Center Blog

On Thursday, Oct 7, 2010, a panel gathered to honor the accomplishments of The LGBT Center’s National History Archive on its 20th anniversary. The panel included five local archivists and historians who have made significant contributions to preserve LGBT history:

George Chauncey (Moderator): Professor of History, Yale University, author of “Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940” (1994).

David Carter: Author of “Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution” (2004).

Shawnta Smith: Archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, CLAGS committee member, and a co-founder and Director of Sister Outsider, a collective to develop social justice projects in Brooklyn.

Rich Wandel: Founder of The LGBT Center’s National History Archive (1989) at the request of Richard Burns and The Center’s Board of Directors, ongoing volunteer head of the archive, and archivist for the NY Philharmonic.

Maxine Wolfe: Archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives; Professor Emeritus of Environmental Psychology at The CUNY Graduate School where she specialized in women and AIDS, and lesbian and gay issues; a coordinator of Direct Action for ACT-UP, and a co-founder of the Lesbian Avengers.

The evening started with congratulatory comments by Jimmy Van Bramer, City Council Member for District 26 in Queens. He noted that his gay history began at The Center in 1989 when came out there as a young man.

Robert Woodworth, the Director of Meeting and Conference Services for The Center then introduced George Chauncey, the moderator for the evening. During his comments, Robert noted that we have a tendency to romanticize history, but that the archives require dedication so that we can “tell our own story,” which became a theme during the evening.

“Why are you an archivist?”

Shawnta Smith was the first to respond to George Chauncey’s invitation to describe their archivist activities. She introduced the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn and described her recognition of the importance of a gay and lesbian archive. Like The Center Archive, Shawnta noted that the Herstory Archives is a completely volunteer organization.

Maxine Wolfe then continued a description of the Lesbian Herstory Archives and her initial work with Joan Nestle. Nestle told Maxine that the burgeoning Herstory Archives could be “anything you want it to be.” Maxine helped define the role of the Archives, noting that it’s important to “document our own history, rather than accept the narrow view of others. We need an accurate and complete history of ourselves. And we’re the only ones who can do it.”

Rich Wandel outlined his personal history, “After a year of planning, Vito Russo gave my name to Richard Burns, then the Director at the Center, and I started the archive.” He become an archivist at The Center and then went to college to become accredited. In addition to leading the volunteer archive at The Center for 20 years, Rich is now also the archivist for the NY Philharmonic Orchestra.

David Carter began by acknowledging two attendees: Arnie Kantrowitz, an early vice president of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), and Larry Mass, author of the first press reports on the AIDS epidemic and co-founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). David said that in 1975 he read an early book about the history of Gay rights in Europe. This happened at the beginning of Anita Bryant’s homophobic outbursts and “I realized that, like the advances and losses of Gay rights in Europe, our progress was not inevitable.”

“Why is Queer history important?”

In response to George Chauncey’s second question, “Why is Queer history important?”, Maxine Wolfe told several stories of women who have contributed to the Herstory Archives: a nun who did not want the first 50 years of her life to be lost; a young woman who wanted to know what she should call herself: butch (like her grandmother), dyke, or lesbian (like her mother); and a researcher who found a valued obituary with a single phone call to the archives.

Rich Wandel told about the personal value that The Center Archive provides. During the worst of the AIDS years, people called saying that they had materials from a dead partner, brother, or child. “We wanted their photos, diaries, and letters. The Archive proved that their lives, their stories, were worth saving.”

David Carter talked about understanding our history. With an archive, the world can take our history seriously. We can talk about our origin myth (such as Harry Hay and the Mattachine Society). We can record the successes of our movement as LGBT civil rights (with the emphasis on the words “civil rights”). And we can answer basic questions about our identities, including issues in philosophy, religion, and law.

Shawnta Smith talked about how queer history bridges time. “Information is not static, facts are changeable.” She pointed out how an archive can hold those changes in thought. Shawnta also outlined the goals of the Herstory Archives: a volunteer endeavor offering access to everyone; always located in the community to document political struggles in the community; how it can never be divided (and because it’s funded by the community, no governmental agency can ever control our history); and how it is in a home.

Maxine Wolfe continued this train of thought about the Herstory Archives with comments about the different histories that the Archives holds: “Both Communist and anti-Communist, pro-porn and anti-porn.” She said that the Archives offer a way to gauge our progress, to engage in the struggle.

Rich Wandel talked about the incomplete stories told in high school and many colleges that the archives can make whole, and the lies that the archives can repudiate. “When we tie Gay struggles to the struggles of others, it’s hard to tell the difference in our labors.”

George Chauncey talked about meeting John Boswell, the author of several books on gays in early Christian life and pre-modern gay marriages in Christian communities. By using archives and historical accounts, Boswell was able to uncover hidden histories, and to document how Christianity and marriages have changed in the past and will change again. George talked about presenting historical evidence in court cases, in 1992 when Colorado tried to eliminate Gays from political life and more recently in California with the anti-marriage Proposition 8. “Anti-Gay legislation depends on us not knowing our own history.”

