Introducing Archives of Sexuality

Happy Pride! Collection Anywhere has expanded its historical minority experience collection with the inclusion of Gale’s Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940. 

From the vendor:

Students, educators, and researchers can now engage with a vast resource that connects them to the rich history of sexuality and identity, enabling them to delve deeper and make new connections in subjects such as queer history and activism, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, health, political science, policy studies, human rights, gender studies and more. 

This unique fully-searchable collection brings together approximately 1.5 million pages of primary sources on social, political, health, and legal issues impacting LGBTQ communities around the world. Rare and unique content from newsletters, organizational papers, government documents, manuscripts, pamphlets, and other types of primary sources sheds light on the gay rights movement, activism, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and more.

Documents include ‘zines, newspapers, pamphlets, academic articles and more, all focusing on the primary and secondary coverage of a movement, daily life, historical events and others.  Often told in the community’s own voices, the archives are a great place to find primary sources on a culture and a history not found in most textbooks.   

Action Steps

1. Check out the Archives of Sexuality
2. Find one primary source article
3. Find an article about Oklahoma
4. Tell an interested friend or family member about the resource

Talking Points

• Researching gender studies? We have a great digital collection for that!
• If you’re curious about how the LGBTQ community lived in New York City during the height of the AIDS crisis, the Metropolitan Library can give you access to ‘zines published at that time.
• If you’re looking for a topic to write about for history class, perhaps the articles and primary sources in the Archives of Sexuality will give you some ideas.