Lex Watson papers relating to the gay rights movement and AIDS organisations, 1968-2001

MLMSS 10553

fonds

1968-2001

9641497

2.56 metres of textual material (16 boxes)

Alexander “Lex” Watson was born in Perth, WA, in 1943. He began teaching politics at the University of Sydney in 1964. He was a founding member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) formed in Sydney in 1970, which was Australia’s first openly gay advocacy organisation. From the early 1970s Watson was a regular contributor to the Sydney Star newspaper and was featured in several interviews about gay rights by other Australian media.
In 1980, with Craig Johnston, Watson helped establish the Gay Rights Lobby (GRL) (now known as the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby), and began the push to decriminalise homosexual acts under the Crimes Act 1900. Watson helped to form the AIDS Action Committee in mid-1983, which later became the AIDS Council of NSW (ACON), serving as its first president.
After his retirement from Sydney University, Lex became involved in the Pride History Group, Sydney’s gay and lesbian history group. At the time of his death, in May 2014, he was president of this key LGBT history association.
Reference: Library acquisition file

Since Lex Watson’s death in 2014 his archive has been kept and sorted/arranged by archivist, friend and fellow activist Robert French. The donation of this archive to the SLNSW has been authorised by Nicholas Dundas, nephew and Executor for the Estate of Alexander Watson.

Paper collected by academic and gay rights activist Alexander 'Lex' Watson between 1968 and 2001, being records from groups Watson was associated with and other groups espousing gay and lesbian rights and equality through politics, media representation, law reform, and HIV/AIDS activism, research and awareness.

BOX 1
ACT Homosexual Law Reform society, 1969
Humanist Society of NSW-HLR Committee, 1969-1970
Law School Seminar-Male Sex Offences, 1970
Australian Lesbian Movement, 1970-1972
CAMPAIGN AGAINST MORAL PERSECUTION (1970-1975)
CAMP including -Correspondence and Papers, 1970-1972
CAMP NSW-Minutes of Meetings, 1971-1975
CAMP NSW-Correspondence, 1972-1973
CAMP NSW-Federal Taxation Discrimination, 1972
CAMP NSW-Law Reform Sub-Committee, 1972
(including. ACT law, Vic Homosexual Law Reform Society), (1968-1975)
CAMP NSW -Legal Action Sub-Committee, 1971
CAMP NSW-Law Reform Sub-Committee-MP meeting, 1971
CAMP NSW-Law Reform Sub-Committee-MP Survey, 1972
CAMP NSW-Lowe Campaign, 1972

BOX 2
CAMP NSW-Churches, 1973-1981
CAMP NSW- Bulletins, 1972-1980
CAMP NSW-Miscellaneous handouts, 1976-1979
CAMP NSW-Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1979-1980
Camp Women, 1972-1973
Campus CAMP-Sydney University, 1971, (including Registration with the University and Membership)
Sydney Gay Liberation, 1972-1974

BOX 3
Gay and Lesbian Groups-NSW, (1973-1981)
Acceptance, 1975-1981
Ad Hoc [Active Defence of Homosexuals on Campus], Sydney University, 1977
ALP Gay Group, 1980-1981
Boomerangs, 1981
CAMP-Gay Liberation (Armidale and Tamworth), 1973
Chutzpah (Jewish Homosexual Group), 1974-1975
Clover Business Women’s Club, 1980-1981
Country Network, 1980
Gay Community Services Centre, 1980
Gay Left, 1980
Gay Men’s Rap, 1978
Gay Solidarity Group, 1978-1980
Gay Task Force, 1980
Gay Teachers Group (NSW), 1978-1981
Gay Trade Union Group (NSW), 1978-1980
Greg Weir Campaign, 1975-1979
Group 11-Penrith. ?
Lambda Listening, 1979-1980
Metropolitan Community Church (Sydney), 1975-1976
Mountaineers (Blue Mountains). ?
NSW Council of Gay Groups (COGC), 1979-1981
Summer Offence (National), 1979
SWAG (South West Area Gays-Wagga), 1979-1980
Sydney Gay Business Association, 1981
UNSW Gay Soc., 1980-1981
Villagers (Liverpool), 1980-1981
Young Gays, 1980

