ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 658/C&RL News Internet resources in g ay and lesb ian stud ies By Robert B. Marks Ridinger For information on homosexual issues get “Out on the Net” T he last several years have witnessed the swift coalescence o f gay and lesbian stud­ ies as both an academic subject and a popular research focus in virtually every discipline of the humanities and social sciences and in biol­ ogy. Along with the sharp increase in mono­ graphs and journal articles has come a virtual explosion o f Internet sites relating in some fash­ ion to the life, culture, and issues o f the gay and lesbian communities, both within the United States and worldwide. Many o f these sites presuppose a degree o f familiarity with subcultural jargon and abbreviations by using in their names slang terms, such as “queer,” which may not be the most obvious o f choices to the general searcher. The pattern o f site creation is very different from many other subject fields, centering upon individual organizations ranging from blatantly political activist groups to professional caucuses (the latter having begun with A IA ’s Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 1970). In an effort to cope with the sheer number o f individual home­ pages carrying information relating to the gay and lesbian communities (and the speed with which new sites appear), this listing focuses on identifying those sites with the broadest po­ tential audience and greatest value for refer­ ence work. General access points such as the Queer Resources Directory should be checked regularly for expanded and updated coverage o f specific topics or information on newly founded groups. G a t e w a y s Given the diversity o f the gay and lesbian com­ munities, beginning searchers may wish to ori­ ent themselves by visiting some of the sites that attempt to provide gateways to a large number o f links. Standard search engines such as Ya­ hoo, Lycos, and Altavista may be of limited value for locating gay and lesbian information. • Queer Resource Directory. One of the longest established gay directory sites and the model for others, with 16,494 files on every aspect o f lesbian and gay culture. Access: http: //www.qrd.org/qrd/. • Gay and Lesbian Resources. A subdi­ rectory o f the Rainbow Cafe. Access: http:// w w w .3wnet.com/rainbow/gnl.html. • Infoqueer. A general site offering home­ pages o f individuals and organizations by geo­ graphic area o f the world, e-mail lists and newsgroups, campus groups, publications, and transgender and transsexual resources. A fea­ tured link to PopcornQ, the primary site for queer films, is also provided. Access: http:// w w w .infoqueer.org/queer/qis/media. html. • Out on the Net. A “virtual world” for lesbians and gays that blends creative content, individuals’ rights, and community concerns. Access: http://www.comeout.com/. • Canada Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Re­ sources Directory. This offers links to all busi­ nesses and organizations that serve and sup­ port the homosexual and bisexual communities o f Canada. Access: http://www.cglbrd.com/. • Gaynet. One o f the very first Internet sites to emerge as a focus for discussion on gay- and lesbian-related subjects, and still a h ighly active forum for debate. Access: majordomo@queernet.org; “subscribe gaynet.” Robert B. Marks Ridinger is head of electronic information resources management at Northern Illinois University Library; e-mail: c60rbrl@corn.cso.niu.edu http://www.qrd.org/qrd/ http://www.infoqueer.org/ http://www.comeout.com/ http://www.cglbrd.com/ mailto:majordomo@queernet.org mailto:c60rbrl@com.cso.niu.edu November 1996/659 • PlanetOut: Gay and Lesbian News. The only major site devoted exclusively to moni­ toring news reports from the homosexual com­ munity worldwide. Limited archives available. Access: http://headlines.yahoo.com/planetout. O rg a n iz a tio n s • National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Describing itself as “the frontline activist orga­ nization and national resource center for grass­ roots lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organizations,” this site also includes press re­ leases, full text o f selected publications, and profiles o f the “Creating Change” conferences. Access: http://www.ngltf.org/. • Human Rights Campaign. The United States’ largest gay and lesbian lobbying organi­ zation, with emphases on comprehensive ho­ mosexual rights and AIDS. Access: www. hrcusa.org/. • Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Founded in 1973, this is the largest legal organization working to secure civil rights for gays, lesbians, and persons with HIV via edu­ cation, public policy work, and litigation. Ac­ cess: http://www.gaysource.com/gs/ht/oct95/ lambda.html. • Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The only national gay and les­ bian multimedia watchdog organization, dedi­ cated to “promoting fair, accurate and inclu­ sive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.” Site features include information on the creation of October as Lesbian and Gay History Month, the Freedom to Marry Project, and the GLAAD archives. Access: http:// www.glaad.org/. • Digital Queers Home Page. A profes­ sional forum o f