TABLE OF CONTENTS


Summary

SHORT HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Restrictions

SEARCHING IN OUR ON-LINE CATALOGUE FOR RELATED MATERIALS

Administrative Information

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Committee on the Civil Rights of Homosexuals 1975-1987


Haverford College Quaker Collection

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College


Glossary

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PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. COMMITTEE ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF HOMOSEXUALS.

A Finding Aid for its Meeting Records Deposited in Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College



Summary

Creator: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Committee the Civil Rights of Homosexuals.
Title Records
Dates: 1975-1987
Abstract: In 1972, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting appointed a Committee on Homosexuality under the Meeting for Social Concerns to work for the assurance of civil rights for homosexuals. In December of 1975, after the Meeting for Social Concerns was laid down and Yearly Meeting restructured, it was decided that there should be a subcommittee of the Family Relations Committee on homosexuality and a Committee for the Civil Rights of Homosexuals under the Testimonies/Concerns section of Yearly Meeting; the two groups met jointly. In 1987, the Committee on Civil Rights for Homosexuals decided to lay itself down; the Subcommittee on Homosexuality continued as part of the Family Relations Committee. Includes records of the Committee on Civil Rights for Homosexuals, 1975-1987.
Quantity: 1 box
Repositories: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Location: For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Libraries' online catalog: http://tripod.brynmawr.edu

SHORT HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE

In 1972, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting appointed a Committee on Homosexuality under the Meeting for Social Concerns to work for the assurance of civil rights for homosexuals. A year later, the Yearly Meeting went on record as opposing discrimination based on sexual orientation, viz. "We should all be aware that there is a great diversity in the relationships that people develop with on another. Although we neither approve or disapprove of homosexuality, the same standards under the law whach are applied to heterosexual activities should also be applied to homosexual activities. In December of 1975, after the Meeting for Social Concerns was laid down and Yearly Meeting restructured, it was decided that there should be a subcommittee of the Family Relations Committee on homosexuality and a Committee for the Civil Rights of Homosexuals under the Testimonies/Concerns section of Yearly Meeting; the two groups met jointly. In 1987, the PYM Committee on Civil Rights for Homosexuals decided to lay itself down; the Subcommittee on Homosexuality continued as part of the Family Relations Committee.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Records of the Committee on Civil Rights for Homosexuals, 1975-1987. Includes minutes, Clerk's correspondence, and miscellaneous records.

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Restrictions

Access

The minutes of the Committee are open for research. The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Records Committee restricts access to certain materials with implications for personal privacy. Clerk's correspondence, as indicated in the finding aid, has restricted use until 2050. Details available in repository.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to the Repositories. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the individual Meeting or its successor. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Repositories as the holder(s) of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

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SEARCHING IN OUR ON-LINE CATALOGUE FOR RELATED MATERIALS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in TRIPOD, the joint on-line catalog of Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Subjects:

Homosexuality -- Law and legislation.
Sex -- Religious aspects -- Society of Friends.
Church and social problems -- Society of Friends.
Gay rights.
Human rights.
Sexual orientation.
Society of Friends -- Pennsylvania.
Society of Friends -- New Jersey.
Society of Friends -- Delaware.
Society of Friends -- Maryland.

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Administrative Information

Accession information

Deposit

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: These records may only be consulted at Swarthmore (SW), and are not available through inter-Library loan. To request materials on-site, please make sure to use the correct call numbers for the Library in which you wish to use the records:

Committee on the Civil Rights of Homosexuals, 1975-1987

Name: Minutes, 1975-1987
Affiliation: U
Size: 2 folders
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
SW: No film
HV: No Film
Minutes, 1975-1981; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
Minutes, 1982-1987; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.

Name: Clerks' correspondence, 1977-1987
Affiliation: U
Size: 7 folders
Restricted.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
SW: No film
HV: No Film
Support of the application of Metropolitan Community Churches to National Council of Churches, 1982-1983; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
FCNL, 1983; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
Letters from Gay Prisoners, 1984-1986; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
Correspondence about marriage at Westtown Monthly Meeting, 1984-1985; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
Herb Lape, 1984-1985; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
Minute on Same-Sex Marriage, 1985; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1977, 1982-1987; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.

Name: Miscellaneous Records, 1973-1987
Affiliation: U
Size: 3 folders
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
SW: No film
HV: No Film
Family Relations Committee, 1984-1987; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
CC-2 Minutes and manual, 1985-1986; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.
Miscellaneous, 1973-1986; Desc.: 1 folder; Affil.: U; Repos.: SW; Loc.: RG2/Phy/725.

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