TheGay Academic Union (GAU) was a group of LGBT academics who aimed at making the academia more amenable to the LGBT community in the United States.[1][2] It was formed in April 1973, just four years after theStonewall riots,[3] held 4 yearly conferences (the last in November, 1976) and conducted other scholarly activities. It disbanded some time after that.[4]
Members includedMartin Duberman,[5]Bertha Harris,Karla Jay,Jonathan Dunn-Rankin,John D'Emilio,Joan Nestle,Jonathan Ned Katz,Barbara Gittings,[4]George Whitmore,Andrea Dworkin,Dawn M. Atkins andMichael Lynch. They held their first conference on November 23 and 24, 1973, atJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice -City University of New York inNew York City.[4]
Martin Duberman remembers that lesbians were often discriminated against by other white male homosexuals.[6] He recalls an argument with George Whitmore.[6] TheLesbian Herstory Archives were founded in 1974 by lesbian members of the Gay Academic Union who had organized a group to discuss sexism within that organization. Co-foundersJoan Nestle,Deborah Edel, Sahli Cavallo, Pamela Oline, and Julia Stanley wanted to ensure that the stories of the lesbian community were protected for future generations.
By 1975, many radicals had left the group and conferences were moved toLos Angeles, althoughWayne R. Dynes and others stayed in New York.[4] The 1976 conference, however, was held at Columbia University in New York City.[7]
Jonathan Dunn-Rankin was National President from 1981 to 1987 and traveled from city to city trying to organize all the chapters together.
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