gays and lesbians employed in the high technology industries, founded in 1992. Areas covered include lobbying for domestic part­ ner benefits and challenging workplace stereo­ types. Access: http://www.casti.com/dq/dq.html. • National Directory o f Gay and Lesbian Community Centers. Arranged by state and budget, this site is useful for locating local and regional service providers. A service o f the Les­ bian and Gay Community Center o f New York. Access: http://www.gaycenter.org/natctr/. • American Library Association Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Task Force. Founded in 1970 as the Task Force on Gay Liberation, this is the oldest professional homosexual cau­ cus in the United States. Complete listings of all recipients o f the Gay and Lesbian Book Awards and conference programs are included. Access: www.outline.com/ala/ala.hp.html. • PFLAG (Parents and Friends o f Lesbi­ ans and Gays). A national nonprofit grassroots group dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of gay and lesbian people, their fami­ lies, and friends through education and advo­ cacy. Access: http://www.pflag.org/. • Children o f Lesbians and Gays Every­ where (COLAGE) publishes a quarterly news­ letter and offers support groups for children age 12 and older. Access: KidsofGays@aol.com. • Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition In­ ternational. With eighty chapters in eight coun­ tries, this organization offers support for les­ bian mothers, gay fathers, bisexual parents, and the partners of their children. Topics regularly covered include custody, adoption, and surro­ gate parenting. Access: http://abacus.oxy.edu/ QRD/www/orgs/alpci/home.htm. • International Association o f Lesbian and Gay Pride Coordinators, Inc. An asso­ ciation of more than sixty cities worldwide that produce Gay and Lesbian Pride events yearly. Access: http://wwwAde.com/~ialgpc/. B usin e ss • Lavender Pages. The online business directory for the San Francisco Bay Area gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities. Access: http://www.lavenderpages.com/. L ib ra rie s a n d a rc h iv e s • Queer Archives and Libraries Around the World. The best starting point for research­ ers unfamiliar with individual collections of this nature. Access: http://www.outline.com/saa/ archives.hp.html. • James C. Horm el Gay and Lesbian Center and Collections (San Francisco Pub­ lic Library). A showpiece o f the new San Fran­ cisco Public Library, this major research center’s collections focus on both the national and worldwide gay and lesbian communities. In­ formation on the extensive archival holdings of the center, including the personal papers of late politician Harvey Milk and journalist Randy Shilts, is provided. Access: http://nick.sfpl.lib.ca. us/glcenter/homearly.htm. • June L. Mazer Lesbian Collection (Los Angeles). Originally known as the West Coast Lesbian Collection, this is the only archive in the western United States “dedicated exclusively to preserving lesbian history.” Holdings reach http://headlines.yahoo.com/planetout http://www.ngltf.org/ http://www.gaysource.com/gs/ht/oct95/ http://www.glaad.org/ http://www.casti.com/dq/dq.html http://www.gaycenter.org/natctr/ http://www.outline.com/ala/ala.hp.html http://www.pflag.org/ mailto:KidsofGays@aol.com http://abacus.oxy.edu/ http://wwwAde.com/~ialgpc/ http://www http://www.outline.com/saa/ http://nick.sfpl.lib.ca 660/C&RL News back to 1895 and include the papers o f veteran lesbian activists Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin. Access: http://www.lesbian.org/m azer/ index.html. • ONE Institute International Gay and Lesbian Archives (Los Angeles). Housed at the University o f Southern California, this col­ lection was formed in 1994 through the merger o f the library o f ONE (the oldest continuing homosexual activist group in the western hemi­ sphere, founded in 1952) and the huge private collection of veteran activist Jim Kepner. A c­ cess: http://www.usc.edu/Library/oneigla/. • Gerber/Hart Library and Archives (Chicago). Founded in 1981, this collection’s primary focus is on collecting and preserving the Midwest’s homosexual and bisexual history. Access: http://www.gerberhart/org/. • Canadian Gay and Lesbian Archives (Toronto). Created in 1973 by the collective that produced the newspaper the Body Politic, the archives’ mission is “to collect and main­ tain information and materials relating to the gay and lesbian movement in Canada and else­ where.” Access: http://www.web.net/archives/. Researchers investigating any aspect o f Cana­ dian way culture should also visit the site for the Archives Gaie du Quebec for the Franco­ phone viewpoint on specific issues. • Archives Gaie du Quebec. Collects and preserves all types o f documentation (both paper and media) relating to the gay or lesbian communities o f Quebec. Access: http:// www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/c2220/agq.html. • Homodok (Amsterdam). One of the primary European archival collections on ho­ mosexual history, with holdings reaching back to 1870 and ranging from traditional sexology research to contemporary periodicals. Access: http://www.adamnet.nl/hldinfo.html. • Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans­ gendered