The Call Sheet
The Call Sheet is the professional journal of the Gay Callers Association.
Publication began in 1989 as a short and folksy newsletter with gossip, music reviews, and articles of interest to LGBTQ+ callers, with an eye on developing new callers for the IAGSDC community.
Early Versions
The first instance of The Call Sheet (PDF) is dated April 1989. The 3 page newsletter was "an attempt to establish a line of communication among callers of the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs". Written by Anna Damiani, it did not yet use the name "Gay Callers Association".
Harlan Kerr sent out a 24 page Lambda Calling (PDF) newsletter and note service dated May 1989. It uses the name "Gay Callers Association" and gives some of the history within the IAGSDC. This was a one issue newsletter, and can be considered a separate series from The Call Sheet.
Both of these early newsletters laid the groundwork for the 1st GCA Caller School at the Peel The Apple convention in New York.
Contemporary Format
Allan Hurst took over editing The Call Sheet in 2006, and switched formats from a 4-to-8-page printed newsletter to a 40+ page digital technical journal. The new format is distributed only electronically as a PDF file.
The format change caused some initial confusion, but eventually The Call Sheet came to be regarded as one of the last "caller's notes" services still in publication, contributed and read by both LGBTQ+ and straight calling communities.
Promotional printed copies of back issues are often given to non-members as a membership recruiting tool at CALLERLAB and IAGSDC conventions.
Editors and Publications
| Past Editor(s) | First Issue | Last Issue | Total Issues | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Damiani | v.1 (1989 May) | v.8 (1990 May) | 9 | there are two issues with v.4 enumeration (1989 July/August and 1989 September) |
| Jana Hollingsworth | no.10 (1991 March 20) | no.22 (1994 March 21) | 13 | v.9 presumed to be unpublished
no.23 presumed to be unpublished |
| Kris Jensen & Bill Eyler | no.24 (1994 August) | no.50 (2002 June) | 27 | |
| Pat Push | (2003 May) | 1 | ||
| Kris Jensen | no.52 (2003 September) | no.60 (2006 June) | 10 | there are two issues with no.52 enumeration (2003 September and 2003 December) |
| Allan Hurst | (2007 January) | v.6 issue 1 (2011 January) | 17 | new enumeration began with v.3 issue 4 (2008 December)
there are two issues with v.4 issue 2 enumeration (2009 June and 2009 September) |
| Harlan Kerr | v.6 issue 2 (2011 May-July) | 1 | ||
| Current Editor | First Issue | Most Recent | Issues | Notes |
| Allan Hurst | v.7 issue 1 (2012 August-September) | v.15 issue 2 (2021 Fall) | 22 | there are two issues with v.12 issue 2 enumeration (2018 April-May-June and 2018 July-August-September) |
The Call Sheet Register
In November 2021, Jim Babcock compiled a register of all the articles and other content found within the pages of The Call Sheet, which is found here.
External Links
The Call Sheet website Two sample past issues can be downloaded. (Current GCA membership is required to download current and back issues of The Call Sheet.)
