Organization Files Affectionately known as the “org file”, these files, covering 1,500 organizations, are kept in alphabetical order and fill up three vertical five-drawer filing cabinets as well as several overflow boxes. In the org file we keep materials from/related to voluntary and not-for-profit groups in the LGBT community that include a focus on lesbian issues, as well as women’s /feminist groups which either include a lesbian focus or have known lesbian participation. Most of the groups are Lesbian and are from the United States, though there are other countries represented.

They range from small groups, like the Black Lesbian Study Group (NY) to community centers, such as the Lesbian Resource Center (Seattle, WA). Though we have a large number of NY groups we have files for groups from all over the country. These are files for the LGBT task forces of many national professional organizations, for religious, ethnic and culturally identified groups, and for college groups. Our earliest files date from the 60s and early 70s(e.g., D.O.B., The Women’s Firehouse, Salsa Soul) and continue to the present (D.I.T.C.H., NY, 2002). Some of the files have only one sheet of paper; others are large collections. Most large collections are from groups or organizations that sent us their materials when they disbanded. However, both ACT UP NY and Lesbian Avengers, NY, for example, have large collections because one of our coordinators was a member of both.

The org files contain flyers, minutes, posters, fundraising letters and other material produced by or about the group, including newspaper articles. All of the information pertaining to these files has been catalogued and can be searched on our computer.

Unpublished Papers
The unpublished papers collection is another unique part of the Archives. It includes 1,000 theses, college papers, speeches, dissertations, short stories, poetry and other works written by lesbians over the past thirty-five years. A rich source of research materials covering a vast array of topics, this collection houses prose and poetry, fiction and non-fiction and reflects those brilliant insights, theories, ideas and fantasies our young and old lesbian minds have conjured up over the years. Some material was written for submission for publication; other material was written for high school, college and graduate school courses, or for self-pleasure. When a researcher uses material from the Archives for their research we ask that they send us their finished paper(s) and these too will be found in this collection. Unpublished papers are kept in two five-drawer filing cabinets plus overflow boxes and are arranged alphabetically by the name of the paper, story or poem. These are also on our database and can be search by keywords in the title as well as by author.