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LGBTQ+ Activism and Culture Resources in Smith College Special Collections

Guide to materials in Smith College Special Collections related to LGBTQ+ activism, culture, and community.

Organizations, Oral History Projects, & Subject Collections

Documenting Lesbian Lives Oral History Project oral histories

SSC-MS-00661

2010 - Current

Documenting Lesbian Lives is a collection of life histories with people who consider themselves to be (presently or at one time) lesbian, queer or bisexual. The project provides a complex and nuanced collective story of American lesbian history and experience. Narrators include grassroots activists and political organizers; educators and academics; musicians, writers, and artists; as well as community and religious leaders. They come from a variety of class, ethnic, racial, social, and geographic backgrounds. Interviews cover childhood and growing up experiences; education and employment; activism and politics; family, identity, relationships and community.

Dyke TV records

SSC-MS-00656

1987 - 2007

Dyke TV was a weekly television series produced by and for lesbians and distributed from 1993 to 2005 as a way of empowering the lesbian community and increasing visibility and ending isolation of lesbians. It was founded by the Lesbian Avengers, and was part of their education and activist program. 

Family Diversity Projects records

SSC-MS-00698

1993-2010

The Family Diversity Projects records date from 1993 to 2010 and document the organization's work in designing exhibits and authoring books that portray gay and lesbian families, multiracial families, families suffering from mental illnesses, people with disabilities, and transgender people.

Gay Nurses Alliance records 

SSC-MS-00732

1971 - 1984

The collection contains photographs and recordings of conferences and presentations, articles and publications on gays and gays in health care, and of newsletters, mailings, and fliers. Also included are the working papers of the Gay Nurse Alliance, an advocacy group for gay patients and nurses and an education disseminator for health care professionals and others.

Homosexuality/LGBT collection 

SSC-MS-00395

1932 - 2011 (Majority of material found within 1970-1978)

This collection consists of printed materials that document the evolution of attitudes and approaches to lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and organizations from 1932-1995 (mostly the 1970s), and documents the political struggles of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals to oppose homophobic discrimination in U.S. society. Also of interest are numerous newsletters, periodicals and leaflets that document lesbian organizing in Western Massachusetts.

Lesbian Calendar records 

SSC-MS-00335

1912-1994 (Majority of material found within 1985-1990)

Lesbian business and publication. Originally a one page fold-out monthly calendar of lesbian and women's events, The Calendar quickly grew into a more lengthy newsletter.

Old Lesbians Organizing for Change records

SSC-MS-00671

1986 - 2018

Old Lesbians Organizing for Change(OLOC) is a national (United States) organization of lesbian activists age 60 and over. This collection includes extensive documentation of all OLOC gatherings since 1987, including photographs of activities, and videotapes of panel discussions and keynote speeches. 

Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project records

SSC-MS-00669

1944 - 2024

The project, begun by Arden Eversmeyer in 1997, continues to collect the life stories of lesbians 70 and older from around the country.

Women's Art Colony Farm records

SSC-MS-00381

1964-1995

"The Farm" was founded in the mid-1980s. It is a self-supporting women's artist colony run by Kate Millett. Women apply to work at The Farm, a successful Christmas tree venture, in exchange for room, board and studio space.