The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was a lesbian organization founded in 1955 in San Francisco by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon for the purpose of self-knowledge and self-acceptance, public education, involvement in research, and lobbying to change the laws criminalizing homosexuality. Starting primarily as a private social group for lesbians focused on the integration of the lesbian into mainstream society, the aims of the group shifted during the 1960s due to the changing political, social and economic conditions of the decade. The DOB took up political activism to lobby for the rights of lesbians, promoting individualism with a decreased emphasis on societal conformity. During the 1960s many regional chapters were chartered around the country and globally, continuing the organization even after the closing of the San Francisco national office in 1978.

The Boston chapter was founded in 1969 during a period when many homophile organizations were forming in Boston. Early leaders of the Boston DOB included Lois Johnson, Shari Barden, and Laura Robin/McMurry, who were prominent promoters of the group and its activities. Early on in the history of the Boston DOB, debate occurred over the group’s overall purpose, with an outcome emphasizing the original DOB mission of personal and social support for lesbians, education of the public on lesbianism, and the lobbying for the reform of laws limiting the civil and human rights of lesbians. Many younger, politically active feminist lesbians thought of the organization as old-fashioned and left to create new groups or join other, more radically activist, homophile organizations. The Boston DOB became the longest running chapter of the DOB, maintaining an office in Cambridge until the early 2000s, with 30 years of documented history present in this archive.

The Daughters of Bilitis collection consists of three archival boxes (1.5 linear feet). Box 1 contains a series of folders centered on the activities, organizational structure, and publications of the Boston chapter with some national publications, including the DOB journal, The Ladder. This collection also contains limited information about other activities of non-DOB homophile or feminist groups in the Boston area. The majority of the materials present date between 1965 and 1999, and include original documents as well as photocopies of newspaper and journal articles, event flyers, calendars, and correspondence. Boxes 2 and 3 contain the Boston DOB newsletter, originally entitled Maiden Voyage until 1971, when it was renamed FOCUS. The publication collection is arranged chronologically, beginning December 1969 and ending October 1983, with multiple issues filed together.

Published sporadically from 1971 to 1987, Fag Rag was a leading venue for discussions (and oftentimes explicit depictions) of gay male sexuality, gay liberation politics, literature, and history. 

The History Project holds a completely run of Gay Community News (1973-1999), as well as the extensive Gay Community News photograph collection, which includes photographs divided into several large categories: People, Organizations, and Demonstrations.

When Gay Community News began in 1973, it was as a fairly simple local newsletter featuring a calendar of events for the gay community in Boston and New England. In the first issue of the Gay Community Newsletter, as it was initially and very briefly called, the editors and collective members wrote about the need for a publication of this sort: "There has been a long-standing need in the Boston gay community for improved communication between the various gay organizations and the gay individual. The lack of coverage in the "straight" press has added to this problem of getting necessary information to our community. Gay groups have attempted to overcome this problem by newsletters to their members, but this has lead to duplication of efforts, with vast portions of the community left uninformed about events until after they have passed. The Gay Community Newsletter is meant as a means to solve this problem. The purpose will be to list all of the events and information of interest to the gay community in one publication. This will not be a literary publication. We are fortunate to have several already serving the community. We feel weekly publication will be necessary to fill this need for quick current information."

By the second issue of Gay Community News, just a week later, the editors had changed their tone and had this to say: "This will be the last issue of GCN that will have the appearance of a PTA bulletin. To give you a more concise professional paper, next week we will be switching to offset printing. The paper will be then printed on regular newsprint, with our manpower needs reduced ... We are trying to give you the best paper possible, but your interest and support alone will determine how well we can do this."

The news coverage in Gay Community News quickly expanded, then, and in a few short years, it was a national publication in both scope and readership. During a critical period in the lesbian and gay rights movement, GCN was a nationally respected, and oftentimes controversial, source of information about the community and a catalyst for political debate.

Laura McMurry was born in Troy, New York, and grew up in Oklahoma and Idaho, before receiving her undergraduate degree at Reed College in Oregon. She moved to Boston in the mid-sixties to join Harvard’s graduate program in biology, receiving her degree in 1971. In 1969, McMurry became involved with the newly-formed Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis. McMurry was active in the Daughters of Bilitis from 1971-1975, at one time serving as secretary.

