Patricia Lamis Collection
Scope and Contents
Patricia Lamis' publication materials include articles, press releases, and notes related to the gay and lesbian community services and events in Orange County and the Long Beach area, inclding Orange County Cultural Pride, the Gay and Lesbian Services Center of Orange County, AIDS Walk, Being Alive, the Santa Maria House and Her House, and Bienestar. The bulk of her publication material is from the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach and Blade Magazine. The collection includes a printed Blade Magazine edition from Dec. 2005 and printed editions of Center Post from Feb. to Jul. 2003.
Her photographs and negatives include loose photos in no apparent order, photos in their original envelopes from being developed, and photos arranged in albums. The photos and negatives contained in their development sleeves were kept together as the majority of the envelopes have writing on the inside flap noting their date and location. There were two photo albums that were preserved, one of which is in its original enclosure and one which was moved into an archival album enclosure.
Professional work and memorabilia includes multiple iterations of her resume, sealed and unsealed transcripts from Long Beach City College and UCLA, marketing materials related to Condom Wrap, school work, and drawings and designs for Lamis Ink.
Women Artist Visibility includes meeting notes, correspondence between Pat, B.J. Wilson (a boardmember of Long Beach Arts), and Joe Flazh (an art studio owner in Long Beach) as well as between Pat and the artists in the show, applications and acceptance letters for the featured artists, and press releases and advertisements about the event.
Womynz Brunch Bunch contains physical copies of weekly newsletters published by Pat from Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2006.
The audiovisual material in the collection contains microcassettes, audiocassettes, CDs, DVDs, and Zip disks. Most items have original handwritten descriptions on their enclosure. The bulk of this material are digital backups of Pat's photos, address books, and professional work.
Dates
- Creation: 1978-2017
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on the collection. The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights to the physical objects belong to the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or heir for permission to publish where the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives do not hold the copyright.
Biographical / Historical
Patricia (Pat) A. Lamis was born on January 5, 1947 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and moved to Califonia with her family when she was young.
She married a man working as a medic in the U.S. military soon after high school and was divorced after roughly 5 years of marriage. While a student at Long Beach City College in the late 1980s, Pat met her long-term partner, Heather Hamm (1940-2009). Together, Pat and Heather were involved in the lesbian community in Long Beach, often organizing events, volunteering, and supporting each other in professional capacities. Heather started a Women of 40+ group in 1988 that met at the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach (the Center) that was still active after her death in 2009.
Pat held two Associate of Arts degrees from Long Beach City College: one in Computer Art and Design (1990) and the other in Public Relations (1999). She also recieved a certificate in Commercial Interior Space Planning from UCLA Extension and was certified with the American Society of Interior Designers in 1981.
In her professional life, Pat owned and operated a desktop publishing business, Lamis, Ink beginning in 1985. She also owned and operated a retail condom store in Long Beach, Condom Wrap, with Heather Hamm and Heather's daughter, Erin. According to her oral history interview with Dianne Barrett, Pat got sick and left the design business in the late 1990s.
From 1986-1990, Pat was a plaintiff in a civil suit against defendants Judith M. Doyle and Lilian K. Sachs regarding a sexual relationship between Doyle, a licensed therapist, and her patient, Pat Lamis. A collection of this case's court records are held at UCLA Library Special Collections.
Pat was an active volunteer in Orange County and Long Beach, serving on the board of Orange County Cultural Pride and working as a volunteer coordinator for the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach. She was also an avid writer. She published a weekly newsletter, Womynz Brunch Bunch, which compiled articles on religion, women's sports, legal concerns and news related to the gay and lesbian community. Pat operated Womynz Brunch Bunch for about 10 years and had nearly 5,000 readers by the end of its run. She also consistently wrote for Blade Magazine and Center Post, publishing press releases and stories related to Being Alive Long Beach, Santa Maria House, Her House, AIDS Walk, Bienestar, and Orange County Cultural Pride. In 2006, she coordinated Womens Artist Visibility, an art exhibition in Long Beach focused on women-created artwork centered around aspects of spirituality.
Pat remained involved in her community and advocated for social justice in many forums, including her participation in anti-ageism group, the Grey Panthers, up to her death in 2023.
Sources:
Lamis, Patricia. Interview by Dianne Barrett. B-E Collection: Lesbians and Their Careers. Gerth Archives and Special Collections, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA.
Lamis vs. Doyle and Sachs Collection of Court Records (Collection 2208). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Extent
6.58 Linear Feet (13 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Patricia (Pat) A. Lamis (1947-2023) was an interior designer, writer, and lesbian community organizer in Long Beach, California. The bulk of the collection contains newsletters, publications, and photographs related to Womynz Brunch Bunch, Orange County / Long Beach Blade Magazine, and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Greater Long Beach. Other materials in the collection are personal photographs, correspondence, and professional work from her desktop publishing company, Lamis Ink.
Arrangement
- Series I: Publication Materials
- Series II: Photos and Negatives
- Series III: Women Artist Visibility
- Series IV: Womynz Brunch Bunch
- Series V: Audiovisual Materials
- Series VI: Professional Work and Memorabilia
- Title
- Patricia Lamis Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Katie Crawford
- Date
- April 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives Repository