Happy Pride Month to all our readers! Our latest book display brings together titles from the Vere Harmsworth’s collection which explore diverse aspects of LGBTQ+ history.

Readers are invited to browse and borrow titles on subjects ranging from the history of LGBTQ+ activism (such as Here Are My People : LGBT College Student Organizing in California, Queer public history : essays on scholarly activism and Not straight, not white : black gay men from the march on Washington to the AIDS crisis) to queer geographies (such as Deviant hollers : queering Appalachian ecologies for a sustainable future, Queering urbanism : insurgent spaces in the fight for justice and Not in my gayborhood! : gay neighborhoods and the rise of the vicarious citizen).

Additionally, many of the selected books explore the intersection between queerness and other marginalised identities, such as Black on both sides : a racial history of trans identity, Gender and sexuality in indigenous North America, 1400-1850 and Public faces, secret lives : a queer history of the women’s suffrage movement. We have also picked out titles focusing on the history of specific groups within the LGBTQ+ community such as Trans America : a counter-history and Bodies in doubt : an American history of intersex.  

We also encourage those interested to explore the online resources highlighted in our display. Firstly, the Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive brings together a collection of online content which documents LGBTQ+ history, scholarship, and culture in the US and around the world, along with curated resources on subjects such as the history of Pride, Stonewall, and how to find LGBTQ+ history in newspapers. Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture since 1940, Part II is a database from Gale Primary Sources (access requires an SSO or to be logged into a Bodleian PC) which covers the development, culture, and society of LGBTQ groups in the latter half of the twentieth century. Finally, the LGBTQIA+ Archives are a free, searchable digital archive of LGBTQIA+ historical resources, and also provide links to a very wide range of other websites, archives and projects.

The book display can be found on the ground floor on the left hand side, near the armchairs and low table. Many of these books can be loaned out, and some are also available as ebooks via SOLO.

To find out more about using the Vere Harmsworth Library collections please contact the Vere Harmsworth Library (vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk).