Virginia Public Officials newsletters/repositories/5/archival_objects/578461991-199271Podcasts Julian Bond and Chuck Robb disc/repositories/5/archival_objects/57847undated72Pride Festivals and Summits/repositories/5/archival_objects/57848200773Programs, flyers, advertisements, and bumper sticker/repositories/5/archival_objects/578491988-200774-5Rally photographs disc/repositories/5/archival_objects/57850200676Safe Harbor Domestic Violence Materials/repositories/5/archival_objects/57851200777Same-sex marriage articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/57852199578Women's Voices Forum information packets/repositories/5/archival_objects/578532001-200679WRIR announcements and programs discs/repositories/5/archival_objects/578542005-2006, undated710Virginia Currents McDonnell Interview video/repositories/5/archival_objects/57855undated711Vote No on 1 campaign discs/repositories/5/archival_objects/57856undated712Vote No on 1 campaign banners/repositories/5/archival_objects/57900undatedTwo bannersSeries 3: Legislative materials3/repositories/5/archival_objects/577981972-2008Albemarle county schools district wide harrassment policies/repositories/5/archival_objects/578572003713America Votes/repositories/5/archival_objects/578582008714American Bar Association draft policy on sexual orientation and adoption/repositories/5/archival_objects/578591998715Anti-Gay Virginia laws, activism, and call to arms/repositories/5/archival_objects/578601992-2001716Atlas Project Strategic Roadmap Virginia/repositories/5/archival_objects/578612008717Authority of Arlington County to Prohibit Discrimination on Basis of Sexual Orientation/repositories/5/archival_objects/57862199281Criminal penalties/repositories/5/archival_objects/578632000-200182Challenging the Christian Right, The Activist's Handbook/repositories/5/archival_objects/57864199383Christian Coalition Leadership manual/repositories/5/archival_objects/57865199084Commonwealth Coalition Marriage campaign/repositories/5/archival_objects/57866200685Democratic Party of Virginia Election Readiness report/repositories/5/archival_objects/57867200886Final Report on Virginia General Assembly and supporting documents/repositories/5/archival_objects/578681993-199487-891-2Health, Disease Prevention and Control, Crimes Against the Person bills/repositories/5/archival_objects/57869199393Human Rights Campaign's Civil Marriage briefing binder/repositories/5/archival_objects/57870200394-5Legislative Packet for Virginia General Assembly/repositories/5/archival_objects/57871200196Legislative Report for Virginia General Assembly/repositories/5/archival_objects/57872200197101Legislative Strategies, Campaign to Preserve Family Life Education/repositories/5/archival_objects/578731996-1997102Letters to legislators, corporations, and candidates/repositories/5/archival_objects/578741991-2005, undated103Letters to senators from General Assembly members concerning marriage/repositories/5/archival_objects/578752003104Lobby Day materials/repositories/5/archival_objects/578761990, 1997, 2006105Minnesota Supreme Court, Goins v. West Group, Rhode Island General Assembly act/repositories/5/archival_objects/578772001106National State PAC Training packet/repositories/5/archival_objects/578782007107Rasmussen Poll/repositories/5/archival_objects/578792000-2001108Sharon Bottoms Case/repositories/5/archival_objects/578801993-1995109-10Sodomy law talking points/repositories/5/archival_objects/57881undated111Summary of Hate Crimes/repositories/5/archival_objects/578821994-1997112Unconstitutional Alcoholic Beverage Control laws and lawsuits/repositories/5/archival_objects/578831972-1992113-4Virginia Candidate Information/repositories/5/archival_objects/578841993-1994115Virginia Candidate Questionnaire/repositories/5/archival_objects/578851991-2001116-7121-3Virginia General Assembly bills/repositories/5/archival_objects/578861995-2006124Virginia General Assembly session reports/repositories/5/archival_objects/578871989-1990, 1998125131-2Virginia Housing Development Authority/repositories/5/archival_objects/578881990-2000133Virginia Issues and Answers interview on anti-family legislation video cassette/repositories/5/archival_objects/578892006134Warner transition team briefing/repositories/5/archival_objects/57890undated135Series 4: Clippings4/repositories/5/archival_objects/577991988-2006AIDS newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578911988-1996136Gay families newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578922002-2006137Gay marriages newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578931995-1996141Gay political issues newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578941988-1996142Gays in the military, religion, and legal issues newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578951992-1996143Hate crimes against gays and lesbians newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578961988-1996144Newspaper and press clippings/repositories/5/archival_objects/578972006145Presidential candidates views on gays newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578981996146Virginia Housing Development Authority family law newspaper articles/repositories/5/archival_objects/578991996145