Historical Context
Ann Arbor was a hotspot of the counterculture in the 1960s. Within the spirit of antiwar protests, and more generally of resistance to the status quo, grew a growing awareness of a multiplicity of sexual expressions. The late 1960s and early 1970s marked a new era of greater visibility of lesbians and gay men, as well as a conservative backlash against it. With a growing demand on campus for an expansion of the University of Michigan’s nondiscrimination bylaw to include protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation,[1] in 1971 the university created the Human Sexuality Office, as an office to advocate for the concerns of gay and lesbian students, the first office of its kind in the United States.[2] It was headed by James Toy and Cynthia Gair.[3] This office has changed names many times in the past 49 years, with its current name as the Spectrum Center.
The James W. Toy Papers at the Bentley Historical Library consists of Toy’s personal and professional papers, and includes a number of flyers and posters, which form the visual basis of this site. The “Fight Homophobia!” flyer (at left) is one of the many flyers found in the Toy Papers.
The “Gay Rights Protest” photograph (at right) was taken by Cecil Lockard and appeared in the March 9, 1984, issue of the Ann Arbor News. Both of these images refer to a protest to the initial refusal by then-UM President Harold T. Shapiro to include sexual orientation in the nondiscrimination bylaw.
References
- Bruckner, Meredith. “A Chat with Activist, Gay Rights Champion Jim Toy: On Discovering His Identity and What Continues to Drive His Activism.” Clickondetroit.com, 8 Nov. 2017, 9:26 am, www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2017/11/08/a-chat-with-activist-gay-rights-champion-jim-toy/.
- James W. Toy Papers finding aid: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhlead/umich-bhl-9744?view=text#Biography
- Bruckner.
Andrew Powers | Shelbie Vilag