Queensland LGBTIQ+ collection highlights

In preserving the history of Queensland's LGBTIQ+ communities, State Library of Queensland has developed a fascinating collection including photographs, recorded oral histories, posters, t-shirts, flyers, magazines and more. Here are some highlights from our collection.

Shayne Wilde collection, 1980-2010

Shayne Wilde's extensive 14 box collection contains materials including papers associated with QAGLR (Queensland Association for Gay Law Reform) and ACGLR (Australian Council for Lesbian and Gay Rights), t-shirts, posters and other ephemera. Shayne was an active member of QAGLR (Queensland Association for Gay Law Reform) and the Pride Collective in Brisbane during the 1990s, as well as being involved with numerous other community and activist groups.

This collection can be requested and viewed onsite at State Library.

LGBT Lives: Oral Histories, 2011

A series of interviews were conducted in 2010 as part of the LGBT Lives: Oral Histories project to create a permanent record of LGBTIQ+ history in Brisbane. The audio files from several of these interviews are available to listen to online through our One Search catalogue.

National Day of Action for Marriage Equality Rally in Brisbane Photographs 2011

Rallies were held across Australia 13-14 August 2011 as part of the National Day of Action for Marriage Equality, marking the 7th anniversary of the ban on same-sex marriage. The Brisbane rally was held on 13 August, commencing at Queens Park with a march around the CBD. Over 100 photographs documenting the Brisbane rally can be browsed on our One Search catalogue.

Brisbane Marriage Equality Rally photographs and video, 10 September 2017

On September 10, 2017, thousands turned out for a rally in Brisbane’s CBD in support of marriage equality. The Brisbane Marriage Equality Rally was in response to the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, a national survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to gauge public support for the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage would be legalised later that year on 9 December. A collection of 58 photographs and film footage from this rally can be viewed online via our One Search catalogue.

Ephemera collection

In everyday life, ephemera (such as flyers, invitations, concert programs, badges, tote bags, menus, ticket stubs and stickers) are items we often discard, however as time passes these ‘ephemeral’ items can become historically significant. You might be surprised to learn that State Library of Queensland collects ephemera on a wide variety of Queensland topics, including material related to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer + community. There is also a separate collection for the Brisbane Pride Festival. These ephemera collections can be requested and viewed onsite at State Library.

A Clear Message

When the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 was amended in 2002 to include gender identity and sexuality as attributes, it sent a clear message that discrimination against and vilification of LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex) Queenslanders would not be tolerated. Evie Ryder from Open Doors and Matilda Alexander from the LGBTI Legal Service give an insight into the challenges faced by the LGBTI community and the journey towards a more tolerant Queensland.

View additional reflections on 25 Years of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) by exploring a collection of digital stories from June - September 2016.

Equal Love Brisbane collection

Equal Love is a nationwide organization formed in 2004 as a response to the Howard Government’s amendment of the Marriage Act prohibiting marriage between people of the same sex. In 2014, Equal Love Brisbane donated a collection of t-shirts, badges, stickers, flyers, posters and other memorabilia related to their activism and campaigning for marriage equality. Our blog story from 2014 provides further details on this collection.

Greg Weir oral history 2010-2011

In this recorded oral history, one of Queensland's best-known political activists Greg Weir discusses his involvement in a number of civil liberties movements and as one of the central organisers of the campaign for gay law reform. Listen to Greg's story online.

PFLAG Brisbane

Produced by the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, back issues of this newsletter from 2005 onwards can be viewed online via our One Search catalogue.

Collection of posters on gay and lesbian themes. Set 1.

As the title indicates, this collection contains a variety of colourful posters from various events, including rallies, Pride Week celebrations, dance parties and more. This collection can be requested and viewed onsite.

Please note - more LGBTQI+ themed posters can be found in other collections, such as the AIDS Archive collection.

Prejudice and Pride
Exhibition Material 1980-2010

In 2010, the Museum of Brisbane, in association with Queensland Association for Healthy Communities and State Library of Queensland presented the exhibition "Prejudice & Pride, Recognising the contribution of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities to Brisbane". The Museum of Brisbane facilitated the donation of material from various contributors following the exhibition. The collection includes papers, ephemera, t-shirts, audio visual material, realia, and photographs relating to the Brisbane LGBT communities. The majority of this collection can be viewed onsite at State Library of Queensland.

A few items from this collection can be viewed online through our catalogue including, a 2004 short documentary film by Nick Poteri and Kris Taifalos called Why Pride?, which contains footage and interviews from the Pride event that year, as well as posters from Brisbane Queer Film Festival.

AlphaStation/Alphaville - James C. Sourris Artist Interview Series

In this short interview, Luke Roberts talks to Doug Hall about growing up Catholic in Alpha, being a gay artist and his show AlphaStation/Alphaville at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane.
 

More LGBTIQ+ collections

You can browse a longer curated list of LGBTIQ+ related collections at State Library on our One Search catalogue.

How you can help document Queensland's LGBTIQ+ history

State Library is responsible for collecting and preserving a comprehensive collection of Queensland’s cultural and documentary heritage for all Queenslanders. If you have material that you'd like to donate, visit our website to find out more.

Myles Sinnamon, Engagement Officer, State Library of Queensland