BOX 4
Gay and Lesbian Groups Interstate, (1972-1984)
Australian Capital Territory
ACT Ordinance, 1976
HANU-Homosexuals at ANU, 1977
Northern Territory
Darwin Gay society, 1984
Queensland
CAMP Queensland, 1973-1978
Cross Section Queesland, 1974
CAMPUS CAMP, University of Queensland, 1973-1976
South Australia
CAMP South Australia, 1972-1974
CAMP Counselling Group, 1973
Gay Counselling Service, 1979
Gay Activist Alliance, 1972-1973
Adelaide Homosexual Alliance, 1974-1979
Dr Duncan Bookshop, 1974-1976
Christ’s Community Church, 1980-1981
Tasmania
CAMP North (Launceston), 1973

BOX 5
Gay and Lesbian Groups interstate, 1970-1988
Victoria
Central Victorian Gay Group, 1977-1978
Gay Teachers, 1976-1979
Gay Lib-Melbourne, 1973-1975
Gay Trade Union Group Vic, 1979
Lesbian Newsletter, 1977
Males Against Sexism, 1977-1978
Melbourne University Gay Society, 1976-1979
Metropolitan Community Church Vic, 1974-1980
Society 5 (CAMP Vic), 1973
Western Australia
CAMP Western Australia, 1972-1974
CAMP Western Australia-West CAMPaginer, 1973-1988

BOX 6
Homosexual Law Reform 1
New South Wales
Homosexuality-Crime Survey, 1971-1980, (including correspondence with UK Home Office), (1955-1980)
[Homosexual] Casebook, 1972-1981, (including correspondence with accused)
Homosexual Rights Coalition, 1974-75, (including correspondence with Members of Parliament)
Homosexual Rights Coalition, 1976, (including. a survey of Members of Parliament)
Victimless Crimes Seminar, 1977
Street Offences 1978-1981, (including Lovett case 1981)
Gay Radio and TV, 1977-1979, (including. News scripts for GayWaves)

BOX 7
Homosexual Law Reform 2
New South Wales
Gay Liberation Sydney, 1975
Homosexual Law Reform NSW, 1976
Homosexual Law Reform NSW, 1977
Sexual Assault, 1978
Homosexual Reform NSW, 1980
Gay Rights Lobby-HLR, 1981
Gay Rights Lobby-HLR-Rape legislation, 1981
Gay Rights Lobby-Endorsements, 1981
Gay Rights Lobby-Post election, 1981
Gay Rights Lobby-Petersen Bill, 1981
Gay Rights Lobby-Petersen Correspondence, 1981
Homosexual Law Reform Coalition-Bills, 1982
Homosexual Law Reform, 1982
Homosexual Law Reform, 1984

BOX 8
Homosexual Law Reform 3
Interstate and Overseas
ACT Homosexual Law Reform Society Newsletters, 1969
Australian Capital Territory Homosexual Law Reform, 1971-1975
Australian Capital Territory Homosexual Law Reform, 1984
South Australia-Homosexual Law Reform, 1972-1976
Western Australia-Homosexual Law Reform, 1973-1979
Victoria-Homosexual Law Reform, 1976-1981 (including. Homosexual Law Reform Coalition correspondence)
TasmaniaHomosexual Law Reform1977 (March-Nov), (including correspondence with Homosexual Law Reform Group and John Green MHA)
Northern Territory-Homosexual Law Reform1981-1982 including correspondence with Terry McClafferty)
Federal Anti-Discrimination laws, 1982
Overseas Laws, 1977

BOX 9
AIDS Action Committee (AAC), (1983)
AAC Minutes and Papers of inaugural meeting, 16 May 1983
AAC Minutes and Papers of Public Meeting, 26 June 1983
ACC Minutes and Papers, 10 July 1983
AAC Papers relating to the Public Forum, 15 August 1983
ACC Papers and Correspondence, 21 August 1983
AAC Minutes and Papers, 6 October 1983
AAC Correspondence and Papers, November 1983
AAC Information FolderJune-September, 1983
AAC LeafletsJuly-August 1983
AAC Articles and Media references, 1982-1983
AAC Research Project at St Vincent’s Hospital, August 1984
AAC International materialsJune-October 1983 [including NY Gay Men’s Health Crisis Manual and National March on Washington]
Australian AIDS Action Committee
AAAC Papers and CorrespondenceJuly-October 1983
AAAC Minutes of 1st Formal meeting, 25 February 1984
AAAC Ministerial meeting 1983 (September)[including information on the formation of the AAC]

