The Homosexual Information Center (HIC), a nonprofit organization committed to gathering and disseminating information and data to the public regarding all aspects of homosexuality, has its roots in ONE Incorporated. Established in 1952, One Incorporated was one of the first gay rights organizations in the United States. Its founding members included Dale Jennings, Harry Hay, Dorr Legg, and Don Slater, all of whom sought to unify homosexuals into social action. The organization conceived of and published ONE Magazine, first distributed in 1953, which was dedicated to homosexuality and homosexual issues. In 1955 the organization established an educational division, called ONE Institute for Homophile Studies, the first educational institution in the United States dedicated to the study of homosexuality. The organization quickly expanded in the years 1953-1956 to include the educational division, a publications division, a social services division, and a library.

In 1965, ONE, Inc. split into two factions, with one faction remaining under the name ONE, Inc., while the other faction, led by board members Don Slater, Antonio Reyes, Billy Glover, and Jim Schneider, was known as The Tangent Group. The split between ONE, Inc. and The Tangent Group was finalized in 1967 after a two-year court case, and the Homosexual Information Center was founded by The Tangent Group in 1968 in Los Angeles, California.

The Homosexual Information Center has sought to inform the public by promoting an interest, knowledge and understanding of the problems of homosexuality, and has advocated for many social and political causes, including equal rights for the LBGTQ community, the decriminalization of homosexuality in countries around the world, health-related issues including the AIDS epidemic, and fostering increased social acceptance of homosexuality.