The series consists primarily of newsletters, flyers and brochures published by various lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender local and national organizations and documents local and national issues confronted by the community.
The records document the organization and activities of the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), a nonprofit legal organization dedicated to defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and people with HIV, primarily in New England. The collection primarily consists of litigation, amicus, and legal research files. Also included are correspondence, topical files, reports, meeting minutes, publications, volunteer and training manuals, and newspaper clippings created or maintained by GLAD. While the majority of the files are related to GLAD's litigation efforts, all aspects of the organization are documented in the collection, including its history, structure, and activities from its founding in 1978 to the present. The collection provides a rich resource for the study of GLAD, anti-discrimination efforts, social attitudes towards LGBTQ people and those affected by HIV/AIDS, and the legal issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and people with HIV in the United States.