internet resources Tami Albin and Jennifer Church-Duran Queering the Web Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer (GLBTQ) resources
ven before the emergence and subse • The Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Equent popularity of the Web, GLBTQ Founded in 1980, HRC is the largest GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, civil rights organization in the United States. and Queer) people united, organized, and The focus of the organization is to ensure shaped powerful networks of support and equality for GLBTQ people through political understanding, creating strong political and action and educational outreach. The Web social communities. Since the explosion of site outlines relevant issues, how these is the Web in the mid 90s, GLBTQ communities sues are dealt or not dealt with in each state; and organizations have used its power to their laws and election issues on state and federal advantage, mobilizing, internationalizing, levels, ways to become involved and support and creating even stronger networks. The HRC, and the HRC Back Story blog. Access: Web has not only changed the way GLBTQ http://www.hrc.org/. people seek out information, but also the • International Gay and Lesbian Hu way in which they, and their allies, interact man Rights Commission (IGLHRC). A with information, from signing an online peti U.S.based nonprofit, nongovernmental orga tion against Proposition 8 to watching their nization, the mission of IGLHRC is to secure favorite episode of Noah’s Arc to connecting the human rights of all people impacted by with friends on Facebook. discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual This list is by no means comprehensive, orientation or expression, gender identity but it does touch on some of the key GLBTQ or expression, and/or HIV status. The Web Web sites, ranging from political/equal rights site contains publications and resources that organizations to media resources created by compile and record evidence of human rights and for GLBTQ people. violations, as well as fact sheets and position papers that summarize information related Legal, civil and human rights to the human rights of sexual and gender • American Civil Liberties Union Gay, minorities worldwide. Access: http://www. Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Project. iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/. This project fights discrimination and shapes • International Lesbian and Gay As public opinion on GLBTQ rights through the sociation (ILGA). ILGA, an “international courts, legislatures, and public education. In nonprofit and nongovernmental commu coalition with other civil rights groups, the nitybased federation” has been in existence project also lobbies in Congress and supports grassroots advocacy from local school boards Tami Albin is undergraduate instruction and outreach librarian/Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies subject to state legislatures. The site profi les current specialist and director of Under the Rainbow: GLBTIQ cases, news items, and a resources section People in Kansas at the University of Kansas, e-mail: with a collection of podcasts, videos, online [email protected], and Jennifer Church-Duran is assistant dean for user services at the University of Kansas resources, and printed materials. Access: Libraries, e-mail: jchurch-duran@ku http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/index.html. © 2008 Tami Albin and Jennifer Church-Duran
C&RL News September 2008 466 since 1978. Over the past 30 years, this Education and family organization has connected and networked • Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education with more than 600 international and local Network (GLSEN). GLSEN is the leading GLBTQ organizations on equal rights issues. national education organization focused on This site includes information about GLBTQ ensuring safe schools for all students. GLSEN legislation (or lack of legislation) by country, conducts multiple studies, which are available articles organized by broad topic, such as on the site, including a 2005 National School homophobia, the United Nations, and World Climate Survey (NSCS), the only national sur Legal Survey, and international news. The vey to document the experiences of students Web site is accessible in four languages. Ac who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and cess: http://www.ilga.org/index.asp. transgender in America’s schools. Access: • Lambda Legal. Lambda Legal has http://www.glsen.org/. been working towards full equality for the • OUTProud. The portal for the National GLBTQ community and people with HIV for Organization of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and more than 35 years on both federal and state Transgender Youth, OUTProud provides re levels. The fight for equality is done though sources of interest to GLBTQ youth. Sources venues, such as impact litigation, education, are divided into broad categories: coming out and advocacy. The Web site includes informa stories, models of GLBTQ organizations around tion on significant court cases, publications, the world, information on ways to make schools news, campaigns, and ways to become an safe and supportive, brochures on sexual orien active member, including the Cooperating tation, connecting with the queer community for Attorneys Network. Access: http://www. friendship and support, suggestions for books lambdalegal.org/. for queer youth and allies, transgender youth support and resources, Oasis (an online magazine and discussion forum), and a subject listing of pertinent sites on the Web. Access: http://www.outproud.org/. • National Center for Transgender • Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Equality (NCTE). A nonprofi t organization, Gays (PFLAG). With more than 500 affi liate NCTE was founded in 2003 by transgender chapters across the United States and a head activists. The overarching goal is to advocate office in Washington, D.C., the PFLAG or and educate, on a national level, issues of ganization provides a importance to transgender people. Issues in wide array of support, clude, but are not limited to, military, health, services, and informa homelessness, federal documents, and dis tion. The site provides crimination. The organization also gives guid uptodate information ance for nontransgender people on ways to on programs, tools be inclusive and support transgender equal for change, resources, ity. Access: http://www.nctequality.org/. conference informa • National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. tion, and guidance for The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is individuals and chapters wanting to promote one of the oldest GLBTQ civil rights organi support, advocacy, and awareness on GLBTQ zations. Its Web site contains reports, issue issues. Access: http://community.pfl ag.org. maps, and fact sheets on a variety of issues important to the GLBTQ community. One Arts and media can also find information on ways of mo • Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against bilizing and being politically active on local Defamation (GLAAD). GLAAD promotes and state levels. Access: http://thetaskforce. fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of org/. people and events in the media to combat
