University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois I-Mark

The items in the Digital Collections of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library contain materials which represent or depict sensitive topics or were written from perspectives using outdated or biased language. The Library condemns discrimination and hatred on any grounds. As a research library that supports the mission and values of this land grant institution, it is incumbent upon the University Library to preserve, describe, and provide access to materials to accurately document our past, support learning about it, and effect change in the present. In accordance with the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statement, we do not censor our materials or prevent patrons from accessing them.

If you have questions regarding this statement or any content in the Library’s digital collections, please contact digitalcollections@lists.illinois.edu

American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at the University Library
Browse Collection  JSON  IIIF Representation   Admin View

LGBT at UIUC

45 Items Full Collection Description

"The Gay Illini organization was formed in 1975 and Illini Pride was founded in 1977, both growing out of the work of the Gay Liberation Front. Gay Illini was announced in the Daily Illini on January 29, 1975. By April 1975, the group was holding Gay Forums, offering panels discussing topics related to gay students and queer life. The group also hosted a number of social events, including dances, picnics, and movie nights."

(reprinted from the Student Life & Culture Archives blog, written by Caitlin Stamm, http://archives.library.illinois.edu/slc/pride-month-2015-lgbt-history-on-campus/)

Since the beginning in the 1970s, the story of LGBTQ culture and student organizations has taken several twists and turns, including a large number of name changes, acronym rearrangements, and a shifting landscape of office space (or lack thereof). This digital collection offers only a glimpse into the past, and does not attempt by any means to represents events, organizations, or policies in their entirety. Rather, the collection should be thought of as just one door in a long hallway of history.

Another door is the current Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center, located in Room 323 of the Illini Union. As a complement to this collection, users may find the timeline the LGBTRC created here: https://oiir.illinois.edu/lgbt-resource-center/about-lgbtrc/history helpful.

The University Archives are also a terrific opening for scholars who want to really dig into the LGBTQ past of the University of Illinois. All materials found in this collection were hand picked from two archival records series. To visit the University Archives online, please visit http://archives.library.illinois.edu. The analog collection these images were drawn from reside at the physical location of the Archives Research Center, Horticulture Field Laboratory, 1707 South Orchard, Urbana.

It is the hope of the University Archives and the LGBT Resource Center that, over time, this digital collection will continue to grow. If you are a student, faculty, or staff member and have questions about donating material, please contact the Archives at (217) 333-0798.

Collection Curator's Note: The University of Illinois recognizes that the acronym LGBT may not be agreeable to everyone it attempts to encompass. It was chosen for the title solely because it was the most used acronym found within the related archival collection. No offense is intended to any member of our highly diversified community campus.

Day of Silence poster