BOX 10
AIDS Action Committee (AAC) 1984
AAC Minutes and Papers, 9 February 1984
AAC Minutes and Papers, 8 March 1984
AAC Minutes and Papers, 4 April 1984
AAC Draft Minutes (of Robert French), 15 May 1984
AAC Minutes and Papers, June 1984
AAC Minutes and papers, 31 October 1984
AAC Papers and Correspondence, November 1984
AAC Agenda and Papers, 19 December 1984
AAC Anti-Discrimination Board Consultation, November 1984
AAC AIDS Taskforce correspondence, December 1984
AAC Article for Current Affairs Bulletin, December 1984
AAC AIDS Pamphlets, 1984
AAC VAAC Education Working PaperAugust-December 1984
AAC Other Interstate Action Committees, 1984
AAC UK Aids Action Group, February 1984

BOX 11
AIDS Council of NSW (January-June 1985)
Sydney AIDS Groups / Services-papers, 12 January 1985
ACON Agenda and Papers, 17 January
ACON Minutes and Papers, 24 January
ACON Minutes and Papers, 31 January
ACON Minutes, 03 February
ACON Agenda and Papers, 14 February
ACON Minutes and Papers, 25 February
ACON Minutes and Papers, 7 March
ACON Minutes and Papers, 13 March
ACON Minutes and Papers, 21 March
ACON Minutes and Papers, 27 March
ACON Minutes and Papers, 10 April
ACON Agenda, 24 April
ACON Minutes and Papers, 08 May
ACON Minutes and Papers, 22 May
ACON Agenda and Papers, 05 June
ACON Minutes and Papers, 19 June
ACON AGM Minutes and Papers, 25 June

BOX 12
AIDS Council of NSW July-October 1985
ACON Minutes and Constitution 03 July
ACON Minutes and Papers, 16 July
ACON Minutes and Papers Public Meeting, 23 July
ACON Papers, 31 July
ACON Papers for meeting, 14 August
ACON Minutes and Papers, 25 September
ACON Agenda and Papers, 09 October
ACON Agenda and Papers, 15 October

BOX 13
AIDS Council of NSW(1985)
ACON National AIDS Activists Summit, February 1985
ACON Education Committee, 1984-1985
ACON Legislation Committee, August-September 1985
ACON AIDS Research Grants, 1985
ACON Department of Health AIDS Research April, 1985
ACON Department of Health Pamphlets, 1985
ACON Sex and Beats study, 1985 ?
ACON Correspondence, 1983-1985
ACON Anti-Body Testing, 1985
ACON National AIDS Activists Summit, Feb 1985
AAC Mental Health Services, December 1984
AAC San Francisco Study, 1984
ACON BudgetsFeb-March 1985
ACON VAC Condom Study, 1984 ?
ACON Condom Action Group, April-November 1985

BOX 14
AIDS Council of NSW 1986 - 1987
ACON Correspondence and Papers, March-May 1986
ACON Correspondence and papers, September-Dec 1986
ACON Papers, 20 January 1987
ACON Papers, February 1987
ACON Papers, April 1987
ACON Papers, 18 June 1987
ACON Papers, July 1987
ACON Papers, August 1987
ACON Papers and Correspondence, September 1987
ACON Minutes and Papers (87/12), 14 October 1987
ACON Minutes and papers (87/13), 11 November 1987
ACON Minutes and papers(87/14), 9 December 1987
ACON Sydney University AIDS Policy, 1987

BOX 15
AIDS Council of NSW, 1988
ACON Minutes and Papers (1/88), 14 January 1988
ACON Minutes and papers (3/88), 9 March 1988
ACON Papers, May 1988

BOX 16
National Advisory Committee on AIDS (1984/5)
Minutes and Papers (2 Folders), 29 November
Minutes and Papers, 13 December
Minutes and Papers, 21 January
Minutes and Papers, 22 March
Minutes and Papers (3 folders), 15 July
Minutes and Papers (2 folders), 04 October

Copyright status:: In copyright – life of author(s) plus 70 years
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Contents list adapted from inventory supplied by donor.