September 2008 467 C&RL News homophobia and discrimination based on art” and make this information freely avail gender identity and sexual orientation. The able online. QAR has produced more than site provides information, video clips, and 50 exhibitions that highlight the diversity, news articles related to both entertainment complexity, and significance of queer artis and cultural media. Within these categories tic expression. Both current and archived are specific communities of interest, such as galleries are available for viewing. Access: Asian Pacific Islander and Latina/o commu http://www.queerarts.org/. nities. There is also an extensive resources • The Advocate. Web version of one of section that includes current and archived the longest running GLBTQ print magazines, publications, such as the GLAAD media refer this site contains uptodate news reports, ence guide. Access: http://www.glaad.org/. lengthier articles on a variety of current topics, • here! here! is an ondemand television blogs, polls, comprehensive list of GLBTQ re destination offering original fi lms and series, sources, and a fulltext archive of the past year releases, and a variety of programming target of the print version. The Advocate also links to ing gay and lesbian viewers. here! is available other Web sites/magazines run by PlanetOut: nationwide via satellite and cable providers Out.com, OutTraveler.com, HIVPlusMag.com, with a broadband portal that provides a broad Alyson.com, Gay.com, and PlanetOut.com. sampling of here! programming. The site of Access: http://advocate.com/. fers podcasts, video downloads, blogs, and music. Access: http://www.heretv.com/. Reference and theory • In the Life. In the Life produces docu gltbq: Encyclopedia of Gay, Les mentary stories for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, bian. Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer and transgender communities. These are Culture. This searchable and browsable designed to document the issues that impact encyclopedia includes bibliographies, cita communities through stories on “politics tion information, and a discussion board. and public policy, personal and community Each encyclopedia department (e.g., Arts, health, religion and spirituality, and more.” Social Sciences) has both an alphabetical and The site features current and past episodes subject index and every encyclopedia entry for viewing, download, or podcast. Access: contains a find menu that assist in fi nding http://www.inthelifetv.org/. related entries, bibliographies, and more. • Logo. This site is the virtual presence Access: http://www.glbtq.com/. of Logo, a new lesbian and gay network from MTV Networks. Logo features stories, shows, and news from original series and films, documentaries, and GLBTQ news. The site includes both clips and some full episodes of current programming as well as unique services like “Trip out,” a gay and lesbian travel site and a music section with • QueerTheory.com. This subject guide rankings and ratings of contemporary songs covers a vast range of queer, GLBTQ, and and music videos. Access: http://www.lo gender resources related to academics, goonline.com/. culture theory, the body culture, music, • Queer Arts Re literature, and other related fields. Since its source (QAR). This inception as a classroom project in 2000, it has site is designed to “ex grown to be the key site for links and reviews pand the range and of Web sites and books. Advertising on the depth of knowledge site is low key, minimal, and mostly focused about contemporary on books or videos. Access: http://www. and historical queer queertheory.com/.
C&RL News September 2008 468 Archives and collections concerns. The Web site provides descriptive • ACT UP Oral History Project. The ACT listings of the diverse collections available UP Oral History Project is a collection of in in the archive. Another dynamic feature is terviews with surviving members of the AIDS access to the GLBTQ History Timeline, a Coalition to Unleash Power in New York. The “work in progress” look at signifi cant events, purpose of the project is to present the men people and issues through the decades that and women who have made up ACT UP/ invites submissions for inclusion. Access: New York, and the work done to transform http://www.onearchives.org/. cultural ideas about homosexuality, health • Society of American Archivists’ care, civil rights, art, media, and the rights Lesbian and Gay Archives Roundtable of patients. A transcript of each interview is (LAGAR). LAGAR was available for free download in PDF format. founded by members The site also provides fi veminute streaming of the Society of Amer video excerpts of each interview. Access: ican Archivists to pro http://www.actuporalhistory.org/. mote the preservation • Duke University Libraries’ Sallie and research use of Bingham Center for Women’s History records documenting and Culture: Lesbian Pulp Fiction Col lesbian, gay, bisexual, lection. The lesbian “pulp” fi ction (popular and transgender his fiction published as paperback originals) tory. The site’s Projects and Publication area started around the end of World War II. The includes archives of “Archival InQueeries” books in the genre dealt with social and (LAGAR Newsletter) and the “Lavender Lega political issues along with issues around cies Guide”—a guide to resources in North sexual orientation. This site includes histori America. Access: http://www.archivists.org cal information on lesbian pulp fi ction and /saagroups/lagar/index.html. prominent authors, as well as a complete listing of the collections holdings. There is also an additional readings section with a ® bibliography for materials that provides an in LibQUAL+ troduction to the historical context and critical Charting Library Service Quality... interpretation of lesbian pulp fi ction. Access: http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections /bingham/guides/lesbianpulp/. • The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgen ® der Historical Society (GLBTHS). GLBTHS LibQUAL+ 2009 focuses on the collection, preservation, exhi registration is now bition, and accessibility of cultural, historical and artistic materials that are a part of “gay, open. lesbian, bisexual, transgender communities, identities, and practices, as well as of other sexual minorities.” The GLBTHS archives Register today! represent one of the largest collections of pri mary resource materials chronicling GLBTQ history. Access: http://www.glbthistory.org/. • ONE National Gay and Lesbian www.libqual.org Archives. Affiliated with the University of Southern California, the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives houses the world’s larg A suite of services offered by the est research library on GLBTQ heritage and Association of Research Libraries
September 2008 469 C&RL News