Tulane University Preserves Digital Histories of LGBTQ+ Activism in the South

From Tulane University:

Through the recent acquisition of records from the youth LGBTQ organization BreakOUT!, Newcomb Archives is preserving the group’s story of empowering the LGBTQ community in New Orleans.

BreakOUT! is also the first completely digital collection at Newcomb Archives and serves as a pilot collection for other digital-archiving initiatives.

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“All too often, trans history has been minimized or erased from the historical record,” said Chloe Raub, head of archives and special collections at Newcomb College Institute. “When we met with BreakOUT! and the Archives Project to discuss acquiring the collection, we saw an opportunity to help change that. The BreakOUT! records are an incredibly rich collection, and vitally important in documenting the history of transgender activism in the South.”

From The Tulane Hullabaloo:

“Trans history is woefully underrepresented in the historical record,” Sam Stover, archivist for digital initiatives at the Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Library Special Collections, said. “In fact, there’s a long history of erasing, minimizing or denying the trans community’s existence and impact — even in queer histories.”

The acquisition was also facilitated by the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, which promotes the protection and preservation of records and artifacts that document the state’s LGBTQ history and culture. The LGBT+ Archives Project is a partner of Tulane’s Center for Public Service.

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Founded in 1989, the Newcomb Archives contains records of the history of women and gender minorities in the Gulf South, with a particular focus on activism, dating back to the founding of Newcomb College in 1886.

Read the Complete Article (approx. 1140 words)

Direct to BreakOUT!

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Libraries, News, Preservation