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Herizon / Changing Herizons, Inc. records

 Collection
Identifier: BUSC-2006-005

Scope and Contents

Records of Herizon (Changing Herizons, Inc.), a lesbian social club active in Binghamton, New York from 1975 to 1991 with the purpose of providing a lesbian and women-centered social space for events, local and national activism on issues such as violence against women and gays and lesbians, and developing resources and community building for lesbians and women, as well as promoting arts and music events for and by lesbians and women. Records include correspondence, publications, meeting notes, advertising and promotional materials for special events, and research files, as well as some photographs and audiovisual materials.

The collection also includes the records of the Binghamton Women's Center, founded in 1973 and now known as the Center for Gender, Art, and Culture (CGAC). In its earliest iteration, the Women's Center was a multi-issue organization with a loose committee structure to address issues such as sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, abortion, divorce, lesbian rights, women's health, poverty, housing issues and more. Records include resource files, correspondence, publications, meeting notes, promotional materials, and various grant applications and financial reports. Many of the Center's projects are well documented.

Projects emanating from Women's Center committees included the Rape Crisis Center (later the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center and the Crime Victim Assistance Center); Lesbian Switchboard; Herizon, and others. A group of "concerned women not affiliated with any organization" issued a series of controversial educational flyers, including a broadside announcing a curfew for men in the City of Binghamton; a self-defense flyer distributed in bars; and a condom handout distributed before an Aerosmith concert.

S.P.A.C.E. ("The Space for Political and Cultural Expressions") was formed in 1989 as a way to collaborate with multiple local community groups which all shared a physical space to hold events and meetings. Records include policies and bylaws, promotional materials for events, meeting minutes, and more.

[Adapted in large part from Peg Johnston, "Feminist History in the Binghamton Area," 2018 - Box 12, Folder 1]

Dates

  • Creation: 1968 - 2014
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1975 - 1991

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Boxes 6 and 7, containing membership and financial information, are currently closed to researchers. Please contact speccoll@binghamton.edu with any questions.

Extent

10 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Records of Herizon (Changing Herizons, Inc.), a lesbian social club active in Binghamton, New York from 1975 to 1991 with the purpose of providing a lesbian and women-centered social space for events, local and national activism on issues such as violence against women and gays and lesbians, and developing resources and community building for lesbians and women, as well as promoting arts and music events for and by lesbians and women. This collection also includes documents from the Binghamton Women’s Center and S.P.A.C.E. ("The Space for Political and Cultural Expressions").

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by the Herizon Board of Directors and Margaret "Peg" Johnston in 2006. Additional materials were donated at various later points. Much of the audiovisual material was given by Adele "Del" Brown in 2017.

Related Materials

Materials related to Herizon can also be found in the Lesbian Herstory Archives (Brooklyn, NY) and in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History as part of their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection.

Author
Originally processed by Eve Snyder (2011); revised and augmented by Jeremy Dibbell (2023).
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Binghamton NY 13902 USA