Special Collections Arizona Queer Archives

The Arizona Queer Archives (AQA) centers community participation in the building and collecting of LGBTQI histories throughout the state of Arizona and the US-Mexico borderlands. It collects manuscripts and organizational records, ephemera, oral histories and other records that tell the stories of what it means to be LGBTQI in the region.

In partnership with AQA, Special Collections added LGBTQI as an area of emphasis in 2022 with nearly 30 collections including those transferred from AQA.

University Libraries LibGuides

• In the Classroom - Creating an LGBTQ-Inclusive Classroom (for faculty)
• Get started - LGBTQ Studies (for students)

The University of Arizona Press recommendations

 'Five Hundred Years of LGBTQIA+ History in Western Nicaragua' by Victoria González-Rivera

This book reframes western Nicaraguan history by giving gender and sexuality the attention they deserve. González-Rivera decenters nationalist narratives of triumphant mestizaje and argues that western Nicaragua’s LGBTQIA+ history is a profoundly Indigenous one. In this expansive history, González-Rivera documents connections between Indigeneity, local commerce, and femininity (cis and trans), demonstrating the long history of LGBTQIA+ Nicaraguans. Publication date is October 2024; available to pre-order now.

'Growing Up in the Gutter: Diaspora and Comics' by Ricardo Quintana-Vallejo

Quintana-Vallejo examines contemporary graphic coming-of-age narratives by looking at the genre’s growth in stories by and for young BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and diasporic readers. The language is welcoming for students without previous knowledge of either the coming-of-age genre or comics. This book is designed to be accessible and fun.

The University of Arizona Press (UA Press) is the premier publisher of academic, regional, and literary works in the state of Arizona and advances the University of Arizona’s mission by connecting scholarship and creative expression to readers worldwide.

Books That Matter recommendation

'In the Shadows of the Freeway: Growing Up Brown and Queer' by Lydia R. Otero

Raised in an adobe house built by their mother, Otero takes readers to a mid-20th century barrio that existed on the social margins of Tucson, Arizona, despite sitting a little more than a mile away from the central business district.

Books That Matter is a print collection of more than 100 titles which support our commitment to social justice and antiracism. Stop by to browse and/or borrow LGBTQ+ titles and more.

More info, resources

• University of Arizona LGBTQ+ Affairs
• Library of Congress: About Pride Month
• National Archives: LGBTQ+ Pride Month

University Libraries Diversity, Social Justice & Equity Council

Charged with developing a sustainable and holistic approach to advancing diversity and inclusion for the Libraries through internal programming and assessment, the council also provides advisement to leadership, and campus and community outreach.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusivity includes cross-promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) campus events – sponsored by and coordinated by – many different colleges, departments, groups, and DEI committees.