The materials in this collection are arranged in chronological order.
Accession No. RARE.2022.0058: Bryan Knedler, 2021 November
[identification of item], Bryan Knedler Collection of Gay Ephemera, SPEC.RARE.0314, Rare Books & Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processed by: Lindsay Resnick, 2022 September; Finding aid written by: Lindsay Resnick, 2022 September
Bryan Keith Knedler is, as of 2021, an American attorney, politician, and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning) rights activist. He was born in 1958 in Marysville, Ohio. He attended Marysville High School and graduated from Ohio State University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and 1986 with a Master of Arts in Art Education. While a student at Ohio State, he became involved with the university's Gay Activist Alliance, serving as vice president and . After graduation, he moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied law at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. In 2002, Knedler was elected Mayor of Mount Rainier, Maryland, becoming the first openly gay mayor in the state. After his service as mayor, Knedler served on Mount Rainier's city council. In 2021, the City of Mount Rainier named its City Council Chambers in his honor.
The Bryan Knedler Collection of Gay Ephemera, dated 1979-2007, contains greeting cards, calendars, and other material targeted to a gay male audience. The collection includes artwork by Tom of Finland, erotic greeting cards and postcards, and two "Gay Engagement Calendars," as well as catalogs for pornographic films. The Gay Engagement Calendars, blank appointment books for 1980 and 1984, contain facts about notable LGBTQ+ individuals and events throughout history. Also included is a humorous postcard featuring the heads of President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore superimposed onto the bodies of shirtless, muscular men.