The Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project records came to the library in two accessions, in September 2001 and July 2013. The 2001 accession material (3.5 linear feet, Boxes 1-4) includes the earliest records in the WRAP record group and date from the period when the Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County chapter of the Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity was active in its opposition to the 1994 anti-gay ballot proposal. The bulk of the records in this accession, however, date from the period of 1995 to 2000 following the reorganization of MCHD-Washtenaw into the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project. They reflect well the day-to-day workings of the organization, its publicity efforts and the various events it sponsored.
The 2001 accession material (3.5 linear feet) is divided into four series: Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity - Washtenaw County chapter, 1993-1995; Administrative; Education and Outreach; and Political Action. Much of the communication done within the organization was handled through e-mail. This included correspondence and minutes of board meetings. As a result, casual and tangential matters often became part of the official record. To conserve space while preserving the integrity of a train of thought or "conversation," the processing archivists decided to retain the final copy of a message as it usually also contained a long string of previous forwards and replies. Much of the material in the record group, particularly meeting minutes and correspondence, was recorded by Jim Toy, an active member of WRAP's board of directors and onetime secretary.
The 2013 accession material (16 linear feet, Boxes 5-17) contains mostly documents from the early 2000s. Material in the 2013 accession is divided into four series: Administrative, Events, Finance, and Projects. A large portion of the WRAP records in this accession are staff communications through email, particularly in the Administrative, and Events and Projects, series.
Founded in 1995, the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project (WRAP) was an outgrowth of an earlier organization, the Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County chapter of the Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity. The statewide organization of the Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity was established to enlist opposition to a state ballot initiative that would deny equal discrimination protection to gay men and lesbians. After the initiative failed, members of the Washtenaw MCHD then decided to focus their attention on grassroot work within Washtenaw County, devoting themselves to increased visibility and acceptance and appreciation of the lesbian/gay/bisexual and transgender community through education and political action. To this end, they formed a new political action group, the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project.
In 1997 WRAP received a $15,000 grant from the HOPE Foundation. From this period onward, the organization was able to expand their involvement in such political action efforts as National Coming Out Day, and such educational endeavors as the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
In 2000 WRAP began participating in a project of note in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County to encourage the growth of scouting for Equality (sfE) as an alternative to the Boys Scouts of America after they created a discriminatory policy excluding gay members. They also have continued to host a number of important and re-occurring events that for the benefit of members of their organization and the gay community in addition to serving as a resource center for LGBTQA groups and residents of Washtenaw County.
In December 2010, Washtenaw Rainbow Action Center changed the organization's name to the Jim Toy Community Center. Jim Toy was one of the first people to come out publicly in the state of Michigan and is a leader of gay rights activism in Michigan. He was also a founding member of WRAP and served on the Board of Directors.
