The collection contains material accumulated by John Mitzel in the course of his life and career as a writer, publisher, bookseller, and activist. Included are correspondence and research files on topics and individuals relevant to the LGBTQ community, gay rights, pornography, obscenity laws, and child sexual abuse trials; drafts and clippings of Mitzel's writings and records of the operations and legal disputes of the Glad Day Bookstore and Calamus Books; diaries and scrapbooks spanning several decades; personal and family papers; photographs; and audiovisual and electronic media. Correspondents include Boyd McDonald, Randy Shilts, Charley Shively, David Thorstad, and Gore Vidal. The collection also documents Mitzel’s involvement with organizations including the Fag Rag collective and the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), as well as other pro-pedophilia and pederasty organizations.