Bruce Mirken Journalism Research Files, 1973-2006GLC 95
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8154m7n No online items Bruce Mirken Journalism Research Files, 1973-2006GLC 95 Finding aid prepared by Tim Wilson James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library 100 Larkin Street San Francisco, CA, 94102 (415) 557-4400 [email protected] 2014 Bruce Mirken Journalism GLC 95 1 Research Files, 1973-2006GLC 95 Title: Bruce Mirken Journalism Research Files, Date (inclusive): 1973-2006, undated Date (bulk): 1991-2001 Collection Identifier: GLC 95 Creator: Mirken, Bruce, 1956- Physical Description: 20.0 boxes(18.5 cubic feet) Contributing Institution: James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library 100 Larkin Street San Francisco, CA, 94102 (415) 557-4400 [email protected] Abstract: Bruce Mirken is a San Francisco-based journalist, advocate, and public relations officer. His journalism research files and audiotapes cover many issues of concern to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Some of his major story subjects include AIDS and HIV care and research, AIDS drugs and pharmaceutical companies, AIDS dissidents or denialists, AIDS activism, Coors Beer and the Coors boycott, the Boy Scouts of America, institutionalized youth, the San Francisco Department of Public Health and its budget, and the San Francisco Police Department. Physical Location: The collection is stored offsite. Language of Materials: Collection materials are in English. Access The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Collection is stored offsite and should be requested 48 hours in advance. Microcassette tapes and audiotapes require transfer to digital listening copies. Duplicate copies will be made on an as-needed basis and require advance notice. Publication Rights Bruce Mirken retains copyright until his death at which time copyright transfers to the San Francisco Public Library. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Bruce Mirken Journalism Research Files (GLC 95), Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library. Provenance The collection was donated in three accessions: 11 cartons in 2001; 2 cartons in 2002 with Coors Brewing Company research and articles; and 13 cartons in 2008. Related materials Researchers are encouraged to see also: the Bruce Mirken Papers (Coll2013.094), ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. Biographical note Bruce Mirken is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, advocate, and public relations officer. Born in Los Angeles, California, on May 13, 1956, Mirken lived in and around Los Angeles until 1993 when he moved to San Francisco. He has remained in San Francisco ever since, except for a short period of time in Washington, D.C. Circa 1989-1990 Mirken was a founding board member of the Los Angeles Chapter of GLAAD [Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation], which at the time was a loose federation of local chapters. He was on the board for about a year but stepped down due to outside commitments. He was connected with ACT-UP in Los Angeles, and, later, ACT-UP Golden Gate/Survive AIDS in San Francisco. Mirken has written extensively on health, particularly HIV/AIDS, and gay and lesbian issues. His news, feature and investigative stories have appeared in a variety of magazines and newspapers, including Men's Health, California Hospitals, Clinical Highlights Reporter, BETA, POZ, AIDS Treatment News, the San Francisco Examiner, The Advocate, East Bay Express, Boston Phoenix, Los Angeles Reader, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Parent.TEEN and Baltimore City Paper. His op/ed columns have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Miami Herald, Detroit Free Press, Baltimore Sun and dozens of other newspapers across the United States. His reporting on the AIDS denialist movement is highly regarded. He is the winner of many awards for journalistic excellence. He is the winner of two Gay and Lesbian Press Association Outstanding Achievement Awards and nine Vice Versa Awards for Excellence in the Gay and Lesbian Press. Mirken's articles have been reprinted in a variety of anthologies. Scope and Contents Bruce Mirken Journalism GLC 95 2 Research Files, 1973-2006GLC 95 Mirken's journalism research files and audiotapes cover many issues of concern to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Some of the major story subjects include AIDS and HIV care and research, AIDS drugs and pharmaceutical companies, AIDS dissidents or denialists, AIDS activism, Coors Beer and the Coors boycott, the Boy Scouts of America, institutionalized youth, the San Francisco Department of Public Health and its budget, and the San Francisco Police Department. Arrangement The collection is arranged into two series: Series 1. Journalism Research Files; and, Series 2. Audiotapes and Microcassette Tapes. Subjects and Indexing Terms Mirken, Bruce, 1956- .