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Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Creator
Browning, Bil
Davis, Jerame
Davis, Jerame Joe, 1975-
Browning, William Dale, 1972-
Topic
Sexual orientation
Political activists
Lesbian and gay experience
Homosexuality
Gay activists
Discrimination in employment
LGBT
Provenance
The papers were donated by Bil Browning and Jerame Davis, in 2015.
Creator
Browning, Bil
Davis, Jerame
Davis, Jerame Joe, 1975-
Browning, William Dale, 1972-
See more items in
Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers
Summary
Bil Browning and his husband, Jerame Davis were activists for LGBT issues, locally in Indiana as well as nationally in Washington, D.C.
Biographical / Historical
Bil Browning (William Dale Browning) was born in Zanesville, Ohio in 1972. Jerame Davis (Jerame Joe Davis) was born in Columbus, Indiana in 1975. After coming out as gay in high school, Browning joined the Clinton presidential election campaign and the organization ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) in 1992. Davis worked for multiple LGBT organizations, including Indiana Equality, Indiana Fairness Network, Columbus Gay/Straight Alliance, Indiana Stonewall Democrats, and Pride at Work. In the late 1990s, Browning and Davis were involved in an employment discrimination case against Fast Max Sunoco in Indiana. This case served as a catalyst for them to continue championing LGBT rights. The same case resulted in their organizing the internet's first gay rights grassroots online action against the local company that had fired them. Since then, Browning has won multiple awards for his work as an activist. He is also a board member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, and an advisory board member of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance. Davis has served as the executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats. Together, Browning and Davis were the co-owners of the Bilerico Project, a group blog that chronicled Indiana politics and LGBT issues for nearly 11 years. On June 30th, 2015, Browning made his last post on the blog, saying that he was taking time off to work on his book. Browning and Davis separated in 2023.
Extent
3.15 Cubic feet (13 boxes)
Date
1972-2015, undated
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.1334
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Posters
Scrapbooks
Petitions
Photographs
Correspondence
Identity cards
Bumper stickers
Periodicals
Oral history
Videocassettes
Programs
School records
Citation
Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers, 1972-2015, undated, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into six series. Series 1: Personal Papers, 1972-2015, undated Series 2: Activism Records, 1992-2012, undated Series 3: Legal Records, 1991-2011, undated Series 4: Publications, 1981-2014, undated Series 5: Photographs, 1972-2006, undated Series 6: Audiovisual, 1992-2008, undated
Processing Information
Processed by Sara N. Dorfman, intern, 2015; supervised by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archives specialist.
Rights
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form
Posters -- 21st century
Scrapbooks -- 20th century
Petitions
Photographs -- 1980-2000
Correspondence -- 21st century
Identity cards
Bumper stickers
Periodicals -- 21st century
Oral history -- 2010-2020
Videocassettes
Programs -- 21st century
School records -- 1980-2000
Scope and Contents
The Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers consist of approximately 3.15 cubic feet documenting their activism on behalf of LGBT rights in Indiana, and includes correspondence, photographs, school papers, a scrapbook from Browning's youth, posters, petitions, handouts, bumper stickers, periodicals, conference and event programs, ID cards, VHS recordings, and printed materials. There are extensive notes from an oral history interview with Browning and Davis conducted by Archives Center intern, Sara Dorfman, in Series 1. Series 1, Personal Papers, 1972-2015, undated, consists of correspondence between Browning and his friends and family, school-related materials such as yearbooks and report cards, an oral history interview, and a scrapbook from Browning's youth. The scrapbook contains materials pertaining to Browning's work with ACT-UP, along with letters and other personal materials. Series 2, Activism Records, 1992-2012, undated, contains papers from the Fast Max Sunoco employment discrimination case, papers from the Indiana Stonewall Democrats, conference and event programs, papers from Indiana Equality, papers from the Human Rights Campaign, papers from Pride at Work, a presentation on LGBT youth homelessness from the LGBT Editor/Blogger Convening, an invitation to the inauguration of President Obama, an invitation to LGBT Pride Month from the White House, and papers from the Bilerico LGBT Media Foundation. Series 3, Legal Records, 1991-2011, undated, contains financial records as well as papers from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and documents regarding termination of child support paid by Browning's father. Series 4, Publications, 1981-2014, undated, includes newspaper clippings relating to Browning's youth, LGBT events, and ACT-UP. It also contains pamphlets, hand-outs from conferences, and multiple LGBT periodicals from around the United States, such as the Washington Blade, that claims to be the oldest LGBT newspaper in the country. Series 5, Photographs, 1972-2006, undated, contains photos from Browning's youth, friends and family of Browning and Davis, Browning's significant others, protests, and drag shows. Series 6, Audiovisual, 1992-2008, undated, covers Browning's involvement with the organization ACT-UP, interviews with Browning, an open forum led by Jerame Davis in response to a protest against Cummins, a rally staged by the Indiana Action Network, and various clips from news programs covering some of these events.
Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1503513445828-1503513445834-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8ea671fa9-7b26-443f-bfa3-b4f69099f583

In the Collection

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  • Support stickers

  • Activism Records

  • Group at National Equality March, Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2009. Color photoprint.

