Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Dignity collection, 1980-1998
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Dignity/Portland, Inc. (Portland, Or.)
- Title
- Dignity collection
- Dates
- 1980-1998 (inclusive)19801998
- Quantity
- 3.5 cubic feet , (7 document boxes)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2988-5
- Summary
- Includes financial records, meeting minutes, newsletters, and correspondence of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of the gay and lesbian Catholic organization Dignity. Materials date from the 1980s and 1990s.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Dignity is an organization of lesbian and gay Catholics. It was founded in southern California in 1969 by Father Patrick X. Nidorf. The chapter in Portland, Oregon, was established around 1974. It became a part of "District X" comprising the Pacific Northwest.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection includes financial records, meeting minutes, newsletters, and correspondence, all dating from the 1980s and 1990s. The correspondence is from and to a wide variety of individuals and organizations, much of it concerning local chapter activities. There is also information concerning Dignity/Portland's participation in the PFAB (People of Faith Against Bigotry) organization that helped to fight the Oregon Citizen Alliance's anti-Gay ballot measures in 1992 and 1994. Also includes newsletters of Dignity/Seattle.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Preferred Citation
Dignity/Portland collection, Mss 2988-5, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series A: Minutes of meetings and reports, 1981-1993
- Series B: Newsletters, 1986-1996
- Series C: Correspondence, 1981-1998
- Series D: General files, 1980-1996
- Series E: Financial records, 1985-1995
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Minutes of meetings and reports, 1981-1993Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Quarterly reports |
1981 |
| 1/2 | Quarterly reports and Board
minutes |
1982 |
| 1/3 | Quarterly report and Board
minutes |
1983 |
| 1/4 | Quarterly reports and Board
minutes
PLEASE NOTE: These records were stolen while in Dignity
possession.
|
1984 |
| 1/5 | Quarterly reports and Board
minutes
PLEASE NOTE: These records were stolen while in Dignity
possession.
|
1985 |
| 1/6 | Quarterly
meetings |
1986 |
| 1/7 | Monthly meeting
minutes |
1986-1987 |
| 1/8 | Meeting minutes and
membership |
1991, 1994 |
| 1/10 | Meeting minutes |
1992-1993 |
| 1/10 | Quarterly reports,
national
Includes reports of names of members to national office.
|
1986 |
Series B: Newsletters, 1986-1996Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/11 | 1986 | |
| 1/12 | 1987 | |
| 1/13 | 1988 | |
| 1/14 | 1989 | |
| 1/15 | 1990 | |
| 1/16 | 1991 | |
| 1/17 | 1992 | |
| 1/18 | 1993 | |
| 1/19 |
Includes only March, April, and September issues.
|
1994 |
| 1/20 | Newsletter materials |
circa 1994 |
| 1/21 | Miscellaneous newsletters (some
non-Dignity) |
1992-1995 |
| 2/1-2 | Dignity/Seattle
newsletters |
1992-1996 |
Series C: Correspondence, 1981-1998Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Dated correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/3 | 1991-1994 | |
| 2/4 | 1995 | |
| 2/5 | 1996 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/6 | Undated
correspondence
Includes miscellaneous mailings to Dignity without dates on
them.
|
undated |
| 2/7 | Correspondence to
Dignity/Portland
Mailings from national or other regional offices to Portland
chapter.
|
1991-1997 |
| 2/8 | Business
correspondence
Includes business-related correspondence; some material
undated.
|
1987-1994 |
| 2/9 | Letters from
prisoner
Five letters from an Oregon prisoner to Dignity/Portland.
These letters contain almost entirely personal information about the
prisoner.
|
1992-1993 |
Newletter correspondence |
||
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/10 | 1981 | |
| 2/11 | 1982 | |
| 2/12 | 1984 | |
| 2/13 | 1985 | |
| 2/14 | 1986 | |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/1 | Region X (Roman numeral 10)
correspondence
Correspondence to and from Dignity Region X (Pacific
Region).
|
circa 1989-1998 |
Series D: General files, 1980-1996Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/2 | Articles
Includes various articles written by different individuals
concerning Dignity and religious issues.
|
circa 1993 |
| 3/3 | Bylaws
Copies of the regional and national chapters' bylaws. The
regional is undated and the national is dated 1985.
|
1985; undated |
| 3/4 |
Catholic
Sentinel
Brochures and mission statements concerning St. Philip Neri
Parish.
|
circa 1989-1992 |
| 3/5 | Constitution/By-laws of
Dignity/Portland |
circa 1980-1989 |
| 3/6 | Courage
News articles and miscellaneous information on the Catholic
Church group Courage, which attempts to restrain people from engaging in
same-sex activity.
|
circa 1991-1992 |
| 3/7 | Dignity House of Delegates
meeting, Seattle, 1983
Miscellaneous material concerning the 1983 House of
Delegates national meeting that was held in Seattle.
|
|
| 3/8 | Dignity Region X (roman
numeral 10) material
Miscellaneous material concerning Region 10, which includes
the Portland and Seattle chapters.
|
circa 1982 |
| 3/9 | Dignity/Seattle
miscellaneous
Includes flyers and mailings regarding group events.
|
undated |
| 3/10 | Dignity US Chapters listings
and map
Mailing addresses of various Dignity chapters in the U.S.
and Canada, and a map of the regions.
|
1980, 1985 |
| 3/11 | Father Paul--Cassette tape
recording of sermon |
1987 September 20 |
| 3/12 | Founders' Award
Award to Dignity for participation in Esther's Pantry.
