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Guide to the Aristide J. Laurent Collection

Special Collections & Archives University Library California State University, Northridge 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8326 URL: https://library.csun.edu/SCA Contact: https://library.csun.edu/SCA/Contact © Copyright 2020 Special Collections & Archives. All rights reserved.

Guide to the Aristide J. Laurent SC.AL 1 Collection Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives Title: Aristide J. Laurent Collection Creator: Laurent, Aristide J., 1941-2011 Identifier/Call Number: SC.AL Extent: 7.30 linear feet Date (inclusive): 1967-2010 Abstract: Aristide Joseph "A.J." Laurent was a U.S. Airman, writer, publisher, printer, and pioneer activist for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities. He clandestinely co-founded The Advocate —the oldest and largest LGBT publication in the United States—in the basement studios of ABC Television in 1967, two years prior to the infamous Stonewall Riots of NYC which marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement in America. Consisting primarily of clippings, photographs, correspondence, scrapbooks, and memorabilia, the Aristide J. Laurent Collection documents aspects of Laurent's personal life and advocacy involvement, and provides a unique perspective for considering the social and political history of the early LGBT rights movements. Language of Material: English Biographical Information: Aristide Joseph "A.J." Laurent was born in Magnolia Springs, Alabama on September 15, 1941 to farm hand Duval "Buck" Laurent and Elizabeth "Betty" Weeks. He had one younger sister, Carol Elizabeth Weeks (1945-2010). After graduating from Weeks High School in 1960, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and served four years, first as a signals intelligence operator in Karamursel, Turkey and later as an instructor at the Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi. Upon discharge in 1964, Laurent moved to Los Angeles, California and began living as an openly gay man. He took a job with the American Broadcasting Company where he worked from 1964-1967 producing scripts for ABC Television. Laurent allegedly participated in the Compton's Cafeteria Riots during the summer of 1966 as well as the Black Cat Tavern Riots which occurred on New Year's Day 1967. Following these demonstrations he became involved with the Los Angeles organization PRIDE (Personal Rights in Defense and Education) which published a local newsletter documenting police violence and harassment against the LGBT community. In the basement print shop of ABC studios alongside Richard Mitch, Bill Rau, and Sam Allen, Laurent transformed PRIDE's newsletter into The Los Angeles Advocate, later known simply as The Advocate—the oldest and largest LGBT publication in the United States and the only pre-Stonewall publication of its kind still in existence today. Under the pseudonym "P. Nutz," Laurent penned the nightlife column, "Mariposas de la Noche" ("Butterfly of the Night"). Laurent continued his work in publishing and printing until retirement in the 1990s and remained an active LGBT rights activist into the first decade of the twenty-first century. He participated in the 1976 charity "slave auction" at the Mark IV Bathhouse in Hollywood to benefit the Gay Community Services Center and was one of forty arrested by Los Angeles Police after a mistaken tip indicated that the event was an actual, illegal slave trade. In the 1980s Laurent joined the ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) movement to fight discrimination, inequality, and indifference to the AIDS crisis. In 1993 he attended the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation and visited the capitol again in 2000 for the Millennium March on Washington. On October 26, 2011 Aristide Laurent passed away after a fifteen year battle with prostate cancer. His work, efforts, and advocacy involvement can be considered the foundation for the modern LGBT equality movements in the United States. Scope and Contents The Aristide J. Laurent Collection documents aspects of Laurent's life in Los Angeles as a pioneer activist for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities. His involvement precedes the infamous 1969 Stonewall Riots of New York City which traditionally mark the beginning of the LGBT liberation movement in America. The collection dates from 1967-2010 and is composed of three series: Personal Materials (circa 1975-2010), LGBT Advocacy (1967-2009), and Scrapbooks (circa 1970-2000). Many items in the collection are sexually explicit in nature. Series I, Personal Materials, documents Laurent's personal life in Los Angeles. It consists primarily of calendars, clippings, correspondence, collected essays and personal writings, party announcements and fliers, and photographs. The files are arranged alphabetically by subject and arranged chronologically within. Series II, LGBT Advocacy, highlights aspects of Laurent's involvement in the LGBT rights movements. It consists primarily of event programs and fliers, news clippings, and photographs. Of particular note is a copy of the 1976 arrest report from the charity slave auction at Hollywood's Mark IV Bathhouse as well as a radio transcription featuring the event and police action. The files are arranged alphabetically by subject and arranged chronologically within. Series III, Scrapbooks, consists of five scrapbooks compiled by Laurent. Three scrapbooks are comprised of magazine clippings, the bulk of which are from the 1970s. Two scrapbooks highlight his travels: one documents a 1999 trip to Florida

