Jan 9th, 2007
Taking/Making My Place in History
Today officially marks the day that “my papers” are no longer my own. I have donated various manuscripts, documents and memorabilia from my work in the queerspawn movement to the Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies.
When I dropped off the boxes, I was treated to a fantastic tour of the Special Collections at the University of Minnesota, in a state-of-the-art archive fortress which was built in 1999 and goes into the ground five levels.
Here’s a shot of me amidst the stacks:
Curator Jean Tretter clearly loves his work, and is himself a timeline of GLBT history, tolerance, and acceptance. In 1972, the University of Minnesota refused his proposal for the degree he wanted to pursue: cultural anthropology with a focus on LGBT studies. Three decades later, he is assisting students access materials they need while working toward their degrees in queer studies.
Much of the rhetoric against his proposed degree — and why GLBT archives weren’t taken seriously until very recently — was about how there was “no such thing” as gay history or gay culture.
Jean insists that if you exist, you are part of history. And if you make something while you are alive, you have created culture.
Way cool!
I’m proud of you, my dear… well,…bursting my buttons, actually. Your contributions are enormous.