LG MS 030 Allen Bernstein Collection Finding Aid

Description: Allen Bernstein was born on June 19, 1913 in Nashua, New Hampshire. He holds a MA in Economics from the University of Chicago. Bernstein enlisted in the Army in 1940 and fought in WWII, doing clerical work in the U.S., until 1944 when he was dishonorably discharged for being openly gay. After the war he married a woman– who knew he was gay – and had two sons. He then moved to Maine to work for the Maine State Labor Department as a Labor market analyst. After retirement in 1978 he became involved in providing volunteer services to the community. He appealed his dishonorable discharge 14 times from the late1940’s to 1980, and in 1981 was finally successful in gaining his honorable discharge. He was active in his community in his later years – volunteering mainly for the Red Cross. The Collection is based on more recent articles on gay rights and gender equality. Dates range from 1984-2004, with the majority of material in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Publications include AVER (American Veterans for Equal Rights) newsletters, Gender Studies newsletters, The Loving Brotherhood newsletters and brochures, Outword newsletter and Edward Carpenter Community newsletters. Date Range: 1984-2004 Size of Collection: 0.25 ft