“What can we do in the future?”

Shawnta Smith presented a slide show of various materials that the Lesbian Herstory Archives made available to a Black group in Queens recently. Because of the wealth of materials, the Herstory Archives can assemble slide shows depicting the special history for various different groups.

The evening ended with questions and discussion about making LGBT history available, recent gay bashings, donating materials to The Center’s LGBT Archives, and the general lack of history for minorities.

We were reminded again that we must record our own histories, no one else can be trusted to do this for us. Congratulations to The Center’s National History Archive and its 20 years of preserving our stories.

– Howard Williams

Click to view, share and download event pictures

Greetings, and welcome to our Monthly Center Families Blog!

This month, we have a Very Special Guest Blogger with us, Randi Reed! Randi is a Birth Doula in New York City and is a Center Families Partner. Randi, in collaboration with her friend and business partner Chloe Campbell, frequently present at two of our Center Families Support Groups: Planning Biological Parenthood for Women and Pregnancy Support & Networking.

Planning Biological Parenthood for Women is a group for women considering, preparing for, or currently in the process of conceiving through alternative insemination.

Pregnancy Support and Networking is a support and networking group for pregnant parents-to-be wanting to connect and share their experiences and resources with others.

On Tuesday, November 9th at 6:30pm, Center Families presents its first Pregnancy Support and Networking Night Out! Please join Center Families for an evening of supportive networking, and education for pregnant parents-to-be, surrogates, and those closest to them. Enjoy “mocktails” & “momtinis” along with music, fellowship and fun! There will be an informative presentation by our Center Families Partners Randi Reed and Chloe Campbell, who will discuss their roles as Birth Doula’s, and provide some highly requested information on topics such as breastfeeding, bonding with your newborn, self-care, and planning the birth that is right for you!

We are extremely excited to have the help, support and wealth of information that Randi and Chloe bring to the table. With that said, here is a message from Randi:
Welcoming a baby into your life is a decision in our community that takes a lot of thought and planning. One turns a corner and there might be another obstacle or challenge or an unknown fact staring at you in the face! Our LGBTQ community is not faint of heart and can rise above a challenge, but at times we need a little help, guidance, and love. Thankfully The Center has a number of great programs to help guide hopeful parents along.

That is where I come in. My name is Randi Reed and I co-founded Brown Owl Doulas with my business partner and friend Chloe Campbell. I have been in NYC for about 4 years and The Center has been with me the whole time. I have volunteered at numerous functions including Center Family picnics, Bingo Night, Lesbian Cinema Arts, Garden Party, and Woman’s Events. Needless to say I love The Center. As I started to pursue more things in life, being a doula has been a surprising passion. One year ago I started my training with DONA International which is where I met my friend and business partner Chloe Campbell. We have trained with the same instructors and found our passion and doula styles fit perfectly together. And since I work a lot with The Center, I was asked to come in and facilitate a pregnancy support meeting in June. I loved it so much I came back and Chloe and I just held our first Breast Feeding 101 workshop for the Pregnancy Support Group. There we talked about the basics of breast feeding and what a new mom should know before baby comes. We even discussed the possibility for two moms being able to breast feed which is a unique opportunity for some lesbian couples having babies in our community!
If you have never heard the word doula before you are not alone. What is a doula?
The word “doula” comes from the ancient Greek meaning “a woman who serves” and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

A Birth Doula

1. Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
2. Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
3. Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
4. Stays with the woman throughout the labor
5. Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision
6. Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers
7. Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman’s memory of the birth experience
8. Allows the woman’s partner to participate at his/her comfort level

Being a doula is such a rewarding and amazing job! We love it. And we understand what a crazy world pregnancy, birth, and postpartum can be. Myself and Chloe are very excited to speak with the community more and help you with whatever questions you have. Not only do we have knowledge about labor and birth but we also have the resources to help you achieve your desires and answer your questions about pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum and more. Did I mention I am a nanny of 4 and Chloe has a 3 year old! We are always available for your questions or concerns. You can contact us at randiandchloe@gmail.com

See you November 9th from 6:30pm-9pm!! PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!

Please contact Shanequa Anderson at 212 620 7310 ext 473 or sanderson@gaycenter.org for further information.

On Tuesday, September 28, 2010, the New York State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health and Human Services Network (the Network), the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation and the Hunter College LGBT Institute issued a report on New York’s LGBT health and human services disparities titled, A Blueprint for Meeting LGBT Health and Human Services Needs in New York State. In addition to documenting well known healthcare concerns of the LGBT communities, the report documents evidence-based approaches and recommendations that government and non-governmental agencies can implement to achieve equity in these areas for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people throughout New York State.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (the Center) has been a member of the Network since its founding in the mid-1990’s. The Network is supported and administered by the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation and consists of over fifty LGBT-specific and LGBT-supportive nonprofit groups and organizations that provide health and social services to LGBT New Yorkers and their families.

Several current and former Center staff are acknowledged as contributors for their assistance in producing the Blueprint including Terry Boggis, Carrie Davis, Jenny DeBower and Barbara Warren. The complete report may be read at Pride Agenda or at Hunter College.