--Archives AIDS (Disease)--Press coverage. Gay journalists--California Series 1 Journalism Research Files, 1973-2006, undated Physical Description: 18.0 cartons(18 cubic feet) Scope and Contents The series contains the interview notes, audiotapes, collected research, correspondence, email messages, and, often, drafts or published copies of Mirken's articles. The subjects include many issues of importance to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Two areas of research make up the bulk of the collection: AIDS and HIV-related subjects, and, the Coors Brewing Company. Some of the other major story subjects include gay teens, institutionalized youth, same-sex marriage and the Knight Initiative, the Boy Scouts of America, Dr. Laura Schlesinger, digital queers, GLAAD, Tom Ammiano, elections, gender roles, gender reassignment, the Castro, the Castro Street Fair, and the San Francisco Police Department. The AIDS and HIV files contain material on care, treatment, conferences, drugs, funding, activism, and legal aspects. While most of these files are gathered together under the heading "AIDS," many related files appear under their own heading. For example, drug files appear under the name of the drug itself. LIkewise, several folders contain material on the San Francisco Department of Public Health, its budget, and the anticipated repercussions of budgeting on AIDS/HIV drug accessibility. Of particular note are the AIDS Dissident Files. These contain research collected about the AIDS denialists' belief that HIV does not cause AIDS. These files include several folders of information on Christine Maggiore, Peter Duesberg and their publications, and on South African President Thabo Mbeki. One folder contains Mirken's notes on Maggiore's book What If Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong? The Coors Brewing Company research files contain newspaper coverage of the Coors boycott, interview notes, and information on Coors' investments and political action donations through Castle Rock. The research was originally started as a series for the San Francisco Bay Times. Portions of the stories were reprinted by other publications. Although most of the journalism research files contain interview notes with corresponding audiotapes, many do not. For those files that contain interview notes but no tapes, it is worthwhile to check in Series 2 to see if the interview is there. It appears that the tapes in Series 2 may have been separated from their research file for storage reasons. Arrangement Arranged alphabetically by folder title (subject). The AIDS Dissident Files are in their original order. Box 1, Folder 1 A.B. 101 [California Gay Rights Bill], 1991 Box 1, Folders 2-3 "Abstinence-Only," 1997-2001 Box 1, Folder 4 ACLU-Bob Barr, 1995-2002 Box 1, Folder 5 ACTG 343, 1997-1998 Box 1, Folder 6 Affirmative Action (includes 1 microcassette tape "Crystal Weston"), 1995, undated Bruce Mirken Journalism GLC 95 3 Research Files, 1973-2006GLC 95 Series 1Journalism Research Files, 1973-2006, undated Box 1, Folder 7 Agran, Larry [Democrat for President 1992], 1989-1992 Box 1, Folder 8 AIDS and Gay Press, 1992 Box 1, Folder 9 AIDS and Health Care Workers, 1989-1991 Box 1, Folder 10 AIDS-Black / Latino, 2000 Box 1, Folder 11 [AIDS] Cable AIDS Auction, 1993 Box 1, Folder 12 [AIDS] Clinical Trials (includes 1 microcassette tape), 1998-1999 Box 1, AIDS [Conferences]. 8th International Conference on AIDS (Amsterdam), 1992 Folders 13-15 General note Folder #2 "Activists"; Folder #3 "Medical." Box 1, AIDS [Conferences]. 9th International Conference on AIDS (Berlin) (includes 4 Folders 16-17 microcassette tapes, 1 audiotape), 1992-1993 General note Includes some papers from 8th International Conference on AIDS (Amsterdam). Box 1, AIDS [Conferences]. 11th International Conference on AIDS (Vancouver, British Folders 18-20 Columbia), 1996 General note Folder 3 includes 5 microcassette tapes and 2 audiocassette tapes: "Distinguished Lecturer Series--Gallo, Paul, Montagner--July 8, 1996, Vancouver" and "Distinguished Lecturer Series--Fauci, Levy, Volberding--July 9, 1996, Vancouver." Box 2, Folders 1-4 AIDS [Conferences]. 12th World AIDS Conference (Geneva), 1998 General note Folder 2 includes 4 audiocassette tapes from 12th World AIDS Conference: "#A14a Immune Reconstitution Following Art" (2 tapes); "#B26b Anitretroviral Therapy II: Clinical Trials" (2 tapes). Folder 3 includes 9 microcassette tapes, and 1 audiocassette tape "#B33 Current Limits and Futures of Antiretroviral Therapy." "AIDS Dissident" Files Box 2, Folder 5 AIDS Definition, 1973-2000 Box 2, Folders 6-7 Dissenting Dissidents, 1993-2000 Box 2, Dissidents ACT-UP San Francisco (includes 1 microcassette tape and 2 Folders 8-10 audiocassette