Barbara Gittings (1932-2007) was a prominent activist for LGBTQ+ rights who grew up in Wilmington, DE and spent much of her life in Philadelphia. As the coordinator of the American Library Association’s Gay Task Force (previously the Task Force on Gay Liberation), Gittings compiled the first gay bibliography in 1970 and continued to amend and expand it through six editions, the last of which is displayed here.
These photographs were taken at the first Philadelphia Gay Pride March from Rittenhouse Square to Independence Park on June 11, 1972. On the first page, a crowd gathers in Rittenhouse Square to listen to speakers (including Barbara Gittings) with the main banner for the event behind them. Page two captures the march in progress and banners touting political-activist organizations such as the Homophile Action League and the student group Homophiles of Penn State.
Published in Philadelphia beginning in 1974, this publication was issued under the names Gayzette, The Weekly Philadelphia Gayzette, and The Weekly Gayzette. It addressed a range of topics of interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people in the Philadelphia area. This issue is a particularly good example of the scope of issues covered by this publication.
