Stuart Timmons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stuart Timmons
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Timmons during his West Hollywood History Tour 2015
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| Born | January 14, 1957 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 2017 (aged 60) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | writer, historian |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Short stories, non-fiction, history |
| Subject | LGBT history |
| Notable works | The Trouble With Harry Hay: Founder of the Modern Gay Movement |
| Notable awards | Lambda Literary Award for Arts & Culture, Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Nonfiction |
Stuart Timmons (born January 14, 1957 – died January 28, 2017) was an American writer, historian, and activist. He was known for his work on the history of the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles, California. He also wrote a famous book called The Trouble With Harry Hay: Founder of the Modern Gay Movement.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Stuart Timmons was born on January 14, 1957, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had two sisters, Gay and Emily. When he was very young, his family moved to Santa Barbara, California. This move happened because his father got a new job there.
Timmons later went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He earned a college degree in film. While he was a student at UCLA, he helped start a festival for the LGBTQ+ community on campus in 1979. This festival later became known as Outfest, which is a major film festival today.
Career Highlights
Throughout his career, Stuart Timmons wrote for magazines and worked on documentaries. He also wrote non-fiction books. While he was studying film at UCLA, his work as an activist caught the attention of Mark Thompson. Thompson was an important editor at The Advocate, which was a national magazine for the LGBTQ+ community. Thompson hired Timmons as a journalist for the magazine.
Important Books and Projects
Timmons was the author of The Trouble With Harry Hay: Founder of the Modern Gay Movement. This book was published in 1990. It explored the life and work of Harry Hay, who was a key figure in the early LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Stuart Timmons also served as a leader at the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives. This is a large collection of materials about LGBTQ+ history. He also served on its board of directors.
In 2007, Timmons started creating walking tours. These tours explored important LGBTQ+ historic sites in Los Angeles. He finished tours for Downtown Los Angeles and Silver Lake, Los Angeles. However, he had a serious stroke in January 2008. This happened before he could finish his West Hollywood tour.
Completing the West Hollywood Tour
With help from a grant from the City of West Hollywood, a performance artist named Jason Jenn helped Timmons finish the West Hollywood LGBTQ+ History Tour. This tour was produced in 2015 to celebrate the city's 30th Anniversary. The walking tour was also made into a mobile app. This allowed people to take the tour on their own. The tour included live performances that shared historical information. Talented people like comedian Kristina Wong and writer Justin Sayer were part of these performances.
Timmons also helped organize the dedication of the Mattachine Steps in Silver Lake. These steps were named after the Mattachine Society, an early LGBTQ+ rights group. The dedication happened on April 7, 2012. He worked with others like Mark Thompson and Eric Garcetti, who later became the mayor of Los Angeles.
Awards and Recognition
Stuart Timmons received several awards for his work. In 1990, his first book was nominated for an award from the American Library Association. For a later book he wrote with Lillian Faderman, he received the Monette-Horwitz Award for LGBTQ+ Scholarship. He also won two Lambda Literary Awards in 2007: one for LGBT Non-Fiction and another for LGBT Arts & Culture. These awards recognized his important contributions to understanding LGBTQ+ history and culture.
Later Life and Passing
Stuart Timmons was openly gay. He had a stroke in 2008. This stroke greatly affected his brain function. Timmons passed away on January 28, 2017, in Hollywood, California. He was 60 years old. His death was caused by cardiac arrest. A small memorial was held at the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives to remember him.
Images for kids
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Timmons during his West Hollywood History Tour 2015
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The Mattachine Steps in Silver Lake, named for the Mattachine Society.
