Birds of a Feather
LGBT Legal History Project
"The Seventies"
To commemorate the 50th
anniversary of these historic events, Spectrum Institute produced a series of videos, a memory book, and two webinars.
March 30 Webinar.
A one-hour webinar was produced by Spectrum Institute and hosted by the OutLaw LGBTQ student association at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. It included a narrated PowerPoint and a short video clip about the advocacy of gay and lesbian law students during the breakthrough year of 1972. Click here for the video.
Memory Book. A book
of LGBT legal history is now available. It contains historical background information of gay and lesbian rights in the 1950s and 1960s, biographies of more than 80 law students who were involved in gay and lesbian rights in the 1970s, and biographies of 40 lawyers who graduated in prior years and were actively involved in gay and lesbian rights advocacy in the 1970s. The book has received excellent reviews. A paperback version of the book is available for purchase through Amazon. A pdf version can be obtained by making a donation of $15 to Sectrum Institute. Those who attend the October 11 webinar will receive a complimentary copy of the pdf version.
Videos. Videos of interviews with some of the living trailblazers will be released on YouTube and through social media during LGBT History Month in October. For a description of the videos, click here. The first video will be released on October 6. A link to YouTube will be activated here when they are available.
October 11 Webinars. The first presentation was held at noon (Pacific Time) on October 11, 2022. It is produced by Spectrum Institute and hosted by the Williams Institute of UCLA Law School. A history professor discussed the emergence of gay law student organizations in the 1970s. Several trailblazers from that era made video presentations and were present for the Q&A session. A law student made a presentation on how and when “out” transgender, nonbinary, and law students of color eventually emerged as advocates for LGBT rights. The webinar was mentioned in the September issue of LGBT Law Notes. A second presentation was held in person and online at College of the Desert at 3:30 pm. To view the PowerPoint presentation, click here.
OutLaw History Week. The OutLaw student association at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles held a series of events during "OutLaw History Week" (Oct. 17-20). Tom Coleman (Loyola 1973) participated in a panel discussion with other LGBT alumni on October 18. He attended a mixer for current law students and alumni on October 20. For an article in the campus newspaper about the 50th anniversary of the formation of the first gay law student association in the nation, of which Loyola students were a part, click here. For a list of events, click here.
News Stories. The Bay Area Reporter ran a story about the memory book, webinar, and videos as did the Philadelphia Gay News.
