Collections : [Central Connecticut State University]

From 1971-1979, Betty Hudson was a Selectwoman for the Town of Madison, CT and a two-term Democratic State Senator representing Connecticut's 33rd District. She continued to work for the state in the field of Human Services under Governors Grasso and O'Neill until 1985. This collection includes materials from her endeavors since 1970, including correspondence, articles, and clippings regarding local, state, and national events, community projects, and legislation pertaining to gender and homosexual rights.

William (Bill) Bahlman is an activist and journalist, working since the 1970s to fight for access to medications for all people with HIV and AIDS, and to document this fight through photography and videography. He is currently an associate producer for a weekly news program of GLBTQ interest and serves on AIDS research advisory boards, while living with HIV since the 1980s. This collection includes copies of flyers Mr. Bahlman created for AIDS advocacy campaigns, AIDS-related newspaper articles, and selected testimony before Presidential and Congressional Commissions.

Carolyn Gabel-Brett and Leslie Gabel-Brett are avid activists for women's rights, gender equality, and homosexual rights, participating in several Connecticut groups since 1972. This collection includes materials from their endeavors from 1986 through 2021 including documents, periodicals, books, photographs, buttons and t-shirts from local and national events, community projects, and legislation pertaining to gender and homosexual rights.

Christine Pattee, a Connecticut native, worked for many years in the Connecticut Health Department. She was a gay rights activist and lobbyist. Ms. Pattee was a founder of the Northeast Women's Musical Retreat (NEWMR). The collection consists of personal papers, records of the NEWMR, books, photographs, T-shirts, and other visual materials.

John Bonelli, a UCONN graduate, is a political activist and community organizer. In 1989 he ran openly gay for the Hartford City Council as the candidate of the People for Change coalition. For years he worked as an activist and consultant in several organizations related to HIV/AIDS issues and as an intern and volunteer in political campaigns. For years Mr. Bonelli was a statewide co-chairperson of the Connecticut AIDS Action Council. This collection consists of administrative records of the council.

The Connecticut Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights (CCLGCR) was an organization prominent during the 1980's and 1990's for standing up for GLBTQ civil rights. They avidly fundraised, made a presence in political discussions and rallies, and created a safe zone for homosexuals in the state. Later, the group changed its name to include bisexual and transgender individuals, becoming CCLGBTCR. This collection includes the group's organizational documents, fundraising efforts, and newspaper articles, along with other related items.

The Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has been bringing movies of LGBT interest to the Hartford area every year since 1988. With humble beginnings showing only a few films on one spring weekend, the festival grew, screening 58 feature and short films over nine days in 2016. In 1999 the group behind the CT GLFF, OutFilm CT, began collaborating with students at Trinity College on the EROS Film Festival which takes place at Cinestudio every fall. The CT GLFF collection contains information about most of the 2,600 films considered for both festivals and several benefits from 1988-2016, films from over 70 different countries about such topics as same-sex marriage, AIDS, and transgender rights. In addition, the collection contains several hundred films on DVD and VHS, souvenir T-shirts, and promotional posters. It is expected that the collection will continue to grow as material from subsequent festivals is donated each year. In 2014 the name of the festival changed to the Connecticut LGBT Film Festival. In 2019 the name of the festival was changed to The Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival.

The first Hartford, Connecticut Lesbian and Gay PRIDE Festival took place on the lawn of Hartford's Old State House June 26, 1982, from noon to three in the afternoon. Each of the eight organizers invited several friends, hoping that it would help boost the turn out. To their surprise, between 200 and 250 people showed up. By 2011, the festival had grown to accommodate well over 10,000 people. The day-long festival eventually adopted a format that began with a rally, then a march to the festival grounds. For many years, the rally began at the State Capitol, with the festival being held at Bushnell Park. The festivals were political, celebratory, and helped to foster communication between the different groups within the gay community. In addition to political speakers, another component of the early festivals included performances.

Donna Stimpson has been an activist for GLBTQ rights, including domestic partnership benefits, same sex marriage, gender equality, and second parent adoption in Connecticut and nationally. She has been involved with several equality groups and continues to work in the state for civil rights. The collection includes some of her personal documents as well as newspaper and internet articles, publications, memorabilia, and general information spanning over a few decades.

This collection reflects the nature and expanse of the GLBTQ Archives at the Elihu Burritt Library. Coming from a variety of donors, these buttons give an overview of the interests within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities of the Greater Hartford area, especially during the late twentieth century.