Queerest.Library.Ever. celebrates the James C. Hormel Center’s achievements over its first twenty years. Chronicling its development as one of the San Francisco Public Library's affinity centers, these exhibits showcase the breadth and depth of its continually developing documentation of the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer & Questioning, Allies, Advocates & Asexual) experience in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to entertaining, educating, and illuminating, these highlights from the archives encourage visitors to delve deeply into the rich trove of resources that is the Hormel Center.
Queer and Quirky
OBJECTifying Ourselves
Highlights of the LGBTQIA Collection
Hormel Center 20th Anniversary: Queerest. Library. Ever.
The creation and outreach programs of the Hormel LGBTQIA Center, as told by Ambassador James Hormel, author Michelle Tea, Senator Mark Leno and the people who built the gay and lesbian collections of San Francisco Public Library. 55:08 min.
PFLAG Talks
The PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays) Talks of 1996/1997, featuring Simon LeVay, Mitzi Henderson, Kevin Jennings, Evan Wolfson, and Jonathan Ned Katz
Breaking the Silence: Gays and Lesbians in Professional Sports
Video of groundbreaking 2000 TimesTalks panel.
RADAR Reading Series
Literary arts that authentically reflect Queer communities’ experiences
QUEEREST.LIBRARY.EVER Blog
Entertaining posts contextualizing the Hormel collection
Lesbian Literary Love
Audio recordings of Chrystos and Cheryl Clarke. From the Barbara Cameron Papers (GLC 63), LGBTQIA Center. 1993 Outwrite Writer's Conference. Public Conversation: Chrystos, Cheryl Clarke, 1993 .
David Cameron Strachan Intersex Audio-visual Materials
Collection documents gender and intersex issues addressed on talk shows, at San Francisco government meetings, and in motion pictures. In 2015 Strachan added scrapbooks, published books and reports, posters, a T-shirt, and more audiovisual materials. These additional documents detail Strachan's own journey to find information and community.
Rikki Streicher and Mary Sager Photograph Albums
Collection includes photos and ephemera that document the lesbian bars Maud’s and Amelia’s, once San Francisco institutions. The scrapbooks also show Streicher's involvement with the Federation of Gay Games and the development of the library's Hormel Center.
Word Is Out
The groundbreaking documentary from 1977 could only focus on 26 LGBT people. The Peter Adair Papers contain the pre-interview videos of over 100 people including Pat Parker, Blackberri, Pat Bond, Tom Ammiano and Tede Matthews.
LGBTQIA Resource Lists
While you're at the library viewing our exhibits, check out a book, video, ebook and more