MSS 1150 AV - Stonewall Union Records

              MSS 1150 AV
Stonewall Union Records
Page 1
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Manuscripts/Audiovisual Collections
MSS 1150 AV
Stonewall Union Records
1974-2007
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Number:
MSS 1150 AV
Title:
Stonewall Union Records
Creator:
Stonewall Columbus
Dates:
1974-2007
Media:
Papers, photographs, printed materials
Quantity:
10.42 cubic feet
Location:
Ohio Historical Society
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE COLLECTION
The Stonewall Union was incorporated by local Columbus, Ohio gay activists in 1981, in response to Jerry Falwell’s attempt to establish a local Moral Majority Headquarters here. His attempt failed, but the Stonewall Union has become a major part of the Columbus gay community. The organization derives its name from the location of the notorious 1969 Stonewall Riots, the Stonewall Inn, located in Greenwich Village, New York City. The founding members established three primary goals for Stonewall Union: political lobbying and legislative reform, community building, and education.
The Stonewall Union has been integral to the success of many pro-gay rights initiatives, including Governor Richard Celeste’s 1982 executive order protecting the hiring and promotion of gays and lesbians in state jobs; the 1988 Hobson AIDS Bill; and Columbus’ 1992 city ordinance prohibiting hiring discrimination based on sexual orientation. They also publish voters’ guides focusing on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) issues, in terms of candidate endorsements as well as support for pro-gay rights ballot issues.
The other two organizational goals, community building and education, have also been a priority for the Stonewall Union. In 1982, they organized the first Columbus gay pride parade, involving over 1000 people (after expecting less than 400). They also worked as a local organizer for the 1987 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights. In addition to publishing the Lavender Listings, a compendium of gay-friendly businesses in central Ohio, the organization runs a