LGBT History Resources

For those with a research interest in key LGBT resources, the following are very helpful:

Archives

Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive (LAGNA) consists primarily of a collection of an estimated 200,000 press cuttings covering all aspects of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans experience from the late nineteenth century to the present.

rukus! Federation is an award winning black LGBT arts and heritage organisation. The collection is housed at London Metropolitan Archives, who also run a monthly LGBT History Club.

The National Archives guide to researching gay and lesbian history in their collections

Hall-Carpenter Archives consists of around 2000 boxes of material relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activism in the UK. Most of the archives date from after the publication of the Wolfenden Report in 1957.

The Lesbian Archive at Glasgow Women’s Library contains printed materials including personal papers, pamphlets, photographs and books.

Pride in Plymouth Archive is a community archive, which contains printed material and ephemera from the LGBT community in Plymouth.

The Wellcome Library is a medical collection, which contains a range of material relating to sex and sexuality.

Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners collection is housed at the People’s History Museum, Manchester.

Manchester Central Library has an extensive collection relating to LGBT History. The subject guide is available here

Museum (LGBTQ) Guides

The British Museum explores changing attitudes towards same-sex desire and gender identity. You can pick up a trail in the museum, or follow their online digital trail of LGBTQ objects.

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has a blog series called ‘Out in the Museum’, which focuses on LGBTQ histories

Museum of London details the collection relating to the history of the LGBT Community in London.

Museum of Croydon LGBT Trail (pdf) highlights the LGBT presence and contribution to the history of Croydon.

Brighton Museums Object Stories presents information about LGBTQ related objects on display in the galleries of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.

Heritage Trails/Walks

Soho Stories by The National Trust app – 60 years of Bohemian Soho is brought vividly to life in this unique audio tour, narrated by veteran Soho entertainer Barry Cryer.

Brighton Pink Plaques walking tours app of LGBT Brighton.

Brighton Gay & Lesbian History Trail podcast and map by Brighton Council.

A Walk on the Wilde Side of Reading (The AA) is available online or on the AA Walks app. It is a walking tour of Reading, taking you to Reading Gaol where Oscar Wilde was sent after being convicted for gross indecency. The Oscar Wilde Memorial Walk is included in the trail too.

London Black Plaques is an app exploring “memorials to misadventure”, which includes several examples of historic same-sex love.

Misc.

Sex and History Project (University of Exeter) ran ‘Intimate Worlds’, an exhibition at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in 2014. The project continues to encourage discussion about sex and relationships, particularly for young people, through the exploration of historic objects.

Untold London details community history projects, events and exhibitions across London.

Homosexuality in the Eighteenth-Century Online Sourcebook compiled by Rictor Norton contains primary sources relating to the history of homosexuality.

Old Bailey Online Community Histories: Homosexuality introduces the history of homosexuality in the context of the courts.

Homotopia and the Museum of Liverpool hosted the ‘Un-Straight Museum’ conference in June 2014. You can watch recordings of five of the events online.

For more on LGBT History, see Claire Hayward’s blog, Exploring Public History, where this list originally appeared.

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