Queerest. Library. Ever.

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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

Queer and Quirky

OBJECTifying Ourselves

Highlights of the LGBTQIA Collection

Hormel Center 20th Anniversary

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.

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PFLAG Talks

The PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays) Talks of 1996/1997, featuring  Simon LeVayMitzi HendersonKevin Jennings, Evan Wolfson, and Jonathan Ned Katz

Diana Nyad

Breaking the Silence: Gays and Lesbians in Professional Sports

Video of groundbreaking 2000 TimesTalks panel.

Radar Reading

RADAR Reading Series

Literary arts that authentically reflect Queer communities’ experiences

QUEEREST.LIBRARY.EVER Blog

Entertaining posts contextualizing the Hormel collection

Cheryle Clarke

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

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

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.

Pat Parker

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.

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LGBTQIA Resource Lists

While you're at the library viewing our exhibits, check out a book, video, ebook and more