Research Guides: LGBTQ+ Studies: Primary Sources

Top Recommendations

Digital Transgender Archive An online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world.The DTA uses the term transgender to refer to a broad and inclusive range of non-normative gender practices. They treat transgender as a practice rather than an identity category in order to bring together a trans-historical and trans-cultural collection of materials related to trans-ing gender. They collect materials from anywhere in the world with a focus on materials created before the year 2000.
The Queer Memory Project (QMP) of Northern Colorado An educational and community-based project to preserve and share the region’s LGBTQ+ past. Our work focuses on 1) the discovery and safekeeping LGBTQ+ accounts from the region, 2) the training of local LGBTQ+ historical activists, and 3) the communication of the LGBTQ+ past to regional audiences: educators, schools, community groups, civic leaders, partner organizations, and other members of the community in engaging ways.
Lesbian Herstory Archives The Lesbian Herstory Archives exists to gather, preserve and provide access to records of Lesbian lives and activities. Doing this also serves to uncover and document our herstory previously denied to us by patriarchal historians in the interests of the culture that they served. The existence of the Archives will thus enable current and future generations to analyze and reevaluate the Lesbian experience.
Queer Digital History Project The QDHP is an independent community digital history project documenting pre-2010 LGBTQ digital spaces online.
LGBTQ Game Archive Documenting the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer content in games.
The Arquives Canada's LGBTQ2+ Archives

Sex and Sexuality (Adam Matthew) Includes research papers and records spanning the tenures of the first three directors of The Kinsey Institute (1947-1993), and unpublished professional papers, correspondence between professional and private individuals, autobiographical accounts, official records, media coverage, and photographs which reflect lived experiences from the 19th century through today.

Current Issues

Out - articles searchable in Gale General OneFile and in Academic Search Premier
The Advocate - articles searchable in Gale General OneFile
Alternative Press Index (EBSCO) Database of journal, newspaper and magazine articles from hundreds of international alternative, radical and left periodicals. Covers 1991-present. For 1969-1990, see Alternative Press Index Archive.

Historic Issues

LGBT Magazine Archive (ProQuest) A searchable archive of major periodicals devoted to LGBTQ+ interests, dating from the 1950s through to recent years. The majority of titles are from the U.S. and U.K., including The Advocate, Albatross, BLS, Gay Times, Out, and Transgender Tapestry.
Alternative Press Index Archive (EBSCO) A guide to articles from alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines. Coverage spans 1969 through 1990.

Looking for another title? Try searching for it in our A-Z Journals and Newspapers Publication Finder to see which database it's in.

HIV, AIDS & the Arts (Reveal Digital)
This collection makes accessible the artistic output of AIDS activists with a particular focus on those who have remained in the margins of these histories. The collection includes trans*, women, and BIPOC artists.
ARTstor
Database of over one million high-quality images, useful not only for the fine arts but as a general image resource.

The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project
A public archive of the life stories of long-time LGBTQ+ residents of Colorado Springs. This continuously evolving community-based research project harnesses the power of story-telling in preserving LGBTQ+ subcultures, memories, and lived experiences.
Outwords
OUTWORDS captures, preserves, and shares the stories of LGBTQIA2S+* elders, to build community and catalyze social change. Video interviews with transcriptions.
ACTUP Oral History Project
Gay in America Podcast
The Gay in American Podcast is an oral history project where we share stories from the LGBTQA+ community to inspire each other to live our best gay lives and to understand that our shared experiences are what unite us as a community.
Oral History Hub
Find even more oral history projects! From the LGBTQ History Digital Collaboratory.

LGBT Studies in Video (Alexander Street)
Includes documentaries, interviews, archival footage on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as well as the cultural and political evolution of the LGBTQ+ community.

TransPop, United States, 2016-2018
The TransPop study is the first national probability sample of transgender individuals in the United States (it also includes a comparative cisgender sample). A primary goal of this study was to provide researchers with a representative sample of transgender people in the United States.
The Gender Census
The Gender Census is an annual survey that collects information about the language used by people whose genders are not adequately described, expressed or encompassed by the restrictive gender binary. It has taken place every year since 2015. The language we ask about includes identity words, honorific titles, and pronouns.
The U.S. Trans Survey
The U.S. Trans Survey is the largest survey of trans people, by trans people, in the United States. 2022 Early Insights Report available.

Ask A Librarian

Make an appointment

Chat, Call, Text

Email: libraries@colorado.edu

What are Primary Sources?

Primary sources are usually defined as first hand information that are communicated by witnesses or participants in past events. Primary sources are characterized not by their format but rather by the information they convey and their relationship to your research question.

Examples of primary sources include, but are not limited to:

Diaries and literary memoirs
Eyewitness accounts
Letters/correspondence
Artistic works
News segments/transcripts
Speeches
Interviews
Surveys
Emails/ blogs/ listservs
Legal documents and statistics

LGBTQ+ Studies: Primary Sources

Top Recommendations

​​​​​​Current Issues

Historic Issues

Ask A Librarian

What are Primary Sources?

Current Issues