|
1986-1987 |
| 3/13 | Lay-led Liturgies |
circa 1993-1994 |
| 3/14 | Letterhead |
undated |
| 3/15 | Levada articles
Newspaper articles on the appointment of William Levada as
Archbishop of San Francisco.
|
1995 |
| 3/16 | Library shelf
list
Computer printout of Dignity's library holdings.
|
circa 1993 |
| 3/17 | Liturgies |
circa 1989-1996 |
| 3/18 | Liturgies and religious
events
Liturgies, marriages, and memorial services.
|
circa 1993-1995 |
| 4/1 | March on Washington, OCA
(Oregon Citizen's Alliance), and news clippings
Includes newspaper articles, letters to the editor, and
other articles related to the 1993 March on Washington; the Oregon Citizens
Alliance; and civil rights for Gay and Lesbian people in Oregon.
|
circa 1993 |
| 4/2 | Masses and
liturgies
Includes miscellaneous Dignity masses and liturgies.
|
1993-1994 |
| 4/3 | Membership
Computer printouts of membership lists and miscellaneous
material dealing with membership.
|
1990-1994 |
| 4/5 | Memorial services
Memorial services for Peter Higgins and Steven Schlitt.
Includes death certificate for Schlitt and copy of Probate Record of Higgins,
who made a bequest to Dignity/Portland.
|
1986 |
| 4/5 |
Newsweek
Includes article "Born or bred?" on homosexuality.
|
1992 February 24 |
| 4/6 | PFAB (People of Faith Against
Bigotry)
Meeting minutes, mission statements, correspondence, and
considerable information on the Oregon Citizens Alliance anti-Gay ballot
measure, including PFAB brochures opposing them.
|
1992-1993 |
| 4/7 | Portland-area phone tree
list, annual retreat |
1985 |
| 4/8 | Photographs
Includes miscellaneous photographs, mostly unlabeled, but
two with dates of 1992 or 1995 from Dignity retreats. Also included is a letter
postmarked November 24, 1992 with a thank-you note and unidentified unrelated
photo. All material in this folder was with Dignity/Portland newsletters.
|
circa 1992, 1995 |
| 4/9 | Portland
unidentified
Includes miscellaneous newsletters, flyers, and reports of
Dignity/Portland not otherwise identified.
|
circa 1995 |
| 4/10 | President's Award
National office's award to Dignity/Portland for its
newsletter, July 30, 1993.
|
1993 |
| 4/11 | Pride Foundation grant
application
Application from Dignity/Portland for grant money.
|
1993 |
| 4/12 | Program flyers and related
materials
Includes flyers, correspondence and press releases
concerning various political, social, and civic activities of Dignity.
|
circa 1993-1996 |
| 4/13 | Ratzinger, Joseph
Cardinal--Letter
Letter to bishops from Cardinal Ratzinger on the Catholic
Church's position on homosexuality.
|
1986 |
| 4/14 | Retreats
Includes miscellaneous information on retreats, meetings
with diocesan officials, correspondence, and mailing lists. Also includes
packet of unidentified photos.
|
circa 1986-1993 |
| 5/1 | Secretary of State
correspondence
Correspondence regarding registration of corporate name.
|
1992-1993 |
| 5/2 | Social and political
events
Flyers, brochures, and correspondence concerning various
social and political events in which Dignity/Portland participated.
|
1992-1996 |
| 5/3 | St. Philip Neri
Parish
Directory of services and programs.
|
1992 |
| 5/4 | Sunday Evening Prayer I, Week
II
Includes miscellaneous prayers, hymns and other information,
most dating to 1994; includes a letter from a priest withdrawing from
celebration of mass due to diocesan policy on homosexuality.
|
circa 1994 |
| 5/5 | Vatican document
1992
News reports and Dignity responses to Vatican opposition to
sexual orientation legislation; also includes unrelated matter on civil rights
issues, such as Stonewall 25.
|
1992 |
Series E: Financial records, 1985-1995Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/6 | Bank deposit
receipts |
1989-1993 |
| 5/7-12 | Bank statements |
1979-1984 |
| 6/1-2 | Bank statements |
1985-1986 |
| 6/3-9 | Canceled checks |
1987-1993 |
| 7/1 | Check stubs |
1986-1993 |
| 7/2 | Deposit records |
1985-1993 |
| 7/3 | General financial
records
Includes miscellaneous invoices for printing, ads, receipts
for dinners.
|
1989-1996 |
| 7/4 | Invoices
Includes miscellaneous bills and invoices for
Dignity/Portland.
|
circa 1993-1995 |
| 7/5 | IRS 501(c)(3)
letter
Letter from IRS documenting Dignity/Portland's tax-exempt
status.
|
1993 |
| 7/6 | Monthly financial
reports |
1986 |
| 7/7 | Order for Dignity
checks |
undated |
| 7/8-21 | Paid receipts |
1988-1993; undated |
| 7/22 | Savings account
Bank books related to the Dignity/Portland savings
account.
|
1986-1987 |
| 7/23 | Treasurer's
Reports
Includes miscellaneous financial records and reports.
|
1993 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Gay rights--Oregon.
- Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest.
- Gays--Legal status, laws, etc.--Oregon.
- Gays--Oregon--Identity.
Corporate Names
- Dignity/Portland, Inc.
Geographical Names
- Oregon--Politics and government.
- Portland (Or.)--History
Form or Genre Terms
- Financial records.
- Letters (Correspondence)
- Newsletters.
- Printed ephemera.
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