All information is current as of December 7, 2022.
Finding Aid
Click here to view the Finding Aid for the LGBTQ History Collection
Collection Highlights (in chronological order)
- Gay Alliance of the Roanoke Valley (GARV), 1971-72 *click here for online access to all items*
- Statement of Policy and Constitution and By-Laws (c. 1971)
- The Big Lick Gayzette – Volume 1, Issues 1-7 (1971), Southwest Virginia’s first gay publication
- The Virginia Gayzette – Volume 1, Issue 1 (1971); Volume 2, Issues 1-7 (1972)
- Free Alliance for Individual Rights (FAIR), 1977-78 *click here for online access to all items*
- Charter for an unidentified gay organization, presumably FAIR (c. 1977)
- The Virginia Gayzette – Volume 3, Issues 2-4 (1978)
- Positive Alternative Lifestyles (PALS), 1980-83 *click here for online access to all items*
- PALS Newsletter – Volume 1, Issues 7-10 (1980); Volume 2, Issues 1-10 [missing no. 2] (Jan-May 1981); Volume 3, Issues 1-14 (June-Dec 1981); Volume 4, Issues 1-14 (1982); Volume 5, Issues 1-2 (1983)
- Blue Ridge Lambda Alliance (BRLA), 1981-85 *click here for online access to all items*
- Blue Ridge Lambda Alliance Newsletter – Issues 1-5 (1981-1982)
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press – Volume 1, Issues 1-10 (1983-1984); Volume 2, Issues 3-8 [nos. 1-2 do not exist] (1984); Volume 3, Issues 1-6 (1985)
- First Friday, 1983-88 *click here for online access to all items*
- Skip Two Periods – Volumes 1-5 [missing vol. 1, no. 2] (1983-1988), lesbian newsletter
- Roanoke Valley Chapter, Virginia Gay Alliance, 1985-86 *click here for online access to all items*
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press – Volume 3, Issue 7 (1985); Volume 4, Issue 1 (1986)
- Roanoke Valley Gay Alliance (RVGA), 1986-92 *click here for online access to all items*
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press – Volume 4, Issues 2-6 (1986); Volume 5, Issues 1-6 (1987); Volume 6, Issues 1-5 (1988); Volume 7, Issues 1-6 (1989); Volume 8, Issues 1-5 (1990); Volume 9, Issues 1-6 (1991); Volume 10, Issues 1-4 (1992)
- Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge (MCCBR), 1990-1991 *click here for limited online access*
- Blue Ridge Banner – Issues 1-7 (1990); Issue 8 (1991);
- Blue Ridge Banner/Blue Ridge Messenger (1991-1998). We have yet to digitize the remainder of this newsletter.
- Roanoke Valley Gay & Lesbian Alliance (RVGLA), 1992-98 *click here for online access to all items*
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press – Volume 10, Issues 5-6 (1992); Volume 11, Issues 1-5 (1993); Volume 12, Issues 1-5 (1994); Volume 13, Issues 1-5 (1995); Volume 14, Issues 1-2 (1996); Volume 15, Issues 1-2 (1997); Volume 16, Issue 1 (Jan/Feb 1998)
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press (BRLP), 1998-2001 *click here for online access to all items*
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press – Volume 16, Issues 2-6 (March-Dec 1998); Volume 17, Issues 1-6 (1999); Volume 18, Issues 1-6 (2000), Volume 19, Issue 1 (Jan/Feb 2001)
- Roanoke Pride, 2001-2008 *click here for limited online access*
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press – Volume 19, Issues 2-4 (July-December 2001); Volume 20, Issues 1-6 (2002); Volume 21, Issues 1-6 (2003); Volume 22, Issues 1-5 (2004); Volume 23, Issues 1-2 (2005)
- Blue Ridge Lambda Press – complete (2005-2008). We have yet to digitize the remainder of this newsletter.
- Other undigitized collections
- New River Free Press, radical newspaper published in the New River Valley, various issues c. 1990 – 2007
- organizational records of the Blue Ridge Lambda Alliance (1980s)
- organizational records of the Roanoke Valley Chapter, Virginia Gay Alliance (1980s)
- organizational records of the Roanoke Valley Gay & Lesbian Alliance (1990s)
- organizational records of the Alliance of Gay & Lesbian Organizations (ALGO), including early Pride in the Park festivals (1990s)
- organizational records of the Roanoke Valley chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) (1990s)
- Membership cards for The Park dance club (1994; 2000-2001)
- Ricketson GLBT Memorial Library records (c. 2000 – 2013)
- Roanoke Gayzette – five issues from 2009-2011
- Memorabilia, Tenth Anniversary of the Backstreet Café shooting (c. 2010)
- organizational records of the Roanoke Diversity Center (c. 2009 – 2015)
- Various items from the transgender community, including Ladies and Gents of the Blue Ridge – Transgender Alliance (2010s)
- Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project papers (2015-2020)
Founding Donors
- Sherman Bamford
- Michael Blankenship
- Mary Boenke
- Riley Chattin
- Rev. Catherine Houchins
- Edward F. “Gerry” Jennings, Jr.
- Dan Jones
- Erika Joyner
- Virginia Irene Lindsey
- Deanna Marcin
- The Park
- Roanoke Diversity Center
- Olivia Streett
- Trish Valentine
- Richard Ward III
- Carolyn Sue Wilson
- Rosemary Wyman
Thank you!!!