"The Baltimore Gay Paper", 1984 June

This collection contains documents in support of proposed Baltimore bill 187, the second iteration of a gay rights bill that was first introduced to the Baltimore City Council in 1980. This second draft was presented in 1984 and sought to prohibit discriminatory practices against the LGBTQ+ community in Baltimore but did not pass through the City Council vote. These documents include a letter outlining the aims of bill 187 from the law firm of Susan Silber, member of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), to Representative Tom Waxter, Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee of City Council of Baltimore.

The collection also contains a set of newspaper clippings regarding LGBTQ+ issues during the period spanning from 1982-1992. Many of these clippings are sourced from LGBTQ+ publications, including “The Advocate" and the “New York Native,” and highlight cases of violence, deportation, and workplace discrimination against the community. Additional clippings are sourced from mainstream publications, such as “The Baltimore News-American" and “The New York Times,” representing local and national conversations regarding homosexuality and the AIDS crisis. The collection contains an additional set of newspaper clippings that concern the work and legacy of Curtis Decker, from the period of 1984-1990. These clippings include articles wherein Decker was quoted or mentioned and a Question and Answer interview profile on Decker that was featured in the June-July 1984 issue of the “City Paper: Baltimore’s Free Weekly." There is also a full issue of the June 1984 “Baltimore Gay Paper," which includes advertisements, public notices, and news stories relevant to members of the LGBTQ+ community in Baltimore as well as coverage of the Baltimore City Council hearings on bill 187 and notice of events for Gay and Lesbian Pride Week.

Additional materials include a photograph, featuring Curtis Decker, at the signing ceremony for the passage of Baltimore City’s anti-discrimination bill in May 1988; and a “Document in Support of the Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Bill For Baltimore City" from April 1988 which outlines contributions made to the city by members of the LGBTQ+ community, problems the bill seeks to address, and proposed solutions.