Founded in 1952, One Institute (formerly One, Inc., and One Archives Foundation), is the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, dedicated to telling LGBTQ+ history and stories through education, arts, and social justice programs.
Since its inception, the organization has been headquartered in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
History
One Institute was founded in 1952 as ONE Inc. to publish the nation's first wide-circulated, national homosexual periodical, ONE Magazine. The idea for an organization dedicated to homosexuals emerged from a
Mattachine Society
The Mattachine Society (), founded in 1950, was an early national gay rights organization in the United States, preceded by several covert and open organizations, such as Chicago's Society for Human Rights. Communist and labor activist Harry Ha ...
discussion meeting held on October 15, 1952. ONE Inc.'s Articles of Incorporation were signed by Antonio "Tony" Reyes, Martin Block, and
Dale Jennings on November 15, 1952. Other founders were Merton Bird,
W. Dorr Legg, Don Slater, Chuck Rowland, and
Harry Hay
Henry Hay Jr. (April 7, 1912 – October 24, 2002) was an American gay rights activist, communist, and union organizer, labor advocate. He cofounded the Mattachine Society, the first sustained gay rights group in the United States, as well as th ...
, “all of whom sought to unify homosexuals into social action.”
Jennings and Rowland were also Mattachine Society founders. The name was derived from an aphorism of Victorian writer
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian, and philosopher. Known as the "Sage writing, sage of Chelsea, London, Chelsea", his writings strongly influenced the intellectual and artistic culture of the V ...
: "A mystic bond of brotherhood makes all men one." The name was also a nod to referring to a gay person as "one of us". ONE was the first LGBT organization in the United States to have its own office, and as such its offices acted as a prototype LGBT community center. One became the first gay organization in the United States to open a public office (in
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...
), and as such its offices acted as a prototype LGBT community center.
One, Inc. readily admitted women, including—with their pseudonyms—Joan Corbin (as Eve Elloree), Irma Wolf (as Ann Carrl Reid),
Stella Rush (as Sten Russell),
Helen Sandoz (as Helen Sanders), and Betty Perdue (as Geraldine Jackson). They were vital to its early success. ONE and Mattachine in turn provided vital help to the
Daughters of Bilitis
The Daughters of Bilitis (), also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955, was initially conceived as a secret soc ...
in the launching of their newsletter ''
The Ladder'' in 1956. The Daughters of Bilitis was the counterpart lesbian organization to the Mattachine Society, and the organizations worked together on some campaigns and ran lecture series. Bilitis came under attack in the early 1960s for "siding" with Mattachine and ONE, rather than with the new
separatist feminists.
In 1955, One held the ONE Midwinter Institute, the first in a series of conferences to bring together experts and community members to talk about gay and lesbian topics.
In 1956, One created the ONE Institute, an academic institute for the study of homosexuality under the name of "Homophile Studies".
In 1957, marking the first time the Supreme Court of the United States explicitly ruled on homosexuality, ONE Inc. fought to distribute its magazine by mail, and prevailed. The ruling in the case, One, Inc. v. Olesen, not only allowed One to distribute its magazine, but also paved the way for other controversial publications to be sent through the U.S. mail.
Also during the 1950s ONE Inc. became an ad hoc community center and began a library. As the burgeoning gay liberation movement took off and became more closely intertwined with the movements for civil rights of the 1960s and 1970s, ONE Inc., Jim Kepner and a growing group of activists were poised to collect original materials from that critical time period. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, ONE obtained crucial documents chronicling the establishment of the "gay community" and its established and increasingly diverse groups and organizations.
In 1956, ONE established the ONE Institute of Homophile Studies which, in addition to organizing classes and annual conferences, also published the ''ONE Institute Quarterly'', a journal dedicated to the academic exploration of homosexuality.
In 1965, One separated over irreconcilable differences between ONE's business manager Dorr Legg and ''One'' magazine editor Don Slater. After a two-year court battle, Dorr Legg's faction retained the name "ONE, Inc." and Don Slater's faction retained most of the corporate library and archives. In 1968, Slater's group became the Homosexual Information Center or HIC, a non-profit corporation that continues to function.
In 1996, One, Inc. merged with ISHR, the Institute for the Study of Human Resources, a non-profit organization created by transgender philanthropist
Reed Erickson
Reed Erickson (October 13, 1917 – January 3, 1992) was an American transgender man and philanthropist who, according to sociology specialist Aaron H. Devor, largely informed "almost every aspect of work being done in the 1960s and 1970s in t ...
, with ISHR being the surviving organization and ONE being the merging corporation. In 2005, the HIC donated many of its historic materials, including most of ONE Incorporated's Blanche M. Baker Memorial Library, to the
Vern and
Bonnie Bullough Collection on Sex and Gender, a special collection within the
University Library
An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution, which supports the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an es ...
at
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...