Guide to the Aristide J. Laurent SC.AL 2 Collection and Alabama where he attended pride events and visited with family, and the second documents a 2000 trip to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia where he attended the Millennium March on Washington and Pride Fest America. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Related Material Homosexual Information Center Subject Files Collection Conditions Governing Access: The collection is open for research use. Conditions Governing Use: Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. Immediate Source of Acquisition Homosexual Information Center, 07/12/2012. Arrangement of Materials: Series I: Personal Materials, ca.1975-2010 Series II: LGBT Advocacy, 1967-2009 Series III: Scrapbooks, ca.1970-2000 For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide. Processing Information: Christine Hertzel, 2015 Subjects and Indexing Terms Albums (Books) Ephemera Documents Photographs

Series I: Personal Materials, ca.1975-2010

Box 1, Folder 1 Article Clippings, 1997-2000 Box 1, Folder 2 Calendars, 1984-2010 Box 1, Folder 3 Calendar with notes, 1985 Box 1, Folder 4 Collected Essays Box 1, Folder 5 Correspondence and Contacts, ca.1979-1997 Box 1, Folder 6 Erotica Clippings, ca.1980-ca.2001 Box 1, Folder 7 Erotica Clippings removed from frames Box 1, Folder 8 Evelyn Rainbird Catalog, 1979 Box 1, Folder 9 Jeff Stryker Playing Cards, ca.1980-ca.1989 Box 1, Folder 10 Membership Cards, 1977-1995 Box 1, Folder 11 Party Announcements and Fliers, 1979-1997 Box 1, Folder 12 Pornographic Illustrations, 1976-1982 Box 1, Folder 13 Receipts, 1984-2000 Box 1, Folder 14 Voter Registration Affidavit, 1986 Box 1, Folder 15 Writings, 1985 Box 2, Folder 1 Family, Friends, and Personal Interests - Photographic Prints, Negatives, and Slides, ca.1975-ca.2000 Box 2, Folder 2 Scotty - Photographic Prints and Negatives, ca.1997 Box 7, Folder 1 Calendar, 1982 Box 7, Folder 2 Calendar with notes, 1993 Box 7, Folder 3 Correspondence and Contacts, 1996-1997

Guide to the Aristide J. Laurent SC.AL 3 Collection Series I: Personal Materials, ca.1975-2010

Box 7, Folder 4 Erotica Clippings, 1981-2001 Box 7, Folder 5 Family, Friends, and Personal Interests - Photographic Print, 1987 Box 7, Folder 6 Party Announcements and Fliers, 1997, 2003 Series II: LGBT Advocacy, 1967-2009

Box 1, Folder 16 Core Magazine No. 24, 1999 Box 1, Folder 17 Event Programs and Fliers, 1968-2009 Box 1, Folder 18 News Clippings, 1967-2008 Box 1, Folder 19 Slave Auction Arrest Report, 1976 Box 1, Folder 20 Slave Auction Radio Transcription, KPOL - "A Gay Old Time for LAPD," 1976 Box 2, Folder 3 Events - Photographic Prints and Photocopies, ca.1967-ca.2000 Box 7, Folder 7 Events - Photographic Negative, ca.1993 Box 7, Folder 8 News Clippings, 1976 Box 7, Folder 9 Protest Sign Template, ca.1993 Series III: Scrapbooks, ca.1970-2000

Box 1, Folder 21 Nudes and Portraits Box 3, Folder 1 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 2 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 3 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 4 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 5 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 6 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 7 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 8 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 9 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 10 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 11 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 12 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 13 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 14 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 15 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 16 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 17 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 3, Folder 18 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 4, Folder 1 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 4, Folder 2 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 4, Folder 3 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1 Box 4, Folder 4 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 5 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 6 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 7 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 8 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 9 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 10 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 11 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 12 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 13 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 14 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 15 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 16 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 4, Folder 17 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 1 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 2 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 3 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 4 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 5 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 6 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2

Guide to the Aristide J. Laurent SC.AL 4 Collection Series III: Scrapbooks, ca.1970-2000

Box 5, Folder 7 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 8 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 9 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 10 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 11 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 12 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 13 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 14 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 5, Folder 15 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 2 Box 6, Folder 1 Travel and Family Gatherings, 1999 Box 6, Folder 2 Millennium March on Washington, 2000 Box 7, Folder 10 Collaged Nudes and Portraits No. 1

Guide to the Aristide J. Laurent SC.AL 5 Collection