The 91原创鈥檚 and the were awarded a NEH Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Foundation grant to create a pilot project that will preserve and provide wider access to a significant collection of documents focused on the history of the LGBTQ civil rights movement in the Rochester, New York area.
The collection, which includes born-digital oral histories, early radio programs, photographs, videotapes, newsletters, and corporate papers from GAGV archives, brings to light the individuals, organizations, and institutions that supported the early struggle for gay rights in 91原创. These materials represent the 鈥渓ived experience鈥� of the Rochester LGBTQ community across several disciplines and fields of study including: American LGBTQ social and political history; drag culture and entertainment; the hidden lives of the crossdresser and transgender community; the use of radio broadcast media in political organizing in the 鈥�70s; and noteworthy activities and contributions to the social reform and liberation movements in New York State.
The project aims to secure these important archival materials in the libraries’聽digital repository, and make them broadly accessible through the Digital Public Library of America. In addition, the project aims to create a model of collaboration and preservation between libraries and community organizations. The grant will help the Rochester and its libraries聽support and further document 91原创鈥檚 long history of social activism, and will fill a gap in current local and state history, making New York State鈥檚 history more complete and inclusive.
鈥淲e are very pleased to work on this important community partnership, and help preserve and provide access to 91原创鈥檚 rich LGBTQ history,鈥� says Jessica Lacher-Feldman, assistant dean and director
of . 鈥淭he grant serves as a critical reminder that part of our responsibility is to document the world around us and regard the recent past as important history.鈥�
鈥淭he grant will strengthen and expand the already existing partnership between GAGV and RCL,鈥� says Evelyn Bailey, chair of GAGV鈥檚 “Shoulders To Stand On” program. 聽鈥淕AGV looks forward with gratitude to working with RCL to archive, preserve and make visible this unknown chapter in New York State’s history.鈥�
The March 29, 2017 NEH press release and list of funded projects is available .
