AHJ_ah12670 Inventory of the John Wilkens Colorado Amendment 2 Newspaper Article Collection, 1991-1996 Wilkens (John) Colorado Amendment 2 Newspaper Article Collection Processed by Michael W. Harris University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2017

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by Michael W. Harris June 2017 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Wilkens, John John Wilkens Colorado Amendment 2 Newspaper Article Collection 1991-1996 12670 9.83 cubic ft. (11 boxes) University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English The John Wilkens Colorado Amendment 2 Newspaper Article collection contains thousands of clippings (as well as complete issues of newspapers) pertaining to the passage and eventual nullification of Colorado’s Amendment 2, a ballot measure intended to prevent local governments from providing legal protections for LGBT-identified individuals. The scope of this collection attempts to capture all mentions (direct, indirect, and peripheral) of LBGT issues, personalities, and culture in select Colorado newspapers during the time Amendment 2 was active. History of the Collection

John Wilkens was a graduate student in Journalism at University of Colorado at Boulder in the early 1990s when Colorado’s Amendment 2 was being proposed, debated, approved, and ultimately ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1996. (Amendment 2 was a voter-approved measure barring local governments from providing legal protections to people who identify as LGBT.) While at CU, Wilkens began keeping newspaper clipping files on the debate as well as tangential coverage about LGBT issues for a potential doctoral project. The collection dates from January 1991 to June 1996 and is sourced primarily from the major newspapers in Denver and Boulder.

 Scope and Content

The collection contains thousands of newspaper articles from between 1991 and 1996 involving LGBT rights in Colorado and general coverage of LBGT issues, personalities, and culture taking place throughout the US. The majority are individual articles clipped from the major daily and weekly papers in Denver and Boulder (the Denver Post, the Rocky Mountain News, Westword, the Boulder Daily Camera, and the Colorado Daily), but some entire issues of newspapers are contained within the collection, along with stories and issues from non-Colorado newspapers.

 Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

 Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

 Related Materials

Other materials related to Colorado Amendement 2 can be found at:

Colorado Springs gay rights collection, HQ76.8.U6 C6, Colorado College Special Collections and Archives

Equality Colorado Records, WH1787, Denver Public Library Western History Collection

Evans v. Romer papers, WH2010, Denver Public Library Western History Collection

Besty Stephens Papers, WH2336, Denver Pulbic Library Western History Collection

Amendment 2 collection, MSS #1550, History Colorado Stephen H. Hart Library and Research Center

Colorado for Family Values collection, MSS #1699, History Colorado Stephen H. Hart Library and Research Center

 Acquisition Information

This material was received from John Wilkens in April 2017.

 Processing Information

The collection was processed by Michael W. Harris in June 2017.

 Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Access Terms Social justice -- United States Gay rights Gay rights -- Colorado Political activists -- Gays -- Colorado Civil rights -- Gays -- Colorado Gays -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Colorado Gays -- Political activity -- Colorado Homosexuality -- Political aspects -- Colorado Homosexuality -- Law and legislation -- Colorado United States -- Supreme Court -- Trials, litigation, etc. Gay rights -- Colorado -- Trials, litigation, etc. Colorado -- History -- 1951- People, Ethnicity, and Culture Gays and Lesbians Container List 1Denver Post newspaper articles about LGBT issues (58 folders)January 1, 1992- April 30, 1994 2Denver Post articles, LGBT rights (14 folders)May 1, 1994- November 25, 1994 2Denver Post, Amendment 2 trial and coverageSeptember-October 1993 11Denver Post clippings 2Colorado Daily News, LGBT rights news (17 folders)September 13, 1990- April 14, 1995 2Westword (12 folders)January 30, 1991- October 11, 1994 2Boulder Daily Camera (5 folders)September 1, 1991-December 31, 1991 3Rocky Mountain News (55 folders)December 6, 1991-April 1,1994 4Rocky Mountain News (18 folders)April 1, 1994- December 31, 1994 11Rocky Mountain News clippings 4Misc. articlesJuly 1993 4Articles to inputUndated 4Unfiled articlesUndated 4To copyUndated 4RMN to copyJanuary 28, 1991-March 31, 1991 4Various LGBT articles, Colorado newspapersJanuary 28, 1991- February 22, 1995 4Daily Camera to Copyc. 1991 4Leftovers to fileUndated 4Denver Post to copyFebruary 21, 1991-May 29, 1991 4Colorado Daily to copyFebruary 1-3, 1991-March 22, 1991 4Binder of scanned and print news articles about Amendment 2January 3, 1991- January 31, 1993 4Amendment 2 background information1992-1995 5-7Denver Post full newspapersNovember 9, 1992- December 8, 1994 7Westword full newspapersDecember 25, 1991- January 3, 1995 8-9Various full newspapers regarding Amendment 2 and LGBT rightsMarch 16, 1993- June 18, 1996 10Miscellaneous news clippings, Amendment 2 (10 folders)February 15, 1992- May 21 1996