Through the Daughters of Bilitis, McMurry also became involved in political action, including protesting anti-sodomy legislation. In the 1970s McMurry became involved in many Boston gay and lesbian organizations such as the Gay Speakers Bureau and the Gay Community News.

The collection consists of one box of loose papers, newspaper and journal publications, and typescript and carbon copies of correspondence. The bulk of the material dates from 1972-
1975.

David Peterson (B: September 1, 1943; D: November 3, 2011) came from a conservative family in Indiana. In 1965 Peterson came to the Boston area to attend MIT. One of the first organizations he became involved with was the Homophile Union of Boston (HUB). It was in those years he became friends with Laura McMurry (Daughters of Bilitis). In 1972 Peterson, along with McMurry and Harry Phillips started Boston’s Gay Speakers Bureau (now known as Speakout Boston). In 1973 Peterson along with Charlie Shively and John Mitzel founded the Gay Community News. In 1974, Peterson founded Gayline Greetings with friends, Mary Leno and Maggie Krebs. It was one of the first companies to produce and market non-sexist gay/lesbian oriented greeting cards. In 1979 Peterson started Iris Cards and Stamps which continued to carry the Gayline greetings as well as developing the world’s largest selection of lesbian and gay oriented art rubber stamps.

David Peterson due to his conservative background collected a lot of right-wing material on homosexuality, including a rather extensive collection of materials on the Ted Haggard / Michael Jones scandal, in which he befriended Michael Jones and spent years corresponding with him.

The collection consists of 10 boxes that have been arranged topically based on David Peterson’s organization and is divided into nine distinct series. The Peterson collection contains a variety of printed media including newspaper articles, (original and photocopied,) business receipts, correspondence, and photographs.

This collection was originally titled the John Quinn AIDS Memorial Books, by the compiler Robert John Quinn. As The History Project began digitizing the obituaries, we realized John Quinn's methodology in collecting the obituaries was unknown, nor could it be verified. We have tried several times to locate John Quinn, but have been unsuccessful in our efforts. 

Many of the obituaries and memorials in this collection of scrapbooks specify that individuals died of AIDS or AIDS-related illnesses. However, there are obituaries included in these scrapbooks for victims of hate crimes, of individuals who died of other illnesses or accidents, and some obituaries where the cause of death is not included. Sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV/AIDS status, if not clearly stated, should not be assumed or implied of anyone in this collection. 

In order to maintain this collection in its entirety as John Quinn had intended, and to honor all of the individuals included, we have changed the name to the John Quinn's Memorial Books. 

If for any reason you find an obituary that you wish to have removed from this digital collection, please contact The History Project at info@historyproject.org with the person's name and reason for removal. 

The digitization and preservation of John Quinn's Memorial Books was made possible, in part, by a grant from Mass Humanities.

The collection chronicles the lives of Albert Wakefield and Marshall Belmaine from the 1950s to the 1990s. There is military information about the service records of both men. Al Wakefield served in Vietnam and was decorated for service. Military materials span from the late 1950’s to the 1990’s. Some examples of art by Al are included in the collection. There are hardcopies and electronic records of letters and files pertaining to their lives. An art album containing examples of drawings by Al Wakefield of military service in Vietname is included in the collection. A button collection of buttons depicting the Motorcycle Club, the Vikings, is included in the collection.

Both Albert Wakefield and Marshall Belmaine, gay partners, were active in the gay scene in Boston in the 1970’s through the 1990’s. They formed gay men’s organizations, such as the Homophile Union, Papa Gayos, and “The Gay Co-op.” and motorcycle/leather clubs for gay men called the Vikings. Al Wakefield entered a program for PTSD sufferers around 1994. He worked as a janitor in an elementary school and left that job to enter a PTSD program. Marshall Belmaine served in Vietnam in the Marines, and Al Wakefield served in the Army, also in Vietnam. Marshall was injured in Vietnam in the Quang Tri Republic in Spring of 1967. One or both men are believed to now reside in Florida.