Special Collections began collecting Gay and Lesbian material in the 1970s thanks to the work of bibliographer Anne E. Tracy. Since then, the collection has evolved to collect the individual voices of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
The LGBTQ+ Collection currently holds material that ranges from archival records, ephemera, printed art, periodicals, popular literature, recorded music, and zines. Historic pamphlets, leaflets, and manifestos contain topics such as the Gay Liberation Movement, AIDS activism, same-sex domestic partnerships and marriage equality. Our archival collections include records of local and regional organizations, as well as personal papers of members of the Michigan LGBTQIA2S+ community.
For more information about the purpose and scope of our collection, please refer to our collection development policy.
This guide was adapted from an earlier version written by Special Collections Education and Outreach Librarian, Ruth Ann Jones.