Digital Transgender Archive

Guide to the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders Records

The records document the organization and activities of the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), a nonprofit legal organization dedicated to defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and people with HIV, primarily in New England. The collection primarily consists of correspondence, topical files, reports, meeting minutes, legal research, litigation and amicus files, publications, volunteer and training manuals, and news clippings created or maintained by GLAD. The records document all aspects of the organization, including its history, structure, and activities from its founding in 1978 to the present. The collection provides a rich resource for the study of GLAD, anti-discrimination efforts, and the legal issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and people with HIV in the United States. Material on GLAD’s founding and history are found in the collection, as is material related to the administration of the organization. The Board of Directors and Executive Director files include committee reports, a complete set of meeting minutes and packets, correspondence, and topical files providing a rich overview of GLAD’s activities. Financial records consist of auditor, public charity, and general budget reports, which provide information about GLAD’s financial status and growth over the years. Legal files consist of reports and litigation and amicus files, documenting only a few of the cases in which GLAD was involved. The Public Affairs files provide substantive information which can be used to reconstruct GLAD’s history and more generally the history of the legal status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and people with HIV in the United States. Of particular note are GLAD’s publications and the news clippings they maintained. The Education files include documentation on GLAD’s educational and outreach missions, including its Lawyer Referral Service, InfoLine (a phone based guidance and referral service), forums, and presentations. The Development files document fundraising. In addition to the records generated by GLAD, the collection includes a substantial number of newsletters, flyers, and brochures (Non-GLAD Publications) of various local and national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations (usually only a few items per organization). While not comprehensive, the non-GLAD publications provide a glimpse of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activist milieu primarily from the 1980s and 1990s.