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This collection documents the life of Helen Harder (nee Eleanor F. Sugg). Born in 1918, Harder was a flight instructor in the Women's Army Corps (WACS) in World War II. She later worked in a variety of fields including private industry, sales, civil service and education. Harder was interested in spirituality and wrote a number of small essays on the subject.

An image of the Vanguard Street Sweep protest, an action by the LGBTQ youth group Vanguard. The protest reclaimed the streets of the Tenderloin from police officers who would "sweep" for trans people, queer people, and sex workers. By physically sweeping the streets, Vanguard argued that Tenderloin residents should define what their community needed, and that what they needed was a clean and safe place to live, free of harassment.

Flight instructor Helen Harder (left) demonstrates a Link trainer (an early flight simulator) to a new pilot during her service in World War II.

Helen Harder with a dog.

The Arcaids Theatre was a theatre troupe composed entirely of people with AIDS and what was then called ARC (AIDS-Related Complex, referring to the broad spectrum of AIDS-related symptoms and opportunistic infections). Arcaids was founded in 1988 by Wendy Rouder, and attracted a core troupe of both professional and amateur actors. The troupe existed for about two years, during which time the players developed scripts and put on small public performances. Performances were a mix of scripted and semi-improvised material, often with a blackly comic tone, and with frequent musical interludes. This collection contains a wide range of documents: publicity materials, news clippings, rehearsal photos, brochures, scripts and improv scenarios, fliers for recruiting performers, notes from creative meetings, business documents, correspondence, and bylaws related to the management of the theater as a nonprofit.

A draft flier advertising performances by Arcaids Theatre.

Arcaids Theatre company members warming up.

A performance by Arcaids Theatre.

A flier for a performance workshop by Arcaids Theatre.

A brochure advertising the work of Arcaids Theatre.

A script for the skit Two Friends Talking, by Jeffrey Schmidt of Arcaids Theater.

An improv scenario used by Arcaids Theatre.

Scripts for Arcaids Theatre skits "The Address Book" and "Which One For Me?" Photocopier errors on later pages of "Which One For Me?" are original to the donated script, not artifacts of the scan.

A list of names and obituary excerpts, used in an Arcaids Theatre performance.

A script for the Arcaids Theatre monologue "Shelly."

An improv scenario, "Getting Out," developed for the Arcaids Theatre.

A transcript of an Arcaids Theatre brainstorming session for a new play.

A monologue by Arcaids Theatre company member John Mosman about his motivations in joining the company.

The records of Shanti document the organizational history and work of an agency dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening or chronic illnesses. There are a wide range of record types in this collection, which focus on the years 1987-2003. The bulk of these include materials related to the board of directors and to training volunteers and other organizations. There are also newsletters; publicity and fundraising materials; cloth artifacts; a scrapbook; audio-visual material; and photographs.

A Shanti Project volunteer and client in a hospital.

A Shanti Project volunteer and client in a hospital.

A Shanti Project volunteer and client.

A survey intended to be distributed to youth with LGBTQ+ parents.

Newsletters and press releases from COLAGE.

The script and related materials for a play put on by members of COLAGE.

Mailings and publicity materials from COLAGE.

Mailings and publicity materials from COLAGE.

Mailings, publicity materials, and creative materials (such as comics and a handbound book) produced by COLAGE.

COLAGE newsletters, interviews and related materials, and the text of an amateur picture book about having lesbian and gay parents.

A file of press releases and contacts from COLAGE's media director.

A crowd of people at an outdoor event, from the same roll of film as the Vanguard Street Sweep photographs.

A crowd of people at an outdoor event, from the same roll of film as the Vanguard Street Sweep photographs.

An overturned car, from the same roll of film as the Vanguard Street Sweep photographs.

An overturned car, from the same roll of film as the Vanguard Street Sweep photographs.

Three people, possibly members of Vanguard, from the same roll of film as the 1966 Vanguard Street Sweep photographs.

Photographs of Vanguard's 1966 Street Sweep demonstration in San Francisco. Vanguard was an organization of LGBTQ youth and others living on the streets of the Tenderloin district in San Francisco. The Street Sweep was organized to demonstrate their commitment to the neighborhood and to protest ongoing police harassment. This collection also contains photographs of another protest and a few unidentified subjects.

A counterprotest against a neo-Nazi group in San Francisco.

A counterprotest against a neo-Nazi group in San Francisco.

A counterprotest against a neo-Nazi group in San Francisco.

Patron's at Compton's Cafeteria.

Patrons at the Opus One club, which featured live classical music and catered to gay men.

A menu from the Black Cat.

A menu from the Black Cat bar.

Bill Beardemphl (1926-2002) was a journalist, activist, and chef who is best known for founding the Society for Individual Rights (SIR), a homophile organization, and publishing its magazine Vector. In the 1980s, he was also the owner of the San Francisco Sentinel. The collection contains Beardemphl’s journalistic notes, subject files, and photographs, as well as early issues of Vector.

Photograph of Bill Beardemphl with his lifelong partner Johnny DeLeon, circa 1960s.

A mailer/poster exemplifying the opposition to Propositions A and B, which were local ballot measures in San Jose and Santa Clara County intended to outlaw discrimination against LGBTQ people. The poster is part of Bill Beardemphl's large collection of homophobic materials, which he collected as part of his research into his political opponents.

Notes towards an unwritten history of queer San Francisco, potentially titled "Homosexualizing the City," by Bill Beardemphl.

Photograph of Bill Beardemphl's lifelong partner, dancer Johnny DeLeon, circa 1960s. This image may have been taken at an Imperial Court of San Francisco event, given DeLeon's Renaissance costume.

