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| OutHistory | |
|---|---|
| Name | OutHistory |
| Type | Online archive |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | John D'Emilio; Katherine Ott (editorial leadership) |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
OutHistory
OutHistory is an online public history project documenting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex lives and activism through primary sources, oral histories, scholarly essays, and curated exhibitions. It connects archival holdings, museum collections, university research, and community archives to foreground the activities of figures such as Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Bayard Rustin, Harvey Milk, and organizations including Stonewall Inn, Mattachine Society, Daughters of Bilitis, ACT UP. The project situates local events like the Stonewall riots alongside international moments such as the WorldPride festivals and movements tied to AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power and global rights struggles associated with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
OutHistory emerged in the early 21st century amid renewed interest in digital humanities initiatives at institutions like University of Illinois, University of Michigan, and Rutgers University. Its formation reflects wider archival efforts comparable to projects at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution. Early contributors included scholars active in queer history such as Evelyn Hooker, Joseph Berndt, George Chauncey, and John D'Emilio, and activists linked to Compton's Cafeteria riot and regional movements in cities like San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Boston. The site's evolution parallels developments in digital preservation exemplified by initiatives at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and collaborations with university presses like Oxford University Press and University of Chicago Press.
OutHistory's mission emphasizes documenting LGBTQI+ lives through accessible online resources, promoting work by historians, archivists, curators, and community activists associated with institutions such as GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, ACLU, Lambda Legal, and PFLAG. Activities include soliciting oral histories reminiscent of collections at The New York Public Library, digitizing materials comparable to efforts at the National Archives and Records Administration, and producing editorial content modeled on scholarship published in journals like Journal of American History, Gender & Society, GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, and American Historical Review. The project engages volunteers, graduate students from programs at Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and museum professionals from Museum of Modern Art and Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art.
OutHistory aggregates diverse materials: oral histories referencing figures such as Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams; digitized pamphlets and ephemera from organizations including Gay Liberation Front, Gay-Straight Alliance, and BiNet USA; photographic collections featuring activists like Christine Jorgensen and Marsha P. Johnson; and legal documents tied to landmark cases such as Bowers v. Hardwick, Lawrence v. Texas, and Obergefell v. Hodges. The site curates timelines highlighting events like the Compton's Cafeteria riot, Stonewall riots, Harvey Milk assassination, and international milestones like the decriminalization of homosexuality in the United Kingdom and rights victories in countries such as Canada and Argentina. Scholarly essays draw on archives maintained at institutions like New-York Historical Society, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, GLBT Historical Society, and university special collections.
OutHistory has produced thematic online exhibitions that echo in-person shows at venues such as Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, GLBT Historical Society Museum, One Archives at USC, and the National Museum of American History. Exhibitions have examined topics ranging from early 20th-century queer communities in cities like San Francisco and New York City to transgender histories connected to individuals such as Christine Jorgensen and movements like Transgender Day of Remembrance. Special projects include collaborative digitization akin to initiatives by Digital Public Library of America and oral history drives resonant with programs at the Oral History Association and the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.
OutHistory partners with universities, archives, museums, and advocacy organizations including University of Illinois, Rutgers University, Temple University, GLBT Historical Society, One Archives at USC, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, and community archives in cities such as Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Collaborative efforts mirror grant-supported programs funded by organizations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and joint initiatives with scholarly publishers including Routledge and Cambridge University Press. The project also liaises with collections at the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, and international partners in United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
Scholars, curators, educators, and activists have cited OutHistory in work alongside research from figures such as George Chauncey, John D'Emilio, Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, and Michael Warner. Its materials inform curricula at institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, University of Michigan, and inform exhibitions at museums like the National Museum of American History and archives such as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Reviews in academic forums and community publications have compared its role to digital humanities projects at the Digital Public Library of America and outreach efforts by the Smithsonian Institution, noting contributions to public understanding of moments like the Stonewall riots, activist networks including ACT UP, and legal transformations exemplified by Obergefell v. Hodges.
Category:LGBT history Category:Online archives