Library/Archives o f Philadelphia. One o f the larger eastern libraries created by an urban community, founded in 1975. Special collections include the papers of activists Bar­ bara Gittings, Kay Lahusen, and William Damon. Access: http://wanda.pond.com/~stevecap/ la000001.htm. ■ Lesbian Herstory A rch ives (N e w Y o rk City). By far the premier site for beginning any re­ search on the lesbian com­ munity o f the United States. The Herstory col­ lection was begun in 1974 as the private library o f lesbian feminists Joan Nestle and Deborah Edel. Holdings range from standard books and publications through unpublished diaries and clippings files to oral histories and videotapes. Access://www.intac.com/~kgs/lhef/index.html. G a y a n d le sb ia n stud ies • Programs in Gender and Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Studies at Universities in the USA and Canada. Extensive coverage of es­ tablished and developing degree and nondegree programs and research resources. Access: http: //www.duke.edu/web/jyounger/lbgprogs. html. • QSTUDY-L (Queer Studies List). A fo­ rum for academic discussion o f queer theory, an umbrella term covering homosexuality, bi­ sexuality, and transgender. Access: qstudy- l@acsu.buffalo.edu. Subscribe: listserv@acsu. buffalo.edu. M ino rity g a y s a n d le sb ia n s • GLBPOC (Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People o f Color). A general discussion list fo­ cusing on the issues o f race and sexual orienta­ tion. Access: majordomo@abacus.oxy.edu. Sub­ scribe: glbpoc. • Blackstripe. Inspired by discussions on the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People o f Color Board. Coverage offers a book list, current ar­ ticles, films, and organizations. Access: http:// www.qrd.org/qrd/www/culture/black/. • The Blacklist. A nationwide list o f black lesbian and gay organizations. Access: http:// www.blk.com/blk/addrfrm.htm. • National Deaf Queer Resource Center. Developed and maintained by the former head o f San Francisco’s Deaf Gay and Lesbian Cen­ ter. Access: http://www.deafqueer.org/. Film • PopcornQ. Based on the book The Ulti­ mate Guide to Gay and Lesbian Video (Serpent’s Tail, 1996), this site offers a massive filmogra­ phy based on titles screened at the San Fran­ cisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival plus a se­ (Internet cont. on page 671) http://www.lesbian.org/mazer/ http://www.usc.edu/Library/oneigla/ http://www.gerberhart/org/ http://www.web.net/archives/ http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/c2220/agq.html http://www.adamnet.nl/hldinfo.html http://wanda http://www.intac.com/~kgs/lhef/index.html mailto:l@acsu.buffalo.edu mailto:majordomo@abacus.oxy.edu http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/culture/black/ http://www.blk.com/blk/addrfrm.htm http://www.deafqueer.org/ November 1996/671 (Internet cont. from page 660) lection o f feature films with gay, lesbian, transgender, or bisexual themes. Access: www.planetout.com/kiosk/popcornq. Jo u rn a lism • Queer Press International. A compre­ hensive site providing access to all aspects of gay and lesbian journalism from weekly sum­ maries and organizational news to Rex Wockner’s international monitoring o f gay and lesbian events worldwide. A particularly useful feature is the list of those publications that have Web addresses. Access: http://cyberzine.org/ html/GLAIDS/QPI/qpipage.html. • The ADVOCATE. Referred to as “the New York Times o f gay America,” this comprehen­ sive magazine has been published since Sep­ tember 1967. Access: http://www.advocate.com. • H a rv a rd Gay and Lesbian Review. One of the leading new journals in the field of gay and lesbian studies. Access: http:// www.hglc.org/hglc/review.htm. • Seattle Gay News Online. One of the major news sources for the Pacific Northwest’s gay community. Access: http://www.sgn.org/sgn. • Out in the Mountains. Vermont’s news­ paper for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues. Access: http://members.aol.com/oitm/ oitm.htm. Politics • Gay and Lesbian Politics: W W W and Internet Resources. This list is intended as a comprehensive resource on the roles, partici­ pation, attitudes, and behaviors of, and issues o f concern to, gay men and lesbians in Ameri­ can politics. Access: http://ezinfo.ucs. indiana.edu/~sanderss/gaylespolguide.html. • Queer Planet. An international list for gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons who want to work as community organizers. Access: m ajordom o@ vector.casti.com . Subscribe: “queerplanet.” Dom estic p artn e rsh ip • Domestic Partnerships and Same Sex Marriages. The best site for beginning research into this controversial issue. Areas covered in­ clude the precise legal definition o f family, sample domestic partner policies (and a list of those companies and institutions that have them), and the same-sex marriage case currently b ein g heard in H awaii. Access: http:// www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/cmu. edu/user/scotts/ domestic-partners/mainpage.html. ■ http://www.planetout.com/kiosk/popcornq http://cyberzine.org/ http://www.advocate.com http://www.hglc.org/hglc/review.htm http://www.sgn.org/sgn http://members.aol.com/oitm/ http://ezinfo.ucs mailto:majordomo@vector.casti.com