JIM TOY, born on this date (d: 2022) was a long-time American activist and a pioneer for LGBT rights in Michigan.

Toy earned his B.A. at Denison University in 1951. He graduated with a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Michigan and served as a pro bono counselor and therapist. At Michigan, Toy helped establish the Human Sexuality Office in 1971, and was later affiliated with the campus Office of Institutional Equity.

In June 2001, Dennison awarded Toy with the Alumni Citation, the school’s highest alumni honor, and in 2013, he was featured as an early LGBT alumnus in the college’s history.

Toy was a founding member of the Ann Arbor Gay Liberation Front. In 1971, he helped establish the Human Sexuality Office (HSO) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The HSO was the first staffed office at an institution of higher learning in the United States, and presumably the first of its kind in the world, to address and support sexual minorities. Toy served as its Co-Coordinator, and Gay Male advocate, from 1971 until 1994. The HSO, now named the Spectrum Center, has named its library in Toy’s honor. The Jim Toy Library (JTL) currently hosts a collection of over 1500 titles and supports LGBTQA student development by exposing students to, and engaging them in the rich cultural, social, historical, psychological, political, and relational aspects of LGBTQ people, identities, experiences, and communities.

Toy co-founded the Ann Arbor Gay Hotline in 1972 and served as its Coordinator and Trainer until 1985.

Toy was a founding member of the Washtenaw County LGBT Retirement Center Task Force, PFLAG/Ann Arbor, GLSEN/Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Area, Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project (WRAP), Transgender Advocacy Project (TAP), American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Inclusive Justice Program, Washtenaw Faith Action Network, Ypsilanti Human Rights PAC, Ypsilanti Rainbow Neighbors, and the Out Loud Chorus (1995). He was a former Executive Board member of Guild House (“A Campus Ministry”).

He was a trained mediator and trainer for the American Friends Service Committee Inclusive Justice Program’s non-violent-dialogue training (“LARA”). He was a member of the Program Committee of the AFSC Michigan’s Inclusive Justice Program. He served on Equality Michigan’s Board of Advisors and the WikiQueer Global Advisory Board. He was a founding member of the gay Baroque trio, Rosetta Stoned, & The Higheroglyphics.

His archives are housed in the James W. Toy Papers at the University of Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library. He was included in the Gallery of the LGBT Religious Archives Network (LGBT-RAN).

Toy was born in New York City. He died in Ann Arbor on January 1, 2022, at the age of 91.