Equality Virginia records, 1972-2008 M 399
A Collection in Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Collection number M 399
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VCU James Branch Cabell Library
Special Collections and Archives 901 Park AvenueRichmond, Virginia 23284
Business Number: (804) 828-1108
libjbcsca@vcu.edu
URL: https://www.library.vcu.edu/research-teaching/special-collections-and-archives/locations/#cabell
Jonathan Faulconer
Administrative Information
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Gay activists -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Gay rights -- Virginia -- Richmond
Container List
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1
Annual board of directors retreat2002-2003
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 2-3
Articles of incorporation, bylaws, and organizational materials1988-2007
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 4-5 Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 1-3
Board meeting minutes and reports1988-2004
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 4
Board resource guide2008
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5
Community action teams concept paper and three-year plan2004
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 6
Correspondence, board of directors1991-1992, 2001-2003
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 7
Correspondence, response to Roanoke Times Living Gay series2001
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 8 Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 1-5
Correspondence, Virginia Housing Development Authority's family policy2003
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1
Correspondence, Virginia Tech's removal of sexual orientation from anti-discrimination policy2003
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 2
Education Fund Report1989-2002
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 3
Education Fund, PAC board meeting reports2006-2007
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 4
Executive director, legislative, and manager reports1996-2004
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 5
Financial report2004
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 6
Founding material1987-1989
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 7
Funders of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Programs directory1993
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 8
Internal committee materials1993-1994
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 9
Model release forms2007
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 10
Newsletters1989-1990, 2003
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 11
Pledge packet, general information2006
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 12
Strategic planning1990-2003
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 13
Tax Forms2002
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 1
The State of Violence in LGBTQ Communities report2008
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 2-4
The Voice newsletter1990-2001
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 5
Website hardcopy printouts2008
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 6
20 OUTstanding Virginians videoundated
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 7
Action Alerts2003
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 8
Anti-Hate Crimes and Anti-Violence resources2001-2007
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 9
Christian Right articlescirca 1987, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 10
Church Materials and Faith-based materials2007
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 1
Commonwealth Dinner videos2005-2006
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 2
Directory of Virginia Service Organizations for Gays and Lesbians1990-1992
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 3
Equal Rights for Gays and Lesbians audio cassette2004
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 4
Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Human Genome Research program announcement1993
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 5
Fairfax Alliance for Citizen Equality information packet1998
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 6
Fighting for Safe Schools in Virginia transparenciescirca 2005
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 7
Fundraising and Event information1994-1999
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 8
Hate Crimes Task Force program proposals and updates1996
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 9
Homosexuality Issues Packet by Concerned Women for America of Virginia2005
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 10
LGBT Contacts in Southern Virginiaundated
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 11
LGBTQ Capital Gains and Losses report1997
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 12
Logo and Grapics discs2005-2007, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 13
Major Donor Planned Giving filesundated
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 14
Mothers and Others of Virginia promotional information2007
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 15
National Center for Lesbian Rights publications and materials2008
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 16
Network Statewide Conference on LGBT Issues1992-1999
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 17
Organizations' newsletter, pamphlets, and information2001-2003
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 1
OutReach to Virginia Public Officials newsletters1991-1992
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 2
Podcasts Julian Bond and Chuck Robb discundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 3
Pride Festivals and Summits2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 4-5
Programs, flyers, advertisements, and bumper sticker1988-2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 6
Rally photographs disc2006
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 7
Safe Harbor Domestic Violence Materials2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 8
Same-sex marriage articles1995
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 9
Women's Voices Forum information packets2001-2006
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 10
WRIR announcements and programs discs2005-2006, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 11
Virginia Currents McDonnell Interview videoundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 12
Vote No on 1 campaign discsundated
- Mixed Materials Two banners
Vote No on 1 campaign bannersundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 13
Albemarle county schools district wide harrassment policies2003
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 14
America Votes2008
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 15
American Bar Association draft policy on sexual orientation and adoption1998
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 16
Anti-Gay Virginia laws, activism, and call to arms1992-2001
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 17
Atlas Project Strategic Roadmap Virginia2008
- Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 1
Authority of Arlington County to Prohibit Discrimination on Basis of Sexual Orientation1992
- Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 2
Criminal penalties2000-2001
- Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 3
Challenging the Christian Right, The Activist's Handbook1993
- Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 4
Christian Coalition Leadership manual1990
- Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 5
Commonwealth Coalition Marriage campaign2006
- Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 6
Democratic Party of Virginia Election Readiness report2008
- Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 7-8 Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 1-2
Final Report on Virginia General Assembly and supporting documents1993-1994
- Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 3
Health, Disease Prevention and Control, Crimes Against the Person bills1993
- Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 4-5
Human Rights Campaign's Civil Marriage briefing binder2003
- Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 6
Legislative Packet for Virginia General Assembly2001
- Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 7 Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 1
Legislative Report for Virginia General Assembly2001
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 2
Legislative Strategies, Campaign to Preserve Family Life Education1996-1997
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 3
Letters to legislators, corporations, and candidates1991-2005, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 4
Letters to senators from General Assembly members concerning marriage2003
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 5
Lobby Day materials1990, 1997, 2006
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 6
Minnesota Supreme Court, Goins v. West Group, Rhode Island General Assembly act2001
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 7
National State PAC Training packet2007
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 8
Rasmussen Poll2000-2001
- Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 9-10
Sharon Bottoms Case1993-1995
- Mixed Materials box: 11 folder: 1
Sodomy law talking pointsundated
- Mixed Materials box: 11 folder: 2
Summary of Hate Crimes1994-1997
- Mixed Materials box: 11 folder: 3-4
Unconstitutional Alcoholic Beverage Control laws and lawsuits1972-1992
- Mixed Materials box: 11 folder: 5
Virginia Candidate Information1993-1994
- Mixed Materials box: 11 folder: 6-7 Mixed Materials box: 12 folder: 1-3
Virginia Candidate Questionnaire1991-2001
- Mixed Materials box: 12 folder: 4
Virginia General Assembly bills1995-2006
- Mixed Materials box: 12 folder: 5 Mixed Materials box: 13 folder: 1-2
Virginia General Assembly session reports1989-1990, 1998
- Mixed Materials box: 13 folder: 3
Virginia Housing Development Authority1990-2000
- Mixed Materials box: 13 folder: 4
Virginia Issues and Answers interview on anti-family legislation video cassette2006
- Mixed Materials box: 13 folder: 5
Warner transition team briefingundated
- Mixed Materials box: 13 folder: 6
AIDS newspaper articles1988-1996
- Mixed Materials box: 13 folder: 7
Gay families newspaper articles2002-2006
- Mixed Materials box: 14 folder: 1
Gay marriages newspaper articles1995-1996
- Mixed Materials box: 14 folder: 2
Gay political issues newspaper articles1988-1996
- Mixed Materials box: 14 folder: 3
Gays in the military, religion, and legal issues newspaper articles1992-1996
- Mixed Materials box: 14 folder: 4
Hate crimes against gays and lesbians newspaper articles1988-1996
- Mixed Materials box: 14 folder: 5
Newspaper and press clippings2006
- Mixed Materials box: 14 folder: 6
Presidential candidates views on gays newspaper articles1996
- Mixed Materials box: 14 folder: 5
Virginia Housing Development Authority family law newspaper articles1996