San Diego’s Lambda Archives Faces Federal Grant Cuts
When Jess Jessop founded Lambda Archives of San Diego in 1987 (then known as Lesbian and Gay Archives of San Diego), grant money explicitly directed to the LGBT community was almost unheard of. Corporations were fearful enough of their name being associated even with HIV/AIDS causes, much less an organization explicitly dedicated to such a marginalized community. And government grant money explicitly directed to the queer community was pretty much verboten.
Today, the majority of funds that uphold some of our largest and most important community organizations comes from a combination of local, state and federal grants. While this has enabled a level of support and services that could only be dreamed of when Lambda Archives was founded, it has also left many LGBTQ organizations extremely vulnerable. Few envisioned the kind of assault the Trump Administration has unleashed on anything remotely associated with DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusion), but it is here.
This week, Lambda Archives of San Diego was informed of reductions or suspension of several grants. Those grants are what are known as pass-thru grants, many of which originated at the federal level, and were then given to states to pass on to various organizations that fell within the funding parameters of the legislation.
This will likely be only the beginning of grant cancellation or suspension to hit our community. Lambda Archives will be one of many organizations in our community hit by Trump/DOGE/Musk. While some funding may ultimately be restored by courts, this will be cold comfort to organizations that rely on this money to pay for staff and projects. At the very least, grant funding recipients may be forced to cut staff positions and drop some projects/services all together. Other organizations may be shuttered altogether.
For Lambda Archives, cuts have already been implemented. Two staff members have had to be let go, and projects to digitize the archive will be scaled back or put on hold. While the archives themselves are secure, their mission will be significantly impacted. And this is only the beginning of a long four years.
“As a small nonprofit that relies heavily on grant funding, we can manage when one or two grants are reduced or cut; but the combination of all of these cuts end up being really challenging for us to navigate,” said Lambda Managing Director Nicole Verdes, “We are staring down a reality where funding for LGBTQ+ history and culture is becoming more unstable, and that’s terrifying. If this is where we are now, what will the next four years look like? How much more will we be forced to lose? At a time when our history is under attack nationwide, we should be expanding access to LGBTQ+ stories, not being pushed in a direction that forces us to cut back on that. That’s why we launched the ‘Protect LGBTQ+ History’ campaign—because no matter how much funding is cut, we refuse to let our history disappear."
As more organizations are notified, the competition for replacement dollars from the community will become intense. The nightmare scenario would be that Trump’s economic and foreign policy decisions put the country into a recession. Should that happen, donations would also dry up in an instant.
Why are the Archives important?
The Lambda Archives function as a collective memory for the community. They document past struggles, achievements, and most importantly, techniques used to overcome challenges many thought were behind us. For activists and advocates alike, the archives are a treasure trove and inspiration. They remind us that we have faced worse, and overcome. The decimation of our community at the hands of HIV/AIDS, the violence and gay bashings that were rampant in the 80’s and 90’s, targeting by police, the political hostility, indifference and barriers to our economic success are all documented in the archives, just as Jess Jessop had hoped.
The archive is one of the largest and well maintained repositories of LGBTQ history in the country. That kind of resource is particularly vital to the trans community, which has been a favorite target of Trump and conservatives. Much of the administration’s efforts have been geared towards the public erasure of the trans community, and the archives serve as a bulwark against that. In that regard, the archive is serving precisely the purpose it was intended for.
Who is Jess Jessop?
Jess Jessop moved to San Diego at the age of 23 to attend San Diego State University. He went on to serve in the US Navy Hospital Corps and was awarded the Navy Silver Star for heroism. His dedication to the San Diego LGBTQ was unquestionably profound. Besides establishing the archives, he also served as the first executive director for what is now known as The Center. He also served with the San Diego AIDS Project and was active in the local college chapter of the Gay Liberation Front. Jessop passed away in February of 1990 due to complications from AIDS, a few years shy of medications that would have saved him.
This letter, courtesy of Lambda Archives of San Diego, gives an insight to him in his own words:
A letter to a friend. January 20th, 1990. Dear Carolyn,
It was great to hear from you. Yes, I’m still hanging in there and I really don’t know why. When I left the hospital the last time, it was not because I was better off than when I went in. It was just that after two weeks of IV antibiotics around the clock, I realized that they had done all that could be done. I was also very demoralized by the whole experience, and felt that the best thing I could do for myself was to get out of the hospital.
I am still very physically challenged, weight down to 125 pounds, and frequent bouts with horrendous coughing spasms that usually progress to gagging and loss of stomach contents. Diarrhea is a major portion of each day’s activities. In spite of all that, my spirits are generally good and some days my physical energy is good.
I am surrounded by a large group of very nurturing and supportive faggots and dykes. They are just wonderful to me in ways that I couldn’t have predicted or imagined. One of the things that I feared most when I began to get sick was that I’d become alone and isolated. Just the opposite has happened.
There is hardly a week that goes by that I am not moved to tears by the incredible thoughtfulness and kindness of someone. Sometimes it is from total strangers who say things like, “You don’t know me, but you were the first public gay person I ever saw, and the things that you said on TV changed my life.” Wow! What greater gift could there be?
I consider myself very fortunate. The years since my diagnosis have been the best of my life. This period of time has shown me that my life’s experiences have given me exactly what I need to meet the next challenge.
My life has been very fulfilling and rewarding. At age 50 I feel very good about what I have done with those years and the opportunities that I have had to learn, grow, and teach. Though I’ve done very little to promote my image as the “grand old man of the San Diego gay liberation movement,” I get a kick out of it, and have done very little to discourage it.
The Archives is my current baby and I think my life’s most important contribution. I am busier now than I have ever been, and loving the work more than anything I’ve ever done. We will soon bring the collection together in one central location where it will be accessible to the public for education and very prideful consciousness raising. I want very badly to get the agency set up before I make my transition.
So far, I think that I have done a good job of image building and establishing an aura of excellence and high quality in everything that we do. We want no part of a “that’s good enough” attitude. At every opportunity I chip away at the internalized attitude that gay and lesbian folks should be content with second best. Damn it! We are homosexuals. Let’s get meticulous about it.
Without the slightest sense of sadness, I must tell you that three years of illness have taken their toll. I am very tired and I very much want to get well or leave this debilitated body behind. I am very much at peace and look forward to my transition with great anticipation. If I lived to be 100, my work would not be done (I always had trouble with deadlines). But my seeds have all been planted. Some will grow and flourish. Others will not. That is the way of the law. Having a few years to work all this out has been a blessing. I am grateful.
Love in the struggle, Your brother,
Jess
***
What is the mission of the Archives?
“The mission of the Lambda Archives of San Diego is to collect, preserve, and share the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in San Diego, Northern Baja California and Imperial County region. Although most of the collections date to post-1970, there are original materials dating back to the 1930s. History is best reflected in the records and cultural artifacts of those people who are directly involved in its events. Lambda Archives is dedicated to preserving and interpreting this important historical material and making it available for learning.” - from Lambda Archives
How can I support Lambda Archives of San Diego?
The best way to support the archives is through regular or one time direct contributions using their website: https://www.lambdaarchives.org/donate.html
Another important way to support is to spread the word on social media by reposting this article or a link directly to Lambda Archives.
Timothy P. Holmberg
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