Transgender, BIPOC, and Literary Voices: Upcoming Programs and Projects at Lambda Archives

By Nicole Verdes

One of the beautiful things about building queer community is the way we, as queer people, often choose creativity as a response to chaos, offering ways to find new solutions and perspectives in times of uncertainty. It is one of the things we do best, don’t you think? We often create beauty when needed by allowing for exploration and breaking established patterns. At Lambda Archives, we strive to find mission-aligned ways to meet the current moment we find ourselves in and, as a smaller nonprofit, we dream a lot about what this could look like. This month, we are excited to announce two projects that are timely responses to the recent attacks on our community.

The first of these two projects is a collaboration between Lambda Archives, San Diego State University’s Digital Collections Department, and SDSU’s Pride Center. “Transgender and BIPOC Foundations” is a project focused on amplifying the contributions of BIPOC LGBTQ+ organizations, transgender activists, and smaller grassroots groups—communities whose efforts were pivotal in advancing LGBTQ+ rights in San Diego, Northern Baja California, and beyond. 

We will be engaging queer students from SDSU to help in the digitization of materials that include organizational records, correspondence, meeting minutes, flyers, photographs, and ephemera, covering the period from the late 1970s through the early 2000s. This collaboration is not only about preserving history but also about mentorship and training—students will gain hands-on experience in archival practices, working directly with our Archivist, Gabrielle Garcia, to develop skills in digitization and crafting effective and ethical metadata, while deepening their understanding of local LGBTQ+ history.

Specifically, these items will be pulled from multiple collections highlighting the history of the Afrikan American Gay Woman’s Association, college papers on queer and transgender cross-border activism, interview transcripts from local BIPOC leaders, TransAction v. San Diego cross-dressing law repeal court documents, Trans Pride oral history interviews, newsletters and periodicals from LGBTQ+ organizations in Tijuana, and publications that focus on transgender and drag communities. This project is expected to take more than one year, and includes a focus on sharing the content through curriculum development to be presented at an Educator’s Symposium led by Lambda’s Community Education and Engagement Manager, Murphy Hernandez. The symposium, slated to take place during LGBTQ+ History Month, will bring educators together as we share these newly digitized collections and explore how they might incorporate this content into their curricula and GSAs, fostering a richer understanding of LGBTQ+ history in local schools.

The second project is a creative response to the attempts to erase our history, specifically book bans, both digital and physical. “Writing as Resistance: Queer Literary Series,” is a dynamic multi-event program that uplifts LGBTQ+ voices through literature, poetry, zines, and creative storytelling. This series brings together writers, artists, and community members to explore the power of storytelling as resistance while preserving and sharing our community’s rich history. With more than 5,000 titles in our research library, we will be kicking off this series with an exhibit featuring titles from our collection, many of which include literary contributions from local LGBTQ+  authors. The full details of this program series will be shared throughout April, and will include: 

*Exhibit Reception – Showcasing literature and archival history, celebrating storytelling as resistance.

*Writing as Resistance Webinar – Using our voices to advocate, educate, and resist.

*Zine Workshop – Hands-on zine-making, archival-friendly techniques, and distribution strategies.

*Poetry Workshop – Exploring poetic forms, storytelling, and community reflection.

*Bookbinding & Art Book Workshop – Creative bookmaking that goes beyond words on a page.

*Auto Historia Workshop – Blending genres and mediums to tell personal stories.

*Path to Publishing & Distribution – Insights from a local queer author on navigating publishing and alternative distribution.

As we face renewed attempts to silence and erase our stories, it is essential to remember that those who have tried to ban books, censor voices, and suppress truth have never been the ones history remembers as the “good guys.” Our resilience and creativity have always been our strengths, and we refuse to let fear dictate our future. By preserving and sharing our stories, we honor the generations who fought before us and empower those who are rising now. 

For updates on both of these programs and projects, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @LambdaArchives and sign up for our monthly digital newsletter!