Kameny, Frank, 1925-2011

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Gay rights activist, of Washington, D.C.

From the description of Frank Kameny-George Painter correspondence, 1981-1997. (Historical Society of Washington, Dc). WorldCat record id: 70959511

Gay rights activist. Full name: Franklin E. Kameny.

From the description of Frank Kameny papers, 1843-2006 (bulk 1957-1996). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 75382965

Biographical Note

  • 1925, May 21: Born, New York, N.Y.
  • 1943 - 1946 : Served in U.S. Army during World War II with combat duty in Germany
  • 1956: Ph.D. in astronomy, Harvard University, Boston, Mass.
  • 1957: Dismissed from the U.S. Army Map Service on charges of homosexual activity
  • 1957 - 1961 : Appealed dismissal through government review boards and the federal courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court which declined his appeal for review
  • 1961: Founded the Mattachine Society of Washington
  • 1962 - 1990s : Served as counsel or representative for applicants charged with homosexual activity before a variety of federal administrative review boards, specializing in federal employment, security clearance, and military discharge cases
  • 1963: Began campaigning for the removal of homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual of mental disorders (delisted in 1973), the reversal of the U.S. Civil Service Commission's exclusion of homosexuals from federal employment (ban lifted in 1975), the revocation of the District of Columbia's sodomy laws (repealed in 1993), and the retraction of policies denying national security clearances to homosexuals (completed in 1995) Cofounded the East Coast Homophile Organizations, an alliance of homophile organizations focused on legal reforms and education
  • 1965: Led first public protests for gay rights at the White House; expanded the picketing to include the Pentagon, State Department, and the U.S. Civil Service Commission Organized first of several annual July 4th demonstrations for gay rights at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • 1968: Coined and promoted the slogan “Gay Is Good”
  • 1971: Campaigned for the District of Columbia's nonvoting delegate seat as the first openly gay candidate for the U.S. Congress; following the election, the campaign committee formed the Gay Activist Alliance of Washington D.C.
  • 1972: Delegate, Democratic National Convention
  • 1973: Founding board member, National Gay Task Force
  • 1975: Appointed as a commissioner on the District of Columbia's Commission on Human Rights
  • 1977: Attended White House meeting as one of several representatives from the National Gay Task Force
  • 1978: Alternate to Mid-Term Democratic Convention
  • 1981: Delegate, District of Columbia Statehood Constitutional Convention
  • 1988: Received the Durfee Award

From the guide to the Frank Kameny Papers, 1843-2006, (bulk 1957-1996), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen gay history papers and photographs, 1855-2009, 1963-2007 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn International Gay Information Center collection, 1951-1994 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Washington (D.C.). Statehood Constitutional Convention (1982). Washington, D.C. Statehood Constitutional Convention transcript, 1982 Feb. 9-May 29. George Washington University
referencedIn Mariposa portrait series. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
referencedIn Harry R. Eberlin photographs, circa 1972-1980 John J. Wilcox Jr. GLBT Archives of Philadelphia
creatorOf Frank Kameny Papers, 1843-2006, (bulk 1957-1996) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Bachardy, Don, 1934-. Mariposa portrait series. Cornell University Library
creatorOf Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen gay history papers and photographs, 1855-2009, 1963-2007 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Donaldson, Stephen. Stephen Donaldson papers, 1965-1996. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Stephen Donaldson papers, 1965-1998 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Kameny, Frank, 1925-2011. Frank Kameny-George Painter correspondence, 1981-1997. Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
creatorOf International Gay Information Center. International Gay Information Center collection, 1951-1994. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn The structure of the Milky Way system : seminar notes, 1952. Harvard University Archives.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Bachardy, Don. person
associatedWith Bachardy, Don, 1934- person
associatedWith Bok, Bart Jan, 1906- person
associatedWith Christopher Street That New Magazine corporateBody
associatedWith Crawford, Donald Lee. person
associatedWith Donaldson, Stephen person
associatedWith Donaldson, Stephen. person
associatedWith East Coast Homophile Organizations. corporateBody
associatedWith Eberlin, Harry R. person
associatedWith Fulton, Robert Lee. person
associatedWith Gay Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C. corporateBody
associatedWith Gay Alliance of Brooklyn corporateBody
associatedWith Gayer, Richard L. person
associatedWith Gay Rights National Lobby (U.S.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Gittings, Barbara, 1932-2007 person
correspondedWith Grey, Antony, 1927-2010 person
correspondedWith Grier, Barbara, 1933-2011 person
correspondedWith Gunnison, Foster, 1925-1994 person
correspondedWith Inman, Richard, 1926-1985 person
associatedWith International Gay Information Center. corporateBody
associatedWith Jackson, Don person
correspondedWith Kight, Morris, 1919-2003 person
correspondedWith Leitsch, Dick person
correspondedWith Littlejohn, Larry person
correspondedWith Manford, Morty, 1950-1992 person
correspondedWith Martin, Robert A., 1946-1996 person
associatedWith Matlovich, Leonard. person
associatedWith Mattachine Society of Washington. corporateBody
associatedWith Mattachine Society of Washington. Mattachine Society of Washington records. 1956-1984. corporateBody
associatedWith National Gay Task Force. corporateBody
correspondedWith Nichols, Jack person
correspondedWith Noble, Elaine, b. 1944 person
associatedWith Painter, George. person
correspondedWith Polak, Clark P., 1937-1980 person
correspondedWith Sagarin, Edward, 1913- person
correspondedWith Schlegel, Richard LaMar person
correspondedWith Scott, Bruce Chardon person
correspondedWith Slater, Don, 1923-1997 person
associatedWith Tabler, Otis Francis. person
correspondedWith Tobin, Kay person
associatedWith Ulrich, Otto H., 1935-2001. person
correspondedWith United States Civil Service Commission corporateBody
correspondedWith Voeller, Bruce R. person
correspondedWith Warner, Arthur Cyrus, 1918-2007 person
associatedWith Washington (D.C.). Statehood Constitutional Convention (1982) corporateBody
associatedWith Wentworth, Benning. person
correspondedWith Wicker, Randy person
correspondedWith Willer, Shirley E., b. 1922 person
associatedWith Young, Allen, 1941- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
United States
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Washington (D.C.)
Subject
Civil service
Civil service
Discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination in employment
Discrimination in employment
Gay liberation movement
Gay liberation movement
Gay military personnel
Gay military personnel
Gay rights
Gay rights
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays
Gays in the civil service
Gays in the civil service
Homophobia
Homophobia
Homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality
Lesbians
Lesbians
Lesbians
Lesbians
Military discharge
Military discharge
Security clearances
Security clearances
Social action
Social action
Sodomy
Occupation
Gay activists
Gay rights activists
Activity

Person

Birth 1925-05-21

Death 2011-10-11

Information

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Ark ID: w6gb3pg9

SNAC ID: 64755211