. In October 2010, ONE transferred its archives to the
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries is the oldest existing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) organization in the United States and one of the largest repositories of LGBTQ materi ...
at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
for preservation. ONE, Inc. continues to exist to organize exhibits and gather new material.
In 2014, the organization is renamed ONE Archives Foundation.
In 2022, ONE Archives Foundation celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding, and in 2023 celebrated the 70th anniversary of the printing of ONE Magazine.
In September 2023, the organization is renamed One Institute. The name is announced ahead of its inaugural Circa: Queer Histories Festival.
Current Programs
LGBTQ+ History Lesson Plans
One Institute is among a select number of California nonprofits that provide K-12 teacher training and lesson plans to implement California’s the
FAIR ACT and integrate queer history into classrooms in California public schools. One Institute’s state, local, and nonprofit partners include the
California Department of Education
The California Department of Education is an agency within the government of California that oversees public education.
The department oversees funding and testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement. Its s ...
,
LA County Office of Education
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...
,
LA Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the second largest pu ...
, UCLA History-Geography Project, OUT for Safe Schools at the LA LGBT Center, and more.
Arts & Cultural Programs
Each year, One Institute organizes dozens of free and low cost, high quality exhibitions, multimedia projects, and public programs that explore the complexity of LGBTQ+ history through the lens of arts, culture, and contemporary issues. Exhibitions illuminate archival elements from ONE Archives at the USC Libraries alongside artist projects and works.
Circa: Queer Histories Festival
In October 2023 during
LGBT History Month
LGBTQ History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher ...
, One Institute launched Circa: Queer Histories Festival, a month-long LGBTQ+ history festival with events throughout the Los Angeles region. Circa’s annual lineup includes exhibitions, readings, performances, panel conversations, and more, showcasing the trailblazing history and cultural contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.
Youspeak Radio
An intergenerational podcast project, connecting high school students with LGBTQ+ adult trailblazers. Past guests include
Phill Wilson
Phill Wilson is an American activist who founded the Black AIDS Institute in 1999, and served as its CEO, and is a prominent African-American HIV/AIDS activist.
Career
Phill Wilson's career in activism started after he and his partner, Chris ...
,
Helen Zia
Helen Zia (born 1952) is a Chinese American journalist and activist for Asian American and LGBTQ rights. After Vincent Chin's murder, Zia helped found American Citizens for Justice, which successfully lobbied for a federal trial. She is consi ...
,
Bamby Salcedo
Bamby Salcedo (born October 12, 1969) is a Mexican American transgender rights activist. She is the founder of the Los Angeles-based TransLatin@ Coalition.
Early life and education
Salcedo was born at El Hospital Civil de Guadalajara in Guad ...
, and more.
Youth Ambassadors for Queer History
One Institute mentors a core group of high school student leaders from across Los Angeles County to become ambassadors for LGBTQ+ history in their communities. Programming includes LGBTQ+ history presentations; interactive workshops with scholars, activists, and artists; hands-on archival research in ONE Archives at the USC Libraries; and field trips to LGBTQ+ organizations in Los Angeles.
Select Past Programs
''ONE'' Magazine (1953-1967)
In January 1953 One, Inc. began publishing a monthly magazine called ''One'', the first U.S. pro-gay publication,
which it sold openly on the streets of Los Angeles for 25 cents. In October 1954, the
U.S. Post Office Department declared the magazine "obscene" and refused to deliver it. ONE, Inc. brought a lawsuit in federal court, which it lost in 1957. However, when the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the lower court ruling that ONE violated obscenity laws in ''
One, Inc. v. Olesen'' based on its recent landmark
First Amendment
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
case, ''
Roth v. United States''. The Supreme Court thereby upheld constitutional protection for pro-homosexual writing.
The magazine ceased publication in December 1967.
[
]
ONE Institute of Homophile Studies (1956)
In 1956, ONE established the ONE Institute of Homophile Studies which, in addition to organizing classes and annual conferences, also published the ''ONE Institute Quarterly'', a journal dedicated to the academic exploration of homosexuality.
The Normal Heart (2021)
In May 2021, the organization presented a historic virtual reading of Larry Kramer
Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...
's The Normal Heart
''The Normal Heart'' is a largely autobiographical play by Larry Kramer. It focuses on the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the gay founder of a promi ...
reaching audiences across the United States and in 19 countries across the globe. The virtual presentation marked the first time the play featured a cast that is predominately BIPOC
The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...
and LGBTQ. Directed by Emmy Award winner Paris Barclay
Paris K. C. Barclay (born June 30, 1956) is an American television director, producer, and writer. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner and is among the busiest single-camera television directors, having directed nearly 200 episodes of television ...
, cast members of the production included Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox (born May 29, 1972) is an American actress and LGBTQ advocate. She rose to prominence with her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series '' Orange Is the New Black'', becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for a ...
