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Creator
Gay Officers Action League
Call number
MssCol 23914
Physical description
.42 linear feet (1 box)
Preferred Citation
Gay Officers Action League records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library
Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The Gay Officers Action League was established in 1982 as an activist organization on behalf of gay and lesbian law enforcement personnel in New York City.

Biographical/historical information

The Gay Officers Action League (GOAL), established in 1982, addresses the issues and concerns of gay and lesbian law enforcement personnel. Originally a fraternal organization, GOAL advocates for the rights of its members and assists on issues regarding discrimination, harassment, and disparate treatment in the workplace. GOAL's members include both active and retired uniformed and civilian personnel employed in criminal justice professions.

One of the founding members of GOAL was Charles H. Cochrane, Jr. (1943-2008). In 1981, Cochrane testified before the City Council in favor of an anti-discriminatory proposal and stated that he was a gay police officer in the New York City Police Department. By doing so, he became the first openly gay police officer. The City Council defeated the proposal and left Cochrane largely unprotected against discrimination. This would eventually lead him to become a founding member of GOAL.

GOAL is an active organization that has also inspired the establishment of other GOALs in the United States.

Scope and arrangement

The Gay Officers Action League (GOAL) records, date from 1982 to 2016, and reflects the activism of GOAL to support gay and lesbian law enforcement personnel in their workplace and community. Documentation includes information on the Bias Crime Unit in the New York City Police Department, The Cathedral Project, which protested the Catholic Church treatment of gays and lesbians; activism to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade; and regional GOAL's activism.

The files include correspondence with New York City police commissioners, politicians, and activists; a speech by Charles H. Cochrane Jr. delivered at the Christopher Street Liberation Day Rally; a mock up for first GOAL newsletter; and GOAL's press releases about the violence in Orlando, Florida in 2016.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by The Gay Officers Action League, 2017.

Processing information

Compiled by Valerie Wingfield, 2017.

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328