Lesbian Herstory Archives

Dear Folks,

Greetings from the Lesbian Herstory Archives! We hope this latest year finds you and those you love safe and well. And we thank you for being part of our ever-growing community as we continue over 50 years of grassroots work!

In 2026, we continued to welcome new Coordinators, discuss future dreams, and expand our collections and programming. As always, Coordinators, interns, and volunteers remain busy with the work of maintaining the collections – engaging in the ongoing work of gathering, processing, sorting, organizing, cataloging, and digitizing various parts of the Archives collections. We welcome volunteers and researchers from around the world at the Archives and also bring the Archives to the public at various events and talks. And, in addition to the critical work of preservation, Archivettes also pour their energy and creativity into hosting events that play a vital role in the continuation and creation of new chapters in our Lesbian herstories. We also continued to host and participate in a range of events, creating space for our communities to engage with the collections in person and virtually.

Some of our volunteer events included virtual transcription evenings and another in-person Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon. We also hosted a number of film screenings and talks. A recent event, Black Queer Resistance and the Carceral State – a Black August Look Through LHA, included a screening of the film Inside Women Inside, as well as letter writing, art, and writings from incarcerated community members. Some other 2026 at-Homes included Outlaws in Leather: How Leather Dykes and Women Shaped NYC Culture; and Past to Present (which included a leather crafting component) and (in connection with her latest album release) Let’s Get Wet: Reconnecting Electronic Music and Leatherdyke History. Artists connected with the collections and each other to create new work at recurring events such as our in-person Lez Craft nights, the virtual Dykes of the Roundtable writer’s workshop (producing a bi-monthly literary magazine, The Bullpen), and The Work Room (an in-person group for writers and filmmakers). Additionally, LHA and 4Hands Studio collaborated on an embroidery workshop where participants could explore their lesbian identities through iconography and self-expression.

The popular Black Lesbian Saturday School (BLSS) hosted at least one event per month, including workshops, community discussions and oral history drives. In conversation with archival materials, BLSS focuses on building community and preserving herstories. Events have centered a wide range of topics including intimate partner violence, birth, butchfemme culture, love stories and recipes from books found in the Archives. This year, LHA also hosted the first meeting of Indigilez – a community for Native and Indigenous Lesbians, Sapphics and Dykes.

LHA participated in exhibits and talks out in the community, including exhibits in the California African American Museum and the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in NYC. Archivettes also continued to build community and support the Archives’ work through joyful and creative fundraisers. We hosted merch sales and book ‘sale’ fundraisers (giving community members the chance to support the Archives and purchase duplicate books for a few dollars). This year, we took our book ‘sale’ to Brooklyn Pride before marching! 2026 also saw LHA’s Dyke Prom back for its second year by popular demand! And, in addition to our Dyke Prom screen printed merch stoop sale, this year’s festivities were preceded by a Dyke Prom Beautification haircuts event with a master barber.

And we are not finished! As we continue to collect Lesbian herstory, we continue to make Lesbian herstory by our presence and activities. Stay tuned for additional announcements!

In these times that are difficult for so many, we greatly appreciate any donation you are able to spare. And, as always, we invite you to stop by to visit, draw inspiration from the collections, browse, or do research and of course to donate your materials to the Archives! And if you want to show your Archives pride with a t-shirt, hat, button, or bag, we invite you to check out our merch, which is now available online at https://www.redbubble.com/lists/17530595/lesbian-he

Thank you!

In community, The Archivettes:

Adia Augustin, Alexis Clements, Amy Beth, Caro Caden, Deborah Edel, Desiree Yael Vester, Elvis Bakaitis, Emily Dyer, Hanna Pennington, Flavia Rando, Joan Nestle, Maxine Wolfe, Mia Ciacella, Morgan Gwenwald, Nora Della Fera, Olivia Newsome, Paula Grant, Rachel Corbman, Ruth Weaver, Rebecca Arciprete, Saskia Scheffer, Stephanie Khoury, Stevie Jones, Teddy Minucci

THE LESBIAN HERSTORY ARCHIVES NEEDS:

1 LESBIAN TO GIVE $1,000,000 or

10 LESBIANS TO GIVE $100,000 or

100 LESBIANS TO GIVE $10,000 or

1,000 LESBIANS TO GIVE $1,000 or

10,000 LESBIANS TO GIVE $100 or

100,000 LESBIANS to GIVE $10 or

1,000,000 LESBIANS TO GIVE $1

For 50 years the Lesbian Herstory Archives has been dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing all expressions of Lesbian culture: national and international, multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-generational and multi-ethnic, past and present. Over these years the Archives has sponsored ’At Home’ cultural events, published a newsletter and bibliographies, created slide shows and exhibits, personally answered thousands of letters and phone calls, and has welcomed thousands of visitors and researchers to the collection. Lesbians, Butches, Femmes, Lesbian-Feminists, Lesbian Mothers, Gay Women,SM Lesbians, Queers, Gender Benders, Bisexual Women, Passing Women, Transpeople………all Lesbians are a part of the Archives – a part of our herstory.

IT IS UP TO ALL OF US!

PLEASE DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE ARCHIVES!

We are indebted to all who have worked with us in the past and those who are with us now. As we all continue to work to preserve the herstories entrusted to us, we ask that you please consider making a gift. Your donation will help us all continue the work of building and sustaining the Archives. In addition to the tradition gifting of funds described below, please consider the following:

• Designate the Lesbian Herstory Archives (Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, INC) as a beneficiary on your retirement accounts, pension plans, life insurance, stocks, bonds, savings and checking accounts.
• If you have a charitable account or donor advised fund designate the Lesbian Herstory Archives (Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, INC – EIN: 13-2991538) as a recipient.
• If you have an IRA and need to make a yearly minimum deduction, consider making the Lesbian Herstory Archives (Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, INC – EIN: 13-2991538) the recipient of this yearly amount. If sent to us directly, it serves as a charitable donation and you do not have to pay taxes on those donations.
• Designate the Lesbian Herstory Archives (Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, INC – EIN: 13-2991538) as part of your estate planning. A simple bequest is easy to arrange.

The Lesbian Herstory Archives / Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, INC is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization.

All donations are tax deductible. If you want to use a credit card follow this link. If paying by check or money order, make it out to LHEF, INC or Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, INC, and mail it to:
LHA / LHEF, Inc 484 14^th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215.