mnsss471 Carmen Vázquez Papers, 1951-2007 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Burd Schlessinger. Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College Northampton, MA

2008

Finding aid exported into EAD from InMagic DB/Textworks 7.01. Encoded by Margaret Jessup. June 23, 2008 Finding aid written in English. Collection Overview Vázquez, Carmen Carmen Vázquez Papers1951-2007 MS 557 13 boxes (14.75 linear ft.) English Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College Northampton, MA

Lesbian activist. The Carmen Vázquez Papers document Vazquez's activism for gay and lesbian rights; they include materials pertaining to gay and lesbian health issues, as well as Vazquez's interest and involvement in broader issues of race and class. The collection includes diaries, correspondence, biographical information, an interview, photographs, memorabilia, writings speeches. Biographical Note

Carmen Vázquez at March for Women's Lives,Washington, D.C., 2004

The oldest of seven children, Carmen Vázquez (b. 1949) was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Harlem. She attended the City University of New York, earning a Bachelors in English and a Masters in Education. Vázquez lived and worked in San Francisco for almost two decades, becoming a seasoned activist and movement leader in causes ranging from immigrant rights to lesbian health. She was the founding director of the Women's Building in San Francisco, the Director of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the Coordinator of Lesbian and Gay Health Services for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She was also the co-founder and co-chair of Somos Hermanas, a Central American Women's Solidarity Network.

She returned to New York in 1994 as the Director of Public Policy for the LGBT Community Center in New York City. She has published in many journals, magazines, and anthologies and is a featured speaker at activist conferences including the NGLTF's Creating Change. Vázquez is currently the Deputy Director of Empire State Pride Agenda and lives in Brooklyn.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Carmen Vázquez Papers document Vázquez's activism for gay, lesbian, bi and transgender rights; they include materials pertaining to gay and lesbian health issues, as well as Vázquez's interest and involvement in broader issues of race and class. The collection includes diaries, correspondence, biographical information, an interview, photographs, memorabilia, writings speeches by Vázquez re: LGBT rights; files pertaining to Vázquez's work for LGBT rights, including the LGBT Community Center, Empire State Pride Agenda Federation, and Equality Federation Institute. The activities of the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center are also well-documented.

[NOTE: The contents list for this collection is not online. Contact the Sophia Smith Collection if you would like one sent to you.]

The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection with the following caveats: Access to audiovisual materials may first require production of research copies. This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.

The material in this collection may be protected by copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights for permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." Permission must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Carmen Vázquez Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

Periodic additions to collection are expected and may not be reflected in this record.

The papers were donated to the Sophia Smith Collection by Carmen M. Vázquezin 2006.

Processed by Burd Schlessinger, 2006.

Lesbian activists--United States--Biography--Sources Lesbians--United States--Biography--Sources Lesbian feminism--United States--History--Sources Gay rights--History--Sources Gays--Health and hygiene Hispanic American women--Biography Vázquez, Carmen The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center (New York, N.Y.)