Lesbians, Bisexuals and Gays at Teachers College, Columbia University
Provenance
These are the records of Bruce Ballard and other members of the members of Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Gays at Teachers College, Columbia University. There are reports and articles by some outside groups who were involved in rights for LGBT students.
Scope and Content
Records of the graduate student group “Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Gays at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY.” The group was active with social events, meetings, and confronting the Administration. Advertisements for meetings and correspondence with administration and others is the main content. Very few minutes or Agenda of meetings were kept and these were not in any order. The group keep a record of harassment, especially to the defaced announcements placed on bulletin boards.
History or Bio
LGTC (name later changed to LBGTC) was formed on November 13, 1985. The founding President was Bruce Ballard, a doctoral candidate in Applied Linguistics.
The goals were to promote lesbians and gay men as professional, respectable, and credible, provide Teachers College and Morningside Heights a resource for education and information, make salient the importance of gay and lesbian issues, promote supportive environment, and sponsor social events.
The events included monthly cocktail parties, coffee houses and open mike talent shows, guest speakers and lecture series, AIDS awareness activities, coming out parties, pot luck dinners, clothing drives, New York’s first Lesbian and Gay Prom in the TC gym with the crowing of a Prom King (a woman) and the Prom Queen (a man).
They were able to have the college include sexual orientation in its statement of non-discrimination. The first gay couple moved into a married-student dorm. They had a bulletin board in the Main Hall. The Columbia University newspaper “Spectator” included articles and apologized for a homophobic slur.
(The written History is contained in documents dated October 3, 1990 and Spring 1991.)
Folder List
Box 1
1. ACLU, Campus Anti Gay Policy, 1991
2. Advertising 1989-1991 (many flyers do not have a year)
3. Articles
4. Ballard, Bruce Interview, 1992
5. Correspondence, 1985
6. Correspondence, 1986
7. Correspondence, 1987
8. Correspondence, 1988
9. Correspondence, 1989
10. Correspondence, 1990
11. Correspondence, 1991
12. Correspondence, 1992
13. Correspondence, 1993
14. Correspondence, 1994
15. Examples of Harassment and Reports of Harassment
16. Gay & Lesbian Corporate Agenda (Conference) 1991
17. “History of and Handbook for LBGTC, A,” 1990, 1991
18. “Lesbian and Gay Pedagogy” 1992
Box 2
19. Membership List (very limited 1990 & 1992)
20. Minutes and Agenda (very few)
21. Newsletter – “TC This Month”
22. NGLTF “Campus Domestic Partner Benefits”
23. Photographs 4×6 and 5×7 of drag parties and Gay Price March (persons in photos are not usually identified).
24. Speakers Bureau Manual
25. Report Rutgers Committee for Lesbian and Gay Concerns, 1989
26. “Teaching About Sexual Orientation and Gay/Lesbian Rights” 1989