Scope and arrangement
Laurence Chang, the General Secretary of the Gay Freedom Movement, kept numerous records, correspondences, and ephemera pertaining to the organization, as well as other gay-related clippings and publications by international gay rights organizations. Spanning from the 1970s to the 2000s, Chang's collection highlights the GFM's activity in Jamaica, largely through correspondence and publications. The collection provides insight into the thoughts and feelings of gay and lesbians in Jamaica and abroad. The collection also reflects the GFM's impact within the context of the global gay liberation movement, documenting the collaborative activities and exchange of information between the GFM and international organizations in raising gay consciousness and combatting anti-gay prejudice and oppression. The material includes correspondence with international gay rights organizations and individuals from the Americas and Europe such as the Revolutionary Marxist League, the Caribbean Homosexuals Association, and Paz y Liberacion, as well as pamphlets, flyers, and publications advocating for gay liberation from around the world, including the Spartacus International Gay Guide, Gay Community News, Gay News, and Christopher Street.
The Jamaica Gay Freedom Movement records are arranged in two series:
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1973-1986
The Gay Freedom Movement series contains organizational documents, publications, and ephemera of the GFM, as well as correspondence, the Jamaica Gaily News (JGN) newsletter and related documents, and handwritten notes by Laurence Chang documenting the activities of the GFM and the JGN.
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1976-2003
The International material series contains flyers; brochures; newsletters; publications by international gay rights organizations; newspaper clippings reporting on LGBT individuals, topics and issues; event materials, such as a program for the 30th edition of the Jewel Box Revue Program; conference proceedings; and miscellaneous material on Jamaica.