Moments of Inscription: The Lives of Women Through Their Letters
Texas Gay / Lesbian Task Force Records, 1970s-1991
Title
Texas Gay / Lesbian Task Force Records, 1970s-1991
Identifier
MSS 380
Creator
Bogle, Edra
Description
Originally formed as the Texas Gay Task Force, the TGLTF was the first statewide gay/lesbian organization in Texas. Organized in 1973 for the purpose of planning annual conferences (until 1990), the TGLTF served as the parent organization for the Lesbian/Gay Democrats of Texas and the Lesbian/Gay Rights Advocates.
Rights
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Originally formed as the Texas Gay Task Force, the TGLTF was the first statewide gay/lesbian organization in Texas. Organized in 1973 for the purpose of planning annual conferences (until 1990), the TGLTF served as the parent organization for the Lesbian/Gay Democrats of Texas and the Lesbian/Gay Rights Advocates.
Letter to Edra Bogle from John Hill, thanking her for responding to his request for help and advice. States that he will be calling on Dr. Bogle in the future and gives his contact info if she has any other ideas or suggestions. The nature of the request for help was not stated.
Letter from Edra Bogle regarding the pre-MLA convention issue of the Gay Studies Newsletter. The letter is being sent to officers, chairs of meetings and other "concerned" persons and asks for news of scheduled meetings, papers related to gay studies, and other academic or political news.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Mike Gorman, who was in a recent edition of the Advocate as being connected to the gay caucus of the American Anthropological Association. Dr. Bogle is working to create a course of gay studies and is inviting Gorman to speak with the group in his capacity as an anthropologist.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Jerry Stout, the editor of The Denton County Enterprise. She thanks him for running a notice for the upcoming "Being Gay in Contemporary America" night course, which will be offered through the Dallas Unitarian Church. However she also states that she is appalled that the headline read "NTSU to offer course on being gay" and attempts to correct the record.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Betty Berzon, President of the Gay Academic Union. Bogle is sending Berzon a check for the North Texas chapter of the union, for the scholarship fund. She asks if any other checks have come from the Dallas area. She speaks about how she is currently running the local group as a fill-in and asks questions about processes. She also sends a recipe for the union cookbook and talks about the upcoming Gay Pride week in Dallas.
Letter from Edra Bogle, on behalf of Gay Academic Union-North Texas (GAUNT). Bogle is asking that notices be placed in the magazine (not named) regarding the course 'Being Gay in Contemporary America." Tapes of the course and handouts are available for sale.
Letter from Edra Bogle and John Bode to Kenneth George, Denton County sheriff, about a murder that took place in Lake Dallas on April 20th. Bogle states that there is a planned GLAD picnic in that area on May 4th. She is asking that there be a police presence at the picnic to avoid any "unpleasant incidents."
Letter from Edra Bogle to Dick (no last name), tendering her resignation from GLAD. Bogle raised concerns in a recent meeting about single-gender social activities. She believes that they are not helpful and will only exacerbate other issues. This letter appears to be incomplete as the page ends abruptly, without a signature.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Louie Crew about using his recent article "Gays Knocking at the Church Door" in the next issue of TGLTF News. In the remainder of the letter, Bogle tells Crew about the recent efforts to repeal/reinstate sodomy laws, and the lobbying efforts that she and her groups have been doing. Bogle expresses weariness over the amount of work that is needed and the very few people who are doing it.
Letter from Edra Bogle to the National Gay Task Force (NGTF) regarding their correspondence with former TGLTF board member Jere Hinckley. Hinckley had indicated that he had worked out a discounted group membership in the NGTF but that was two years prior. Bogle acknowledges that the price has gone up, sends what she has, and says that she will send more if necessary.
Letter from Edra Bogle to John and Michael (no last names). She sent them back issues of the TGLTF News and thanks them for their interest and invites them to join in when they make their move to TX. Handwritten note at the bottom appears to say "Wrote about GAU and NT business. Referred to Bob."
Letter from Edra Bogle to Chuck Patrick and This Week in Texas regarding their recent story on the November board meeting for the Lesbian/Gay Democrats of Texas (LGDT). She spoke of the amount of time she and Tom Cain spent in Austin speaking to Democratic legislators but that the board voted to abandon the program entirely. She states that she does not want to be associated with a group that would do this. The letter appears to be incomplete as it ends abruptly with no signature.
Letter from Edra Bogle to the LGDT to advise them of her resignation from the group. She states that she is resigning because of other political obligations and because she feels that the group has not been effective in their work.
Program for the 7th Annual Texas Gay Conference, October 17-19 1980, which took place in Denton, TX. Edra Bogle included a message welcoming attendees and apologizing for the last minute nature of the conference and the lack of gay nightlife in Denton. She mentions several local businesses that were helpful and accommodating, including the Denton Civic Denter and the La Quinta Motor Inn.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Jerry Stout, editor of the Denton County Enterprise, responding to his confusion over the push for gay rights. Bogle explains the discrimination and harassment that comes with being openly gay in this time period and how changing laws and ordinances can help to stop this.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Texas Attorney General John Hill about the subject of gay rights in TX. Bogle speaks about her previous support of Hill but expresses dismay over comments that Hill made about the repeal of 21.06 (law that legalized discrimination against gay individuals in Texas) during a recent state convention. She asks Hill to consider the fact that people should be policed in their own homes and that being in a gay relationship means breaking the law, which can cause social and emotional issues for gay individuals.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Bettie Naylor, regarding her lackluster fundraising efforts for the upcoming Dallas Gay Pride Week. Bogle is unhappy with the way Naylor has been operating and intends to investigate other regions to see if they have had similar problems with Naylor. Bogle CCs the entire TGTF board on this letter.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Adrian Cyr regarding the recent TGTF election results and business that will need to be covered at the upcoming meeting. The letter appears to have been written for, and CCd to, the entire board as it is typed but Adrian's name is handwritten in.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Ken Adrian Cyr, the founder of the Texas Gay Conference. Bogle is concerned that the group is going to stagnate due to lack of board meetings and public outreach. Cyr was serving as moderator when Bogle wrote to him with her concerns. She believes that California and "the East" are making mistakes by asking for gay rights without also educating the public. She asks that Cyr act as the leader the believes he can be and reminds him that he "agreed to provide leadership" when he became moderator. Letter was CCd to John Sutton.
Letter from Edra Bogle and James Tanner (co-chair Gay and Lesbian Association of Denton) to Dr. Raymond Sears (ACLU-Denton Chapter) to ask if his group would like to co-sponsor a GLAD/TGTF event at Dr. Bogle's home. Their hope is that this party will attract the "liberal Denton community" and the "closeted gay community." They believe that having ACLU support will give legitimacy to GLAD's cause.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Alan James Weiser and Michael J. Gonzalez regarding the creation of the group Gays of Angelo State. Bogle sent them a number of things, including generalized pamphlets about coming out, specialized pamphlets about AIDS and education, speaker's bureau material, and task force material. She also explains the current status of TGLTF and gives advice about networking and state politics.
Letter from Edra Bogle and Tom Cain to their community, addressed as "Dear Neighbor." The letter discusses the current and serious issues that gay Texans are experiencing and asks that the community keep them in mind when voting. The letter provides both the Republican and Democratic party platforms and explains how they will affect gay Texans and how the Republican platform could eventually be extended to other groups.
Letter from Edra Bogle to Adrian Cyr regarding the recent TGTF election results and business that will need to be covered at the upcoming meeting. The letter appears to have been written for, and CCd to, the entire board as it is typed but Adrian's name is handwritten in.