For more information: The Center’s Community Services and its antecedents have provided youth, adult and family Services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities for over 23-years. Additional details can be found at the following – Youth: www.gaycenter.org/youth, Adults: www.gaycenter.org/health, and Families: www.gaycenter.org/families.

Braking the Cycle is one of the most incredible experiences a person can have. It was my first time participating in the ride. I was one of over 100 riders who cycled nearly 300 miles over 3 days. The bonds you create, the passion you share for a common cause-the end of HIV/AIDS, and love and care between riders and crew is unbelievably powerful.

The Center had a huge presence with its team called “Centerlicious”. So many riders expressed how much they enjoyed our team’s energy, and although I was technically the team’s Captain, our leader was really Board co-chair Gregg Passin who has done this ride for years raising more awareness and funds each and every time he participated. Centerlicious was the newest team, and along with the Center crew, we were able to directly speak to the other riders about our work at the Center and how much our life-saving HIV/AIDS programs help people. Team Eagle once again raised the most money for these vital services and repeatedly succeeded in bringing tons of fun and humor to the ride: the little eagle’s on their helmets, leather themed jersey’s and oasis rest stops were memorable. Team Flying Goats was very supportive on the road, and they deliberately choose a team name that would cause people to strike up a conversation so they could talk about HIV/AIDS. Team Google was so fast that I barely saw them on the road, and the ride would not be complete without team Black Watch.

Team Google’s presence was certainly felt though, as they served once again as our presenting sponsor – thank you!

At the end of three long days, we raised funds so the Center can continue to provide our life-saving services. Our work in the community includes HIV support groups, individual and group counseling, prevention education, leadership training and services to more than 1,000 youth a year in Youth Enrichment Services which incorporates HIV and STD prevention messages into everything we do. We created visibility over four states and raised awareness about this devastating disease. As the demand to continue and expand upon our services increases, the funds we raise are essential. Collectively, we have raised $318,000 on this year’s ride and these funds will go to directly serve our community! Because of the funds we raised, all of the Center’s HIV services are provided free of charge and are available to people of all income levels.

The ride drew to an end with a closing ceremony held at the Center. The event was hosted by lesbian country singer–and one of my best friends–Chely Wright who entertained the crowd with her beautiful songs and heartfelt words. Chely also pledged to ride with Team Centerlicious next year! Again, we thank our Presenting Sponsor, Google, for their continued support in the Center’s fight against HIV and AIDS. Thank you supporters at the closing ceremony, many of you came to the ceremony from the Marriage Equality Wedding March that took place earlier that day. It was a beautiful day of collective community, advocacy and activism.

I want to thank each and every rider, crew member, sponsor, supporter for strengthening our community!

Forever touched.

View, share and download pictures from Braking the Cycle!

Glennda Testone

I have been eagerly following Edward Albee’s career since I saw “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” when I was 15. I saw all his Broadway shows in the Sixties and most of his New York productions since. I also attended Mr. Albee’s appearance in the old, pre-renovation Center (at least ten years ago). On that occasion he was surprisingly accessible and that was my overwhelming impression this year as well.

Once ensconced in a chair on stage there was nothing old about this legendary curmudgeon. He was polished, articulate and friendly. Most of his hour plus talk centered on his writing process. He did not discuss any of his 30 plays in depth. He almost never named any other individuals with two exceptions. The late director, Alan Schneider, was praised as was the performance of Mercedes Ruehl as Louise Nevelson in “Occupant”. Mr. Albee apparently gives praise grudgingly and shares credit not at all.

There are very few heroes of mine about whom I am more conflicted. Many of his plays are wonderful works of art, ‘Virginia Woolf’ is an American classic but there is something intimidating about Mr. Albee. While I would kill to have dinner with Stephen Sondheim or Terrence McNally or Lanford Wilson or Harvey Fierstein, Mr. Albee seems more rigid. He is so sure of himself that you feel there is no room for an alternate opinion.

He is especially sensitive to gay questions. At the Center he tried to draw a distinction between “gay writers” and “writers who are gay”. He said he was a “writer who is gay” not a gay writer because he didn’t deal with gay material. I feel this is a distinction without a difference. If you are a writer, and if you are gay, you are a gay writer AND a writer who is gay (by definition). Sometimes gay writers write about gay life and sometimes they don’t. The same for writers who are gay. Mr. Albee is “a writer who is gay” who almost never writes about gay life.

When a member of the audience mentioned how he found the characters in “The Zoo Story” to be cruisy”. Mr Albee said “Oh, there was a lot of cruising in those days”. Then he added “I don’t think either of those characters are gay.” He certainly is entitled to his opinion (after all, he created them), however, it is not a stretch to feel there is a gay subtext to the two characters in that play. Not to Mr. Albee, however.

There is no question that Edward Albee is in the first rank of American playwrights. But you would be hard pressed to call him a gay playwright.

by Tony Marzani

Below is a slideshow from the event.