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Mark Thompson (1952-2016) was a journalist, author and activist best known for his two decade tenure as senior editor for "The Advocate," a long running LGBTQ+ newsmagazine. Thompson penned a wide range of journalistic pieces and novels amplifying LGBTQ+ culture. Following Thompson’s passing in 2016, his materials were gifted to UCLA Library by his brother, John B. Thompson. Thompson’s full collection(opens in a new tab) is now available for researchers and community members to access in UCLA Library Special Collections.
This collection features documentation of Thompson’s written work and his personal memorabilia. Included are papers from Thompson’s career such as his Rolodex from "The Advocate" and professional correspondence from the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the country, ONE Institute, where he served on the board. Additionally, personal materials like love letters from his husband Episcopal priest and author Malcolm Boyd, mail documenting his experience during the AIDS epidemic, Thompson’s library of LGBTQ+ community works and other ephemera can be found in the collection.
“The Mark Thompson papers is the first LGBTQIA+ collection that I have had the opportunity to process,” said Kelly Besser, archivist for Library Special Collections. “The materials in this collection are firmly rooted in Los Angeles queer history and provide historical evidence of the AIDS epidemic, faerie culture, gay spirituality, trans lives, drag culture, and BDSM leather communities.”
Born and raised on California’s Monterey Peninsula, Thompson attended San Francisco State University, where he co-founded the university’s Gay Student Coalition. After studying journalism in college, he went on to launch his career at "The Advocate" in 1975.
In addition to his journalistic work, Thompson authored a trilogy of novels from the 1980s onward focused on gay spirituality: the "Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning," "Gay Soul: Finding the Heart of Gay Spirit" and "Nature and Gay Body: A Journey Through Shadow to Self." Thompson also penned the anthology, "Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics and Practice," and contributed to additional collections, including "Hometowns: Gay Men Write About Where They Belong," "Out in All Directions," "Positively Gay: New Approaches to Gay and Lesbian Life," "Out in Culture," and "Gay Men at the Millennium."
Thompson spoke on the psycho-spiritual aspects of the gay experience at universities and groups across the nation and worked part-time as a psychotherapist for queer youth and people living with HIV.
The Mark Thompson papers offer insight into the experiences of the gay community during the mid to late 90s, as activism efforts surged amidst the AIDS epidemic. “These records are evidence of queer love, life and survival in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. The materials in the Thompson papers are a significant intervention within an academic archive that is predominantly heterosexual,” said Besser, adding that the collection serves as an important representation of a historically marginalized community, and features narratives and identities that will resonate with researchers and community members alike.
The Mark Thompson papers are held by UCLA Library Special Collections, where UCLA’s rare materials are stewarded, including many other collections concerning gay activism. Related materials include the Morris Kight papers, 1975-1993(opens in a new tab); Paul Monette papers, 1945-1995(opens in a new tab); ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives collection of film and video, 1965-1999(opens in a new tab) and Pat Rocco collection of gay erotic shorts, home movies, and other material, 1948-1977, 2003(opens in a new tab). These collections’ contents range from publications and interviews to correspondence and memorabilia tied to gay and lesbian communities and activism.
