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ABSTRACT “If I Am Not for Myself, Who Is for Me?” an Examination of Legal and Ethical Considerations Concerning LGBTQ+ Popul

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ABSTRACT “If I Am Not for Myself, Who Is for Me?” an Examination of Legal and Ethical Considerations Concerning LGBTQ+ Popul ABSTRACT “If I am Not for Myself, Who is for Me?” An Examination of Legal and Ethical Considerations Concerning LGBTQ+ Populations and Collections in Museums Victoria Anne Royal, M.A. Mentor: Julie Holcomb, Ph.D. The shift in institutional purpose from recreation to education in the 20th century forced museums to reconcile their collections and interpretations with modern, diverse audiences. Now in the 21st century, museums are beginning to reconcile with a new audience: sexual and gender minorities. Following the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, museums nationwide began acquiring LGBTQ+ collections. With this new surge of collecting, this paper seeks to examine and analyze the ethical and legal protections being afforded to collections related to sexual and gender minorities within private, general, and federal institutions in order to gain a better understanding of the treatment of these collections in the museum field. “If I am Not for Myself, Who is for Me?”: An Examination of Legal and Ethical Considerations Concerning LGBTQ+ Populations and Collections in Museums by Victoria Anne Royal, B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of Museum Studies Kenneth Hafertepe, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee Julie L. Holcomb, Ph.D., Chairperson Kenneth Hafertepe, Ph.D. Sha Towers, M.L.I.S., M.M Accepted by the Graduate School May 2020 J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School. Copyright © 2020 by Victoria Anne Royal All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. vi DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. vii ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Case Study Selection ................................................................................................... 2 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................ 6 Contextual History and Literature Review ..................................................................... 6 Introduction................................................................................................................. 6 Contextual History of the LGBTQ+ Liberation Movement ........................................ 7 Landmark Legal Cases for LGBTQ+ Liberation ..................................................... 10 Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 13 Best Practices............................................................................................................ 17 CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................... 21 Case Study: William Way LGBT Community Center and John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives ................. 21 Institutional Background .......................................................................................... 21 Legal Considerations and Protections: Best Practices ........................................... 25 Policy Specifics ......................................................................................................... 27 Ethical Considerations.............................................................................................. 29 CHAPTER Four ................................................................................................................ 31 Case Study: Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History ................................. 32 Institutional Background .......................................................................................... 32 Policy Specifics ......................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................. 40 Case Study: National Park Service, Stonewall National Monument ................................................ 40 Institutional Background .......................................................................................... 40 Policy Specifics ......................................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER SIX ................................................................................................................. 49 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 49 iv Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 49 APPENDIX A ................................................................................................................... 54 WWCC and JJWJA Collections Management Policy .................................................. 54 APPENDIX B ................................................................................................................... 74 WWCC and JJWJA Collections Development Policy ................................................. 74 APPENDIX C ................................................................................................................... 80 NMAH Collections Management Policy ...................................................................... 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 106 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I can say with absolute confidence that this thesis would not have been possible without my advisor, Dr. Julie Holcomb. Her patience, wisdom, and grace helped me through both academically and personally difficult times in this past year, and for that I will be forever grateful to her. Thank you for everything. To my parents, family, and friends that stuck with me while I went a little insane over the past year, thank you always accepting me as I am. Thank you for being there when I needed a soundboard, a shoulder to cry on, or someone with which I could celebrate. This past year has been one of the most difficult, but I can already tell that the rewards were well worth the journey. Thank you all of you for your personal love and support. Last but certainly not least, I owe everything I am and everything I am able to accomplish to my grandparents. They have always supported my aspirations, even when they seemed wildly out of reach, like moving across the country for a graduate program or choosing to study ancient Egypt the summer before kindergarten “just in case it came up in class.” From my first book to my first finished thesis, I owe everything to their constant love and support. I honestly do not know where I would be today without them. Thank you for always being there for me, and for always having a song for that! vi DEDICATION To the members of Gamma Alpha Upsilon, whether official or spiritual: You are seen, you are heard, and you are loved. vii ABBREVIATIONS LGBTQ+ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and more Identities WWCC William Way LGBT Community Center JJWJA John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives NMAH National Museum of American History SNM Stonewall National Monument DOI Department of the Interior NPS National Park Service AAM American Alliance of Museums DEAI Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion viii CHAPTER ONE Introduction Diversity and inclusion are two words that have influenced the way that museums interact with modern audiences. The museums of centuries past were created by and for the societal elite, whether defined by wealth, education, or race. When museums were forced to reconcile their intended purpose from recreation to education in order to comply with the changes to American tax laws in 1969, they began to be seen as public forums rather than ivory towers.1 As the ivory towers of the museums of the elite began to fall by the wayside, the public forums ushered in new audiences. These new audiences brought with them rich and diverse cultural identities and experiences that demanded to be recognized by these newly socially integrated spaces. With institutions like the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian, more spaces are being specifically created for diverse audiences. In 2014, the National Museum of American History acquired its first-ever LGBTQ+ specific collection.2 For the first time, LGBTQ+ Americans were being recognized by a national museum, influencing other museums to regard sexual and gender minorities as an audience and collection subject for museums. 1 “Summary of H.R. 13270, the Tax Reform Act of 1969 (as Passed by the House of Representatives).” 2 National Museum of American History, “National Museum of American History Collects History Related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History,” September 26, 2014. https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/museum-collects-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-history.
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