Discovery Day : Exploring LGBTQ+ History

At University of Edinburgh, you have access to archival material digitised from around the world to explore centuries of stories and voices on sex and sexuality, community organisation, protest and the fight for equal rights.  

Come to our Discovery Day. We’re exploring LGBTQ+ History Month with a day of themed events in the Main Library, featuring:

• Deep dive sessions into our digital primary sources.
• Stalls with information, freebies and advice on library resources.
• Hands on session with our unique archival resources.

Exploring LGBTQ+ Resources: Navigating ProQuest and Alexander Street Platforms

10:00-10:50, In-person, Main Library ML1.07

In this session, we will focus on the historical challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and the evolution of laws impacting their rights in the UK. We will explore a range of primary and secondary sources available on ProQuest and Alexander Street platforms, and will demonstrate effective strategies for searching and locating relevant documents to support your learning and research process.

"The barman was quite cute, and could never resist a dare...": gender and sexuality in the archives (AM Digital)

11:10-12:00, In-person, Main Library ML1.07

In this session, Dr Laura Blomvall from AM [Adam Matthew] will present on two collections of digitised archival material – Gender, Identity and Social Change and Sex & Sexuality – to show material from diaries of Anne ‘Gentleman Jack’ Lister to photographs of a Victorian fetishist, from the fight for gay rights and the rights to legal sex change in post-war California to British coming out stories from the 1990s.

Insights into LGBTQ History with Gale Primary Sources

12:10-13:00, In-person, Main Library ML1.07

In this presentation Gale will illustrate the histories and stories contained within the Gale Primary Sources digital archives, as well as covering techniques for finding and interpreting LGBTQ primary sources. Given the unique collections that are contained within these archives, this session can benefit students from a variety of disciplines when it comes to their dissertation and thesis research.

Exploring LGBT+ Resources in Lothian Health Services Archive

16:00-17:00, In-person, CRC Teaching Room 2, Main Library 6th floor

Are you interested in finding out more about support services for LGBT+ people in the mid-twentieth century? In this session, you will discover how these services were initiated and developed, and how they supported the LGBT+ community, especially during periods of change and crisis. We will focus mostly on the archive of the Lothian Gay and Lesbian Switchboard (LGLS), but will also highlight sources on LGBT+ activism during the HIV crisis of the 1980s and 1990s.

LGLS was the UK’s first gay helpline and Scotland's first gay charity, and it was a key source of support to LGBT+ people across Scotland and the UK. They campaigned and advised on sexual health, mental health, and equality issues, as well as providing listening and befriending services to people about issues or difficulties relating to their sexuality, as well as passing on details of gay-friendly organisations, counselling professionals, and sexual health advice.

This session will introduce you to items from this fascinating collection, and let you know how LHSA sources on LGBT+ activism can help with research towards your dissertation. We will also cover how to access archive collections for yourself, and share some hints and tips for first-time archive researchers. You can find out more about the Lothian Health Services Archive collections from our website.