Provenance
Scope and Content
The Gay and Lesbian Switchboard is an all-volunteer telephone service providing information, referrals and friendly listening for New York’s gay and lesbian community. In the Spring of 1971, a group of gay people, many of whom were members of the Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activists Alliance, met to determine what services were needed by the community that had emerged in the wake of the Stonewall Riots. On January 13th 1972, they began operation. In October 1977, they incorporated so they could lease an office in their own name to prevent frequent location change. In June of 1987 they officially changed their name from the Gay Switchboard to the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard. In 1996 several members left to form the Gay and Lesbian National Hotline, and in 1998 the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of New York became a program of the Gay and Lesbian National Hotline. They continue to operate in this status as of March 2005. The collection consists of organizational files from the 1970s to 1990s, including: mission statements; by-laws; organizational charts; financial records; meeting minutes and agendas (1973 – 1997); correspondences (1980s – 1990s); Switchboard newsletters (1980s – 1990s); fundraising and grant-seeking information; donor lists; volunteer lists and applications; training material and evaluations; and extensive lists of organizations and businesses used for referrals (1980s – 1990s). No names may be published unless (1) they are publicly known to be gay or lesbian, or (2) their permission has been obtained, or (3) they are deceased. Restrictions are only in regards to publication. Any researcher may view or copy any document in the collection.