  • National Equality March (Washington, D.C.)

  • Middle school yearbook (Driver Middle School)

  • Playbill

  • CPAC media pass and lanyard

  • Netroots Nation lanyard

  • Service Employees International Union convention (Denver, Colorado)

  • QNotes Press Pass

  • Family Pride Speakers' Toolkit (Washington, D.C.)

  • Iowa Tests of Basic Skills

  • Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX)

  • Union Little Hoosiers news clipping (Indiana Junior Historical Society)

  • National Conference on LGBT Equality lanyard

  • The Word (Indianapolis, Indiana)

  • Middle school yearbook (Driver Middle School)

  • Golden Era, yearbook (Winchester Community High School)

  • Reading Olympics Awards, March of Dimes (Willard Elementary School)

  • Daily News (New York, New York)

  • Press passes

  • Graduation cards

  • Holiday cards

  • Lambda Consulting Inc.

  • Adamson, Zachary and Mosburg, Christian, marriage license and invitation

  • Funders for Gay and Lesbian Issues

  • Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

  • Gay Way

  • Sticky's Tree Job, Sticky's Tree Service, Germ - City Hall

  • Gerald Paul Sprinkle (memorial service)

  • "The Murder?", short story

  • Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

  • Pride Festival (Goodanis, Steven; Hawksworth, Paige)

  • Castro Guide pamphlet

  • Scott Keller for City Council campaign (Indianapolis, Indiana)

  • Amateur Athletic Union Physical Fitness Test

  • First haircut certificate

  • Middle school report cards (Driver Middle School)

  • Photographs

  • Gay/Straight Alliance (Columbus, Indiana)

  • Honor roll (Winchester Community High School)

  • Jerame Davis (Marion County, Indiana)

  • Bill Clinton tourism, Clinton Presidential Center

  • Visions: The Falcon's View (Winchester Community High School literary magazine)

  • People Learning Acceptance Creating Equality (Modesto, California)

  • Official adjudicator's comment sheet, vocal solos (Indiana State School Music Association) (Driver Middle School)

  • Indiana Legislative Insight (IN Group)

  • Scrapbook

  • Indiana Action Network

  • National Gay and Lesbian Task Force conference (Baltimore, Maryland)

  • Presidential Academic Fitness Award

  • Ephemera

  • Miss Slumgoddess Pageant

  • Franklin Edward Kameny (memorial service)

  • Russell Brown state senate campaign

  • Organizing Convention (Indiana Equality and Human Rights Campaign)

  • Freedom Indiana

  • OutQ in the Morning with Larry Flick

  • Golden Era, yearbook (Winchester Community High School)

  • Golden Times (Winchester Community High School newspaper)

  • The Republic (Columbus, Indiana)

  • Personal Papers

  • Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus (Tampa, Florida)

  • Middle school yearbook (Driver Middle School)

  • House party sheets

  • Issue Survey TeleResearch Corporation (Marion County, Indiana)

  • Q Magazine (Key West, Florida)

  • Invitation to LGBT Pride Month (The White House, Washington D.C.)

  • Bloomington Independent (Bloomington, Indiana)

  • Netroots Nation (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

  • National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association

  • Publications

  • High school prom program (Winchester Community High School)

  • National Science Olympiad

  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month (Washington, D.C.)

  • Let Us Pray poem

  • Pride at Work (South Central Indiana Chapter)

  • Anniversary card

  • Love Won Out conference (Indianapolis, Indiana)

  • Family Acceptance Project (San Francisco State University)

  • Housewarming and birthday party invitations

  • Home video of condom pass-out (News channels 25, 7, 14)

  • The News-Gazette (Winchester Community High School)

  • Indiana Equality

  • Financial records

  • Paul Cram

  • Jerame Davis's choir letters

  • Marriage Equality

  • Arcus Foundation Annual Report

  • Kocolene - Fast Max Sunoco Protest (Davis, Jerame; Owen, Matt; Walters, Brian; Browning, Bil; Phelps, Kevin; Ashby, Steven; Hawking, C.J.; Cazares, Josh)

  • Correspondence

  • Audiovisual

  • Indiana Equality

  • Suzanne Westenhoefer programs

  • Indiana University

  • Political ephemera

  • Assorted activism materials (American Civil Liberties Union, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Consulting Inc.)

  • Miss Gay IU Pageant (Geiger, Victoria)

  • Candidate filing confirmation (Marion County, Indiana)

  • High school graduation achievement letters

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Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers
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International media Interoperability Framework
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