Records of Rainbow Alliance

The Records of Rainbow Alliance comprise 7 boxes and include event planning, financial, administrative, promotional, educational materials, and 218 megabytes of born-digital video. The files reflect all periods of the organization, from its inception as Gay Liberation, as GALA, BGALA, and to its current iteration as Rainbow Alliance. Most materials from the early years of the group (1970s) are photocopies of originals held elsewhere, except for the original financial ledger in Box 2, Folder 22. Other items of note include history on the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Student Resource Center (now the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center), including a 1980 report of the NU Community Council on Gay and Lesbian Life at NU, in Box 4 Folder 19; files on actions and advocacy such as responses to harassment and homophobia on campus via NUCAB (Northwestern University Coalition Against Bashing); the group’s work with the Gay and Lesbian University Union (GLUU) advocating for domestic partnership benefits in the mid-1990s; and many flyers and planning documents for social and educational events.

Audiovisual materials include one DVD and 14 VHS cassettes. Many of these cassettes are commercial or demo tapes for potential campus performances or events.