Hello all––
Thank you for your interest in my interests (lol)––I’m looking forward to sharing some of the remarkable artifacts I come across in the coming weeks. Right now, my goal is to have a newsletter like this every other week, with five artifacts per newsletter. If I have thoughts, I might write them, but for the most part, this is just a way to share what I’m finding and what I think y’all might find interesting! Most of these items will be based in San Francisco / the Bay Area, although there might occasionally be a national artifact. Regardless, I believe that queer + trans people, movements, and organizing reverberate outwards, mattering not just locally, but beyond.
If you’d like to engage (and I’d love if you did) feel free to comment in the comments section, or email me back at kamagord@ucsc.edu.
With love and solidarity,
Kaiya
The artifacts:
Pamphlet for “Lesbian Masquerade”, a talk by Allan Bérubé (a DIY historian in SF). You can also read the full talk, converted into an essay, here. This pamphlet was collected by Lou Sullivan, who helped found the archives I am researching in, and who is a pivotal trans figure in the Bay.
Image description: a pamphlet for a talk called “Lesbian Masquerade.” At the top of the pamphlet is the title, in all-caps and bolded, and underneath is an illustration of someone with short hair, wearing a hat, suit, and tie. Underneath the illustration is text which says “some lesbians in early San Francisco who passed as men” and “a talk with slides by Allan Bérubé.” On the second page of the pamphlet, there is text which reads: “8:00 PM Thursday, June 21, 1979”, “Women’s Building, 3543 18th Street, San Francisco”, “$2 Donation $2", “! All are welcome !”, “A benefit for the S.F. Gay History Project”, and “Wheelchair accessible, Free child care: 4317184, Signed for the hearing impaired”. Between each clause (indicated above by the use of closed quotations) is a horizontal black line.
Many of Vanguard’s zines, downloadable here. Vanguard was a radical, gay organization in San Francisco from 1965-67. Their zines cover gay rights, trans experiences, policing and abolition, manifestos, and more. Vanguard is most famous for their street sweep action and their involvement in the 1966 Comptons Cafeteria Riot. The video below is a screening of Screaming Queens + a panel presented by the GLBT Historical Society and the Tenderloin Museum (note: though I have watched Screaming Queens, I have not watched the panel in the video).
A photograph by Elaine Gay Jarvis of a winner from the “Gay Freedom Day Parade,” 1978. You can find more pictures from this parade here.
Image description: a black and white photograph of a Black drag performer in costume, holding a trophy. The photograph looks like it has been taken along Market Street in San Francisco. The drag performer is framed by a large headpiece, which is shaped in a star and covered in flowers. They are wearing a long cape, dress, and strappy shoes. It is difficult to make out the colors or details of the costume because of the quality of the image, and because the figure, who is in the foreground, is backlit. In the background are spectators, with one person turning to view the performer.
“Transsexual Basics,” a pamphlet (no date). Note: this pamphlet encourages medical intervention, and states that “your goal is to blend in with the rest of society.” In other words, it’s really assimilationist, and while assimilation may provide safety to some, it’s clear that not all trans folks are able to go stealth, because assimilation depends on whiteness, class, ability, and euro-centric beauty standards. As history shows us, assimilation will not lead to revolution or liberation––it will only reify white supremacy and all of its devious tendrils. With that said, read at your own discretion.
I’m not providing an image description for this pamphlet, because it is overwhelmingly text-based. You can find the pdf, which is screen-readable, here. If you’d like image descriptions for the four illustrations on the pamphlet, reach out and I am happy to provide them.
An advertisement from an issue of Bay Area Reporter, 1987:
Image description: an advertisement for “Gayline, the telephone bulletin board for Gay Men.” In the center of the ad is an image of a (presumably) gay white man holding up a phone to their ear, leaning on their elbow, and smiling at the camera. Their shirt is unbuttoned, and you can see their chest hair. To the left of the image is text, which says: “Make a new friend, find an apartment or roommate, meet a new buddy” and “For $2.00 any adult gay man can leave his message and review the items on this constantly changing bulletin board.” On top of the image is text which reads: A 24-hour phone service connecting you to gay guys throughout the Bay Area.” Underneath the image is the number for the service: 415 976-7744. Under that, there is text which reads: $2. plus toll, if any.”