FBI: Files on Surveillance of Homosexual Groups, 1953-1970s

Copies in the Collection of the National Museum Of LGBT History at the LGBT Community Center, New York, NY.

As listed by the National Museum:

48. FBI FILES

Archive Number: 48

Date: 1953 to 1970s

Size: 2 ½ feet

FBI Files: 1953 to 1970

Provenance

This collection was donated by Martin Duberman. It came to us in 3 small boxes and 1 large box for a total of 2' 3".

On speaking to Mr. Duberman on May 7, 1996 he told me the reason he was able to get his hands on this material. It seems that a Mr. Duncan Osborne , a writer for the Gay Press notified Mr. Duberman that he had sued the Government to obtain the rights to the files. The files had been released. Initially one person must sue the government to get the papers released. Mr. Duberman then paid $500- 600 dollars to get them copied and sent to him.

The first two boxes are arranged in groups of papers fixed together with metal fasteners, while the third box is all in folders. This box came to the Archive in loose form with each group / organization separated by a slip of paper marked with the organizations name.

Scope and Content

The general scope and content of this collection is extensive copies of papers collected on or about the various Mattachine Society, Gay Liberation Front, the North American Conference of Homophile Organizations, the National Planing Conference of Homophile Organizational the Western Conference of Homophile Organizations and their activities over the years 1953 - 1970's. The F.B.I. and The Justice Department kept track of members and events that they attended over this period of time. The records have been censored, sometimes in their entirety. A large amount of the information has been censored with a black marker.

The information on the particular organizations is at times wildly inaccurate. The collection, therefore, says more about the FBI than it does about the gay movement.

History

The Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of The Department of Justice followed what the government considered suberversive groups in the early 50's, 60's, and 70's. This is a collection of information they collected on front runner gay/homosexual groups of that time.

Folder List

1. Mattachine Society Los Angeles [California] 100 - 45888 Section 1 (2 3/4")

2. Mattachine Society Washington [DC] Field Office 100 - 33796 Section 2 (1 3/4")

3. Mattachine Society HQ 100 - 403320 Section 5 (2")

4. Mattachine Society New York [City] 100 - 132065 (1 3/4")

5. Mattachine Society Review Newsletter (2 1/4")

6. Mattachine Society HQ 100 - 403320 Section 1 (1 1/4")

7. Mattachine Society HQ 100 - 403320 Section 2 (1 1/4")

8. Mattachine Society HQ 100 - 40320 Section 3 (2")

Box #2

9. Demonstration by GLF at Albany, N.Y. March 14, 1971. (1 3/4")

10. Gay Liberation Front Los Angeles [California] 100 - 76507 Section 2 (1 3/4")

11. Gay Liberation Front Cleveland 100 - 32540 Section 2 (1 3/4")

12. Domestic Intelligence Division 100 - 469170 (1 3/4")

13. Gay Liberation Front Newark [New Jersey] 100 - 55060 (1 1/4")

14. Gay Liberation Front Ohio State [Columbus, Ohio] Lantern 100 - 469170 (1 1/2")

15. Mattachine Society HQ 100 - 403320 Section 7 (2")

16. Gay Liberation Front San Francisco [California] 100 - 65673 (1")

17. Gay Liberation Front Chicago [Illinois] 100 - 49116 (2")

18. Gay Liberation Front New York [City] 100 - 167120 Section 1 (1 1/4")

19. Gay Liberation Front New York [City] 100 - 167120 Section 2 (1 3/4")

Box #3

20. [Correspondence from The United States Department of Justice]

21. Institute of Social Ethics [Foster Gunnison]

22. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Unity Committee, National Legal Defence Fund

23. National Coalition of Gay Organizations, North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Project Possibilities

24. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Clearinghouse, Agenda items, Projects, etc.

25. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Credentials Committee

26. National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations - North American Conference of Homophile Organizations

27. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Western Conference of Homophile Organizations

28. National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations - Credentials Committee - 1967, North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Credentials Committee, 1968

29. National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations - 1966, San Francisco, National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations - North American Conference of Homophile Organizations

30. National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations - North American Conference of Homophile Organizations

31. National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations - 1967, Washington

32. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Religious Committee

33. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Credentials Committee 1969 / 70

34. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - Radicalization

35. North American Conference of Homophile Organizations - 1970 Convention, San Francisco

See also:

F.B.I. and Homosexuality: A History MAIN PAGE

F.B.I. and Homosexuality: Bibliography

F.B.I. and Homosexuality: Chronology, Part 1

F.B.I. and Homosexuality: Chronology, Part 2

F.B.I. and Homosexuality: Chronology, Part 3

F.B.I. and Homosexuality: Persons and Groups Investigated