00415 CAMPAIGN 90s (SAINT PAUL, MINN.): An Inventory of Its Organizational Records Finding aid prepared by Lara Friedman-Shedlov. Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

 Finding aid encoded by Lyda Morehouse, November 17, 1999. Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Campaign 90s (Saint Paul, Minn.). Organizational records. 1987-1991. Miscellaneous records of Campaign 90s and its predecessor groups, Campaign 90 and Yes For Human Rights, which campaigned for a human rights ordinance protecting gay rights in the city of St. Paul. 0.5 cu. ft. (1 box) See Detailed Description section for shelf locations. HISTORY OF CAMPAIGN 90s

In 1988, the St. Paul City Council proposed an amendment to the city charter that would prohibit the use of the referendum and initiative processes for city ordinances relating to human rights, including any ordinances the city might pass protecting individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation. While at the time the city had no ordinance protecting gay rights, the amendment was viewed by opponents as a "back-door" gay rights measure, since it would prevent the voters from repealing by referendum any gay rights ordinance the council might subsequently pass. In September of 1988, the organization Yes for Human Rights was formed to campaign for the passage of the amendment. Many of the group's supporters hoped the amendment would prevent a repeat of the 1978 repeal of a gay rights provision that had been passed by the city council earlier that year.

The 1988 campaign to amend the city charter failed, but Yes For Human Rights did not give up. Now renamed Campaign 90, the group refocused its efforts on getting the St. Paul City Council to pass a human rights ordinance which would make it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation. The organization was also prepared to battle the inevitable repeal effort that opponents would subsequently launch.

In late June of 1990, the council passed the ordinance. After several months spent quietly gathering signatures on a petition, a campaign to repeal it by referendum was initiated by the opposition group Citizen Alert in February of 1991. Under the amended name Campaign 90s, activists mobilized to protect the ordinance. In November of 1991, St. Paul voters soundly defeated the repeal measure.

 SCOPE AND CONTENTS

Records include correspondence, memoranda, notes, agendas, lists, news clippings, press releases, campaign literature, and other materials documenting the efforts of Campaign 90s and its predecessor groups, Campaign 90 and Yes For Human Rights, to pass and protect from repeal a human rights ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the city of St. Paul.

ARRANGEMENT

These records are organized into the following sections:

Yes For Human Rights: 1988 Campaign. Campaign 90: 1990 Campaign. Campaign 90s: 1991 Campaign. RELATED MATERIALS

Additional materials related to the campaign to amend the St. Paul human rights ordinance can be found in the Leo Treadway records related to the Minnesota gay movement, separately cataloged in the Minnesota Historical Society manuscript collections.

 CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Discrimination--Minnesota. Civil rights--Minnesota--Saint Paul. Gay liberation movement--Minnesota. Gays--Legal status, laws, etc.--Minnesota.--Saint Paul. Gay rights--Minnesota.--Saint Paul. Homosexuality--Law and legislation. Places: Saint Paul (Minn.)--Politics and government. Persons: Schlick, Deborah. Organizations: Citizens Alert (Minn.). Phoenix Alliance (Minn.). Yes For Human Rights (Saint Paul, Minn.). Campaign 90 (Saint Paul, Minn.). Titles: City of St. Paul Civil and Human Rights Ordinance. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Campaign 90s Organizational Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

 Accession Information:

Accession number: 15,370

 Processing Information:

Processed by: Lara D. Friedman~Shedlov, May 1999

Catalog ID number: 09-00320892

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Yes For Human Rights: 1988 Campaign

All materials in this section are dated 1988 unless otherwise indicated.

 144.F.3.5B 1 Reports, agendas, notes, calendars, contact lists, election results, and other material. Charter Commission, 1987-1988.

The St. Paul Charter Commission was formed to propose amendments to the charter of the city of St. Paul.

144.F.3.5B 1 Phoenix Alliance.

Phoenix Alliance is a St. Paul human rights group.

 Volunteers. Endorsements. Coalitions. Letters to editors and voters. Opposition. Speaking engagements. Publicity/outreach. News clippings. Campaign 90: 1990 Campaign

All materials are dated 1990 unless otherwise indicated.

 144.F.3.5B 1 Correspondence, memos, notes, publicity, outreach, and other materials. Lists of contacts. News clippings, 1989-1990. Campaign 90s: 1991 Campaign

All materials are dated 1991.

 144.F.3.5B 1 Correspondence, memos, notes, agendas, and other materials. Legal documents. Endorsements. Correspondence with volunteers. Correspondence with churches. Lists of volunteers and donors. Opposition: Citizen Alert. Fund raising and special events. Campaign literature and advertising. Press releases and editorials. News clippings.