Hunter College Libraries Blog

With the fight for marriage equality raging on across the U.S., and the recent push in Washington to lift the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the military, now is as important a time as ever to raise awareness and celebrate the history and continuing contributions of those in the GLBT community.

For an overview of GLBT history month and some resources to get you started, check out my post from last October.

This year, the Equality Forum has a new video out highlighting the people they chose to celebrate this month. They are also having a trivia challenge, starting today, in which you will be asked questions about the 31 icons they are celebrating. You might win a trip to the Equality Forum in 2010!

You can also enter their Best GLBT Exhibit Contest! See the site for details.

For those of you who are Hunter College students, faculty and staff, the CQ Researcher published a recent issue about the ban on gays in the military. Last year around this time, they also devoted an issue to gay marriage. It was prior to the presidential election, as well as prior to the passing of Proposition 8 in California, and definitely still worth a read.

This Sunday, October 11, you can also join a group from Hunter College heading to the National Equality March in Washington, DC.

Below are some resources for more information. Some are repeats from last year’s list, but there are some new titles as well, particularly in the “books” section. This list is by no means comprehensive, but instead is a place to begin. It pays to be educated about the issues.

Free Web Resources

Equality Forum – “Equality Forum advances national and international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights by education the GLBT community and society at large about GLBT issues.”

Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Culture – a free, online encyclopedia of GLBTQ culture.

Queering the Web – an article from College & Research Libraries News from last year by Tami Albin and Jennifer Church-Duran that includes an annotated list of web resources related to GLBTQ issues.

Queer Theory – “QueerTheory.com provides you with the best online resources integrated with the best visual and textual resources in Queer Culture, Queer Theory, Queer Studies, Gender Studies and related fields.”

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center (New York, NY) – “The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center provides a home for the birth, nurture and celebration of our organizations, institutions and culture; cares for our individuals and groups in need; educates the public and our community; and empowers our individuals and groups to achieve their fullest potential.”

Library Resources (login required if off campus)

Alt-PressWatch (located in Databases list) – Alt-PressWatch is a full text database of the newspapers, magazines and journals from alternative and independent presses. The independent and critical sources presented offer a unique perspective in the pursuit of freedom of the press.

CQ Researcher report on Gays in the Military – full report from September 2009 on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the U.S. military.

CQ Researcher Report on Gay Marriage – a full report from September of 2008 by the CQ press, presenting an in-depth analysis of the issues surrounding gay marriage in the United States.

Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History in America – electronic encyclopedia of GLBT history in the US, available in the Gale Virtual Reference Library database or via title search in CUNY+

Opposing Viewpoints Research Center - Full text articles from magazines and newspapers representing pros and con opinions on controversial topics and current events. To access, click on the linked title, or find in the list of Databases from the library home page.

Books

Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities[electronic book] / Debra A. Hope. New York: Springer, 2009

Available as an e-book for Hunter users.

Our Caribbean: a gathering of lesbian and gay writing from the Antilles / Durham : Duke University Press, 2008.

Hunter Main Library Stacks PN849 .C32 O87 2008

The lesbian and gay movements : assimilation or liberation / Craig A. Rimmerman. Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press, 2008.

Hunter Main Library Stacks HQ76.8 .U6 R58 2008

Great Events from History. : Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Events, 1848-2006 / Pasadena, Calif. : Salem Press, 2007.

Hunter Main Reference, 4th floor HQ73 .G74 2007

Policy issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families / Sean Robert Cahill. Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2007.

Hunter Main  Library Stacks HQ76.3 .U5 C33 2006