Tulane library acquires new LGBTQ resources

The Louisiana Research Collection (LaRC) at Tulane University recently expanded its collection of LGBTQ resources with the addition of the personal papers of activist Stewart Butler.  

Butler, who has a passion for securing equal rights for the LGBTQ community, started his career in activism by organizing voter registration drives in the New Orleans area in the 1970s. A decade later he helped found the gay rights advocacy group Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus.

The acquired papers include committee reports, minutes from board meetings and LGBTQ organization brochures.

“This is one of the most important archival collections for Louisiana LGBT politics.”

Leon Miller, head of research at LaRC

Butler has also served on the board of several organizations dedicated to LGBTQ equality, and received two awards from the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana.

Members of the LaRC staff are currently working to archive Butler’s papers, which requires a cleaning and ordering process, as well as the addition of a written description for online searches. Once complete, the archived papers will be available to the public and will be of great value to researchers interested in LGBTQ history in Louisiana.

“This is one of the most important archival collections for Louisiana LGBT politics,” said Leon Miller, head of research at LaRC. “LaRC is honored to preserve it and I expect it to be heavily used by researchers.”

As one of the older and most comprehensive library and archival research centers in New Orleans, LaRC offers a wide range of resources including books, maps, manuscripts, and images. LGBTQ history represents one of the collection’s strengths, which will be fortified with the addition of Butler’s papers.