California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative Collection, 1977-1980 Coll2011.018

http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8hh6p6k No online items

Finding Aid to the California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative Collection, 1977-1980 Coll2011.018

Marc LaRocque and Loni Shibuyama Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California 909 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90007 (213) 821-2771 [email protected]

Coll2011.018 1 Language of Material: English Contributing Institution: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California Title: California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative collection creator: Bay Area Committee Against the Briggs Initiative (Organization) creator: Kight, Morris creator: No on the Briggs Initiative Committee (Organization) Identifier/Call Number: Coll2011.018 Physical Description: 5.5 Linear Feet3 boxes, 2 cartons, and 1 flat box. Date (inclusive): 1977-1980 Abstract: Correspondence, clippings, legislative and legal documents, pamphlets, flyers, photographs, financial records, meeting minutes, event posters, petition forms, memoranda, speakers' manuals, volunteer forms, and other material documenting the campaign to defeat California Proposition 6, introduced by State Senator John Briggs in 1978. The initiative's intent was to require the dismissal of public school teachers and schoolworkers who "engaged in advocating, soliciting, imposing, encouraging or promoting of private or public homosexual acts." Biographical / Historical Beginning in 1977, California State Senator John Briggs from Fullerton authored and introduced State Ballot Initiative 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, for the November 1978 election. The initiative's intent was to prohibit hiring or requiring the dismissal of public school teachers and schoolworkers who "engaged in advocating, soliciting, imposing, encouraging or promoting of private or public homosexual acts." Proposition 6 was defeated in the November 1978 election with 58.4 (No) to 41.6 (Yes) percent. Conditions Governing Access The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions. Conditions Governing Use All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. Immediate Source of Acquisition This collection was separated from the ONE Subject Files Collection, Coll2012-001. A portion of the collection was donated by Morris Kight. The donor and date of the remaining materials are unknown. Preferred Citation [Box/folder #, or item name] California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative Collection, Coll2011-018, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California. Processing Information Collection processed by Marc LaRocque and Loni Shibuyama, with assistance from Cooper Moll, October 2014. Related Materials California Human Rights Advocates Records, Coll2013-035, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California. Coalition for Human Rights (Los Angeles) Records, Coll2011-025, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California James Goltz and Jean Wood Ethnographic Fieldwork Research on the Committee Against the Briggs Initiative, Los Angeles Chapter, Coll2014-003, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California. Morris Kight Papers and Photographs, Coll2010-008, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California. Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club Records, Coll2013-006, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE) Records, Coll2011-058, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California. Scope and Contents The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, legislative and legal documents, pamphlets, publicity flyers, photographs, financial records, meeting minutes, event posters, petition forms, memoranda, speakers' manuals, volunteer forms, and other material documenting the campaign to defeat California Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, in 1978. The bulk of the collection documents the activities of the three groups organized to oppose the initiative: the No

Coll2011.018 2 on the Briggs Initiative Committee (NOBIC) and the Committe Against the Briggs Initiative/Los Angeles (CABI/LA), both based in Los Angeles, and the Bay Area Committee Against the Briggs Initiative (BACABI) based in San Francisco. The collection also includes legal papers and other material documenting the activists' lawsuits filed against the Briggs Initiative in an attempt to remove it from the November 1978 ballot. Subjects and Indexing Terms Discrimination in employment Gay teachers Homosexuality -- Law and legislation -- California Lesbian teachers Briggs, John V. Bay Area Committee Against the Briggs Initiative (Organization) Kight, Morris No on the Briggs Initiative Committee (Organization)

California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative collection box 1, folder 1 Anti-LGBT handouts 1977-1978 box 1, folder 2 Ballot and voter information, general 1977-1978 box 1, folder 3 Ballot fraud complaints 1977-1978 box 1, folder 4-5 Bay Area Committee Against the Briggs Initiative (BACABI) 1977-1978 box 1, folder 6 Boycott activities 1977-1978 box 1, folder 7 Briggs, John, election campaign 1977-1978 box 1, folder 8-9 Briggs, John, and the Defend Our Children publicity materials 1977-1978 box 1, folder 10 Briggs (John) Proposition 7 1977-1978 box 1, Brochures, information handouts, and publicity material 1977-1978 folder 11-12 box 1, folder 13 Bryant, Anita, publicity material 1977-1980 box 1, folder 22 Bumper stickers 1977-1978 box 1, folder 14 California Democratic Party 1977-1979 box 1, California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative fact sheets and information resources folder 15-17 1977-1978 box 1, California Statewide Conference and coalitions 1977-1978 folder 18-19 box 1, folder 20 Cartoons and illustrations 1977-1978 box 3, folder 1-18 Clippings circa 1977-1978 box 1, folder 21 Committee Against Briggs Initiative Los Angeles (CABI/LA) 1977-1978 box 4, folder 5 Ephemera, miscellaneous 1977-1978 box 2, folder 1-2 Event flyers, Greater Los Angeles area 1977-1978 box 2, folder 3 Event flyers, San Francisco and Bay Area 1977-1978 box 2, folder 4 Event flyers, other California cities 1977-1978 box 2, folder 5 Event invitations 1978 box 2, folder 6 Gay Teachers and Schoolworkers Coalition; Lesbian Schoolworkers 1977-1978 box 2, folder 7 Jews Against Briggs 1977-1978 box 2, folder 8 Johnson, Paul, manuscripts circa 1977-1978 Legal cases box 5, folder 2-5 California Federation of Teachers, et al. vs. March Fong Eu, et al. circa 1977-1978 box 5, folder 6-7 It's Fun Going Places, Inc. vs. March Fong Eu, et al. circa 1977-1978 box 5, folder 8-9 Morris Kight, et al. vs. March Fong Eu; Taxpayers Suit circa 1977-1978 box 2, folder 9 Media coverage transcripts and manuscripts 1977-1978 box 2, folder 10 Meeting minutes and notes (unidentified creator) 1977-1978 box 2, folder 11 National fundraising campaign against Briggs Initiative 1977-1978 box 2, folder 12 New Alliance for Gay Equality (New AGE) 1977-1978 box 2, folder 13 No on 6 Committee 1977-1978

Coll2011.018 3 California Proposition 6 Briggs Initiative collection

box 2, No on Briggs Initiative Committee (NO BIC); Morris Kight 1977-1978 folder 14-19 box 2, folder 20 Notes (unidentified creator) 1977-1978 box 2, folder 21 Pamphlets, right wing and conservative 1978 box 5, folder 1 Plaque circa 1977-1978 box 2, folder 22 Polls, miscellaneous 1978 box 2, folder 23 Post-election material 1978-1980 box 5, folder 10 Photographs circa 1977-1978 Physical Description: 4 b&w photographs. Scope and Contents Includes publicity photographs of John Briggs with his wife, Carmen, and with Lt. Governor Ed Reinecke; and a group photo of No on Proposition 6 activists in San Francisco.

box 6 Posters 1978 box 2, folder 24 Press releases 1977-1978 box 2, folder 25 Questionnaires 1977-1978 box 2, folder 26 San Diego Save Our Teachers 1977-1978 box 2, folder 27 Sermon given by John Dobrer 1978 box 2, folder 28 Solem and Associates campaign proposal 1977 box 2, folder 29 Speakers' manuals 1977-1978 box 4, folder 1-2 Vel, Frank, walk 1977-1978 box 4, folder 3 Volunteer sign-ups 1977-1978 box 4, folder 4 Workers Rights Conference 1977-1978 box 4, folder 6-8 Unsorted material circa 1977-1978

Coll2011.018 4