LGBTQ-history in archives : Where can we find it and what does it look like?

The aim of this study is to examine how the history about LGBTQ-people is represented in archives, focusing on the websites, social media and projects of the archives. The study revolves around three themes, identity, accessibility and participation and seeks to examine how four selected archives work to highlight, gather and inform about the history, experiences and lives of the LGBTQ-community represented in their collections. The study is based on the theoretical framework of the connection between archives and identity and the problem of silence in archives where marginalised groups are not heard, and therefore seeks to examine how archives can work towards breaking the silence. The search process consists of a netographic survey and is analysed and then discussed in a broader perspective using the three themes and the theoretical frameworks. Conclusions of the study shows that the chosen archives, depending on their respective starting points, skills and resuscitations, work in ways that together could form a basis for better understanding of how to create and highlight LGBTQ-history. There are e.g difficulties today in searching for documents about LGBTQ-history in traditional archives, due to the need to revise the subject words to create more accessibility. This is something traditional archives can learn from the more progressive LGBTQ-focused archives. This is a two years master’s thesis in Archival Science