, Jeremy Pope, Vincent Rodriguez III, Guillermo Díaz, Jake Borelli, Ryan O’Connell, Daniel Newman, Jay Hayden and Danielle Savre. An encore presentation of the reading streamed worldwide in December 2021 in honor of World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immu ...
.
Pride Publics: Works in Action (2021)
A public art project that took place in three different locations across Los Angeles, featuring portraits of contemporary LGBTQ+ artists, writers, and community organizers
Days of Rage (2022)
An online multimedia exhibit featuring historical LGBTQ+ activist posters from the collections at ONE Archives at the USC Libraries.
One Gallery, West Hollywood
Since 2008, One Institute has operated One Gallery, an exhibition space in West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757.
History
Most historical writing ...
dedicated to presenting temporary exhibitions on LGBT art and history. The gallery is located in a city owned building that also houses the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives.
In 2011, One participated in the region-wide Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980 initiative with the exhibition Cruising the Archive: Queer Art & Culture in Los Angeles, 1945-1980 which was presented at the ONE Gallery in West Hollywood, as well as at ONE Archives' main location on West Adams Boulevard and in the Treasure Room at the Doheny Library at the University of Southern California Libraries. The exhibition included works by Steven F. Arnold, Don Bachardy, Claire Falkenstein, Anthony Friedkin, Rudi Gernreich, Sister Corita Kent, and Kate Millett, among many other less known or anonymous artists. The only exhibition dedicated to queer content within the PST initiative, this exhibition marked the most comprehensive exhibition of materials from the collections at ONE Archives to date and was accompanied by a scholarly catalogue. The publication included contributions by Ann Cvetkovich, Vaginal Davis, Jennifer Doyle, Jack Halberstam, Catherine Lord, Richard Meyer, Ulrike Müller, and Dean Spade.
The One Gallery has presented solo exhibitions of artwork by Steven F. Arnold and Joey Terrill, exhibitions of historical materials from the collections at ONE, and highlights from the collections of the Tom of Finland Foundation and the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.
Organizational Timeline
The institutional history of One Institute reveals a set of complex, overlapping and groundbreaking activities that provided a wide variety of pioneering services to LGBTQ+ Americans:
See also
* ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries is the oldest existing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) organization in the United States and one of the largest repositories of LGBTQ materi ...
* LGBT rights in the United States
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in the United States are at risk of erosion under the Second presidency of Donald Trump, with transgender rights being most at risk. While lesbian, gay and bisexual rights remain a ...
* List of LGBT rights organizations
This is a list of LGBTQ rights organizations around the world. For social and support groups or organizations affiliated with mainstream religious organizations, please see ''List of LGBT-related organizations and conferences''. For organization ...
* Timeline of LGBT history
The following is the timeline of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people's history.
Before the Common Era 9th millennium BCE – 3rd millennium BCE 101st century BCE – 50th century BCE
* 9,600 BCE  ...
Notes
Further reading
* Bullough, Vern L
''Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context''
Harrington Park Press, 2002.
* Cain, Paul D
''Leading the Parade: Conversations with America's Most Influential Lesbian and Gay Men''
New York, Scarecrow Press, 2002.
* Dynes, Wayne R., ed., ''Encyclopedia of Homosexuality''. New York and London, Garland Publishing, 1990
* Gallo, Marcia. ''Different Daughters: A History of the Daughters of Bilitis and the Rise of the Lesbian Rights Movement''. New York, Carroll and Graf, 2006.
* Johansson, Warren & Percy, William A.
Harrington Park Press, 1994.
* Kepner, James. ''Rough News, Daring Views: 1950s Pioneer Gay Press Journalism''. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press, 1998.
* Legg, W. Dorr. ''Homophile Studies in Theory and Practice''. San Francisco: ONE Institute Press and GLB Publishers, 1999.
* Lofton, Crag M., ed. ''Letters to ONE: Gay and Lesbian Voices from the 1950s and 1960s''. Albany, SUNY Press, 2012. .
* Murdoch, Joyce and Deb Price. ''Courting Justice: Gay Men and Lesbians v. the Supreme Court''. New York: Basic Books, 2001.
* White, C. Todd. ''Pre-Gay L.A.: A Social History of the Movement for Homosexual Rights''. Champagne: University of Illinois Press, 2009.
External links
One Institute official website
* Some of the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries is the oldest existing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) organization in the United States and one of the largest repositories of LGBTQ materi ...
collections, including the entire print run of the magazine, have been digitized and are availabl
online
{{DEFAULTSORT:One, Inc.
1950s in LGBTQ history
1952 establishments in California
Defunct LGBTQ organizations in the United States
History of LGBTQ civil rights in the United States
History of gay men in the United States
LGBTQ political advocacy groups in California
LGBTQ political advocacy groups in the United States
LGBTQ culture in Los Angeles
LGBTQ history in California
LGBTQ history in the United States
Organizations established in 1952
Social justice organizations