Jim Foster (activist)
Encyclopedia
James M. "Jim" Foster was an American LGBT
rights and Democratic
activist. Foster became active in the early gay
rights movement when he moved to San Francisco following his undesirable discharge
from the United States Army
in 1959 for being homosexual. Foster co-founded the Society for Individual Rights (SIR), an early homophile
organization, in 1964. Dianne Feinstein
credits SIR and the gay vote with generating her margin of victory in her election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
in 1969.
In 1971, Foster, along with Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon
, transformed SIR into the Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club
. The Toklas club was the first gay Democratic club in San Francisco. Also in 1971, Foster was instrumental in convincing Richard Hongisto
to run for sheriff and in delivering gay votes to his winning campaign. It became a truism of San Francisco politics that, as long-time activist José Sarria
had put it, "nobody ran for anything in San Francisco without knocking on the door of the gay community."
In 1972, after the Toklas club delivered one-third of the signatures needed to secure George McGovern
the first position on the California Democratic primary ballot, Foster was given a prime time television spot speaking at the 1972 Democratic National Convention
. He and fellow delegate Madeline Davis were the first openly LGBT people ever to address a national party convention. He called upon the Democratic Party to add a gay rights plank to the party platform
, saying:
to the floor but the plank was defeated.
Foster was approached by fledgling gay politician Harvey Milk
in 1973. Milk sought Foster's endorsement for his first campaign for Supervisor. Foster, who through the Toklas club had staked out a position that it was best for the gay community to work with liberal establishment politicians than try to elect gay candidates, refused to support Milk's campaign. This led to an enmity between the men which lasted until Milk's assassination
in 1978. It has been suggested that this enmity, which extended to the Toklas club and the Milk-founded San Francisco Gay Democratic Club
, may have hampered the LGBT community's early efforts to address the spread of HIV
in San Francisco.
In 1980, Foster served as the coordinator for northern California for Ted Kennedy
's presidential campaign. When Kennedy's campaign was struggling financially, Foster kept his local campaign office open using his own funds. Kennedy credited Foster for delivering his victory in the 1980 California primary.
Foster was a founding member of the San Francisco Health Commission in 1985. In 1989 he was hired by pharmaceutical company Lymphomed as a consultant.
Foster died of an AIDS
-related illness at his San Francisco home on October 31, 1990.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
activist. Foster became active in the early gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
rights movement when he moved to San Francisco following his undesirable discharge
Blue discharge
A blue discharge was a form of administrative military discharge formerly issued by the United States beginning in 1916. It was neither honorable nor dishonorable. The blue ticket became the discharge of choice for commanders seeking to remove homosexual service members from the ranks...
from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1959 for being homosexual. Foster co-founded the Society for Individual Rights (SIR), an early homophile
Homophile
The word homophile is an alternative to the word for homosexual or gay. The homophile movement also refers to the gay rights movement of the 1950s and '60s....
organization, in 1964. Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
credits SIR and the gay vote with generating her margin of victory in her election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco, California, United States.-Government and politics:...
in 1969.
In 1971, Foster, along with Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon
Dorothy Louise Taliaferro "Del" Martin and Phyllis Ann Lyon were an American lesbian couple known as feminist and gay-rights activists...
, transformed SIR into the Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
The Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club is a San Francisco-based association and political action committee for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Democrats. Founded in 1971 by activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Alice was the first organization for gay Democrats in the United States. It...
. The Toklas club was the first gay Democratic club in San Francisco. Also in 1971, Foster was instrumental in convincing Richard Hongisto
Richard Hongisto
Richard D. Hongisto was a businessman, politician, sheriff and police chief of San Francisco, California, and Cleveland, Ohio.-Early life and education:...
to run for sheriff and in delivering gay votes to his winning campaign. It became a truism of San Francisco politics that, as long-time activist José Sarria
José Sarria
José Julio Sarria is an American political activist from San Francisco, California. Known for his years of performing at the historic Black Cat Bar in that city from the 1950s and 1960s, Sarria entertained patrons with satirical versions of popular songs and operas while encouraging them to live...
had put it, "nobody ran for anything in San Francisco without knocking on the door of the gay community."
In 1972, after the Toklas club delivered one-third of the signatures needed to secure George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
the first position on the California Democratic primary ballot, Foster was given a prime time television spot speaking at the 1972 Democratic National Convention
1972 Democratic National Convention
The 1972 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election. It was held at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida on July 10–13, 1972....
. He and fellow delegate Madeline Davis were the first openly LGBT people ever to address a national party convention. He called upon the Democratic Party to add a gay rights plank to the party platform
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
, saying:
"We do not come to you begging your understanding or pleading your tolerance. We come to you affirming our pride in our lifestyle, affirming the validity of our right to seek and to maintain meaningful emotional relationships and affirming our right to participate in the life of this country on an equal basis with every citizen."Foster and other gay rights activists got a minority report
Minority Report
"The Minority Report" is a 1956 science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick, first published in Fantastic Universe. The story is about a future society where murders are prevented through the efforts of three mutants who can see the future...
to the floor but the plank was defeated.
Foster was approached by fledgling gay politician Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk
Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors...
in 1973. Milk sought Foster's endorsement for his first campaign for Supervisor. Foster, who through the Toklas club had staked out a position that it was best for the gay community to work with liberal establishment politicians than try to elect gay candidates, refused to support Milk's campaign. This led to an enmity between the men which lasted until Milk's assassination
Moscone-Milk assassinations
The Moscone–Milk assassinations were the killings of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, who were shot and killed in San Francisco City Hall by former Supervisor Dan White on November 27, 1978...
in 1978. It has been suggested that this enmity, which extended to the Toklas club and the Milk-founded San Francisco Gay Democratic Club
Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club
Based in San Francisco, California, the Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club is a chapter of the Stonewall Democrats, named after LGBT politician and activist Harvey Milk. Believing that the existing Alice B...
, may have hampered the LGBT community's early efforts to address the spread of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
in San Francisco.
In 1980, Foster served as the coordinator for northern California for Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
's presidential campaign. When Kennedy's campaign was struggling financially, Foster kept his local campaign office open using his own funds. Kennedy credited Foster for delivering his victory in the 1980 California primary.
Foster was a founding member of the San Francisco Health Commission in 1985. In 1989 he was hired by pharmaceutical company Lymphomed as a consultant.
Foster died of an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related illness at his San Francisco home on October 31, 1990.