| Collection Overview |
| Name of Creator: | Canfield, William J.,
1946– . |
| Title: | William J. Canfield papers |
| Date: |
1946–2012 (bulk 1970–1999) |
| Reference Code: | M69 |
| Location Code: | 65/4, 40/1-2 |
| Extent: | 12.50 cubic ft. (17 boxes) |
| Scope and Content Abstract: | This collection was
assembled by William J. Canfield II. It documents homophile groups (the Homophile
Union of Boston (HUB), Student Homophile League (SHL)), services, and publications
(Esplanade, Fag Rag, Gay Community News) in Boston in the late 1960s through the
mid–1980s. In addition, the collection includes planning documentation for the
Gay Liberation Reunion (GLR) of 1990 and the Boston Gay Reunion (BGR) of 1999. |
| Historical Abstract: | William J. Canfield II was
born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1946. He was a gay activist in Boston and was
involved in the Boston gay liberation movement between 1970 and 1975. In
1971–1972, Canfield was president of Homophile Union of Boston (HUB). The
Homophile Union of Boston was founded in 1969 by Frank Morgan in order to broaden
awareness of gay lifestyles and seek civil rights for gays and lesbians. Along with
John C. Graves (MIT professor, psychologist, and psychotherapist at the Homophile
Community Health Services (HCHS), an organization that served Boston's gay
population, providing psychological counseling, medical services, draft counseling,
and referrals for homeless teens.), Canfield was a primary force behind the second
attempt at collecting materials for a Boston Gay and Lesbian Archives. |
| Language and Scripts: | Materials are in English. |
| System of Arrangement: | Organized into 6 series: 1. Boston and Vicinity Gay Movement; 2. National Gay
Organizations; 3. Gay Publications; 4. Boston Gay Reunions; 5. Boston Gay Archives
Microfilmed Selections; and 6. Personal Papers. |
| Subjects and Contributors: |
- Canfield, William J.,
1946–
- Homophile Union of Boston
- Student Homophile League (Cambridge,
Mass.)
- Gay activists––Massachusetts
–– Boston
- Gay liberation movement ––
Massachusetts –– Boston
- Gay newspapers ––
Massachusetts –– Boston
- Gay rights –– Massachusetts
–– Boston
|
| Conditions Governing Access: | The collection is unrestricted. |
| Technical Access: | Ten of the twenty 3.5–inch floppy disks comprising Falinge Farm: Budgets failed
to mount on departmental computers. |
| Processor: |
Finding aid prepared by Michael Blech, 2002; updated by Dominique
Medal,
February 2016 |