Photograph of Bill Beardemphl and his lifelong partner Johnny DeLeon, circa early 1960s ("must have been taken in '63 or '64" on verso).

Verso of photograph of Bill Beardemphl and his lifelong partner Johnny DeLeon, circa early 1960s (labeled "must have been taken in '63 or '64").

Photograph of Bill Beardemphl and his lifelong partner Johnny DeLeon.

Photograph of Bill Beardemphl and his lifelong partner Johnny DeLeon.

Photograph of Bill Beardemphl (right), his lifelong partner Johnny DeLeon (center), and an unidentified friend, circa 1960s. This photo may have been taken at an Imperial Court event, given the Renaissance costumes worn by the men.

A posed photograph of Bill Beardemphl at work.

Photograph of Bill Beardemphl with his lifelong partner Johnny DeLeon at home.

The program of the SIRLebrity Capades of 1965, a variety show fundraiser for the Society for Individual Rights, founded in 1964 by Bill Beardemphl.

The general periodicals collection of the GLBT Historical Society.

A scanned copy of the comic book Dyke Shorts, by indie cartoonist Mary Wings.

Collection consists of black and white and color photographs, negatives, slides, and contact sheets produced by photographer Richard Boetger in the early 1970s. Many of the items in the collection are portraits of male nudes but also include a few portraits of women and ballet dancers, as well as a framed photograph of opera singer Birgit Nilsson.

A photograph of a nude man.

This collection represents the history of the San Francisco Women's Building/Women's Centers from 1972 to 2001. It provides a comprehensive look at the second wave of the Feminist Movement in San Francisco at that time-the Women, the Ideals, the Issues, the Struggles.

This collection contains records of the ancestry, emergence, and activities of the organization, COLAGE from 1982 to 2000. The bulk of the collection is from 1990 to 1996. The content of the collection focuses on the organization's newsletters, annual conferences, and advocacy work on issues related to custody and adoption rights of gay and lesbian parents. The collection includes newsletters, conference and other events papers, membership surveys, member manuscripts, issues papers including court case transcripts, and operational papers documenting the evolution of the organization.

Questionnaires with testimony from the children of queer parents, collected by COLAGE in support of the Virginia custody case of lesbian mother Sharon Bottoms.

Subject files on marriage equality and adoption.

A collection of poems by David Cannon Dashiell.

Francine Logandice was a transgender entrepreneur who owned a resort on the Russian River and a number of successful bars in San Francisco – the 222 Club on Hyde, the Black Rose, The Depot in the Outer Mission, Francine’s, Elaine’s, Déjà Vu and Café San Marcos. The collection contains correspondence, books, book lists, notes, and research related to Logandice's passion project, the Bibliography of Impersonation, Transvestism and Transexualism.

The general biographical ephemera collection of the GLBT Historical Society.

Materials from the Transsexual Action Organization, including several issues of the zine Moonshadow.

Two issues of the Transsexual Action Organization's zine Mirage.

This collection documents the creative works of artist David Cannon Dashiell. This collection includes written, conceptual, and design works produced from the middle 1970s through 1993 when the artist died. Personal items in the collection are limited to a small cache of photographs and slides.

A collection of poems by David Cannon Dashiell.

Prose works by David Cannon Dashiell.

David Cannon Dashiell's "An Imaginary Manifesto."

An art planning notebook by David Cannon Dashiell.

The catalog to David Cannon Dashiell's tarot-themed exhibition, "Invert, Oracle."

PDF scans of photographs of David Cannon Dashiell, his partner, his home, and his friends.

Description of David Cannon Dashiell's Queer Mysteries exhibition.

Various music criticism pieces written by David Cannon Dashiell, as "Biff Bourguignon," for the publication California Voice.

A collection of poems by David Cannon Dashiell.

Black and white sequined jacket worn by Sylvester. Designed by Pat Campano. This item is undated.

Black and white sequined jacket worn by Sylvester. Designed by Pat Campano. This item is undated.

Black and white sequined jacket worn by Sylvester. Designed by Pat Campano. This item is undated.

Peach sequined tunic and skirt with crane motif worn by Sylvester. This garment appears to be handmade and there is no designer label attached. This item is undated.

Peach sequined tunic and skirt with crane motif worn by Sylvester. This garment appears to be handmade and there is no designer label attached. This item is undated.

Pink sequined jacket and pants worn by Sylvester. Designed by Pat Campano. This item is undated.

Pink sequined jacket and pants worn by Sylvester. Designed by Pat Campano. This item is undated.

A cape and headpiece worn by Sylvester while performing. This garment appears to be handmade. There is no designer label attached to this garment. This item is undated.

A cape and headpiece worn by Sylvester while performing. This garment appears to be handmade. There is no designer label attached to this garment. This item is undated.

A cape and headpiece worn by Sylvester while performing. This garment appears to be handmade. There is no designer label attached to this garment. This item is undated.

White gown with satin and tulle netting, wire understructure, and small mirrors. This garment does not have a label indicating the designer. This item is undated.

White gown with satin and tulle netting, wire understructure, and small mirrors. This garment does not have a label indicating the designer. This item is undated.

Poster for the Thrillpeddlers revival production of Pearls Over Shanghai. Pearls Over Shanghai was originally a Cockettes musical written by Link Martin and Richard Scrumbly Koldewyn.

Poster for the Thrillpeddlers revival production, Hot Greeks. Hot Greeks was originally a Cockettes musical written by Martin Worman and Scrumbly Koldewyn in 1972.