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We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record! The LGBTQ Movement and Life as Seen Through Government Information

“We’re Here, We’re Queer, and We’re in the Public Record!”: The LGBTQ Movement and Life as Seen Through Government Information

This online and gallery exhibit was created to supplement a presentation given at the 2016 Federal Depository Library Conference. That presentation, "We’re Here, We’re Queer, and We’re in the Public Record: Federal Government Documents on the LGBT Movement," highlighted a number of primary sources documenting the U.S. federal government's stance on issues related to the LGBT movement from the 1800s to the present day. These documents illustrate that, while our society may not be fully inclusive of LGBT people, our government is much more open than it was in the past.

For more information, please visit the guide LGBTQ History in Government Documents. It lists documents discussed in the presentation, including links to those that are freely available online. The authors envision this as a living guide and intend to update it as new relevant resources become available.

Acknowledgements

Curators of this exhibit gratefully acknowledge colleagues, researchers, and other members of the community for their help in producing this exhibit:

Kelly L. Smith, UC San Diego Library

UC Berkeley Library: William Benemann, Marjorie Bryer, J. Pierre Carrillo, James Eason, Susan Edwards, Celia Emmelhainz, Aisha Hamilton, Tor Haugan, Sine Hwang Jensen, Debbie Jan, Lorna Kirwan, Michael Lange, Lillian Lee, Brian Light, Julie Lefevre, Paul Lynch, Margaret Phillips, Nick Robinson, Jane Rosario, Keridwyn Ryan, Kiyoko Shiosaki, Jesse Silva, Michael Sholinbeck, Dean Smith, Jami Smith, Melissa Stoner, Gisele Tanasse, Hannah Tashjian, Jutta Wiemhoff

GLBT Historical Society Archives and Museum: Joanna Black, Ramon Silvestri, Jim Van Buskirk, Lincoln Cushing, Lisbet Tellefsen.

San Francisco Public Library History Center and LGBTQIA Archives: Susan Goldstein, Jeff Thomas, Tim Wilson

Berkeley High School staff and students: Lisa Sibony, Deborah Godner, Leila Allen, Oleana Gomez, Maxime Hendrikse Liu, Jaya Nagarajan-Swenson, Giselle Wendt.

Benjamin Edelberg, Mark Jarrett, Mary Chambers

Photo and other image credits

Wikimedia commons: Photo credits: Genusfotografen, Victorgrigas, Franco Folini, mathiaswasik, Pax Ahimsa Gethen, kenwalton

Flickr: Allsdare Hickson

The New York Public Library Digital Collections. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

AP Images: AP Photo/Southern Poverty Law Center, AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Cathy Cade photographs, The Bancroft Library