The Sexual Minorities Archives (SMA) is a project of the Sexual Minorities Educational Foundation (SMEF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The SMA is one of the oldest and largest archival collections of LGBTQIA+ books, historical documents, media, art, textiles, and artifacts in the world. We operate out of a converted victorian known to us as “The Pink Lady” in Holyoke — right in the heart of Western Massachusetts.
The Pink Lady is home to treasures such as Out Books On Wheels (a grassroots mobile free lending library of Queer and Trans books), the Leslie Feinberg Research Library (a collection of 1,250 books which belonged to late author and activist Leslie Feinberg’s personal collection), and an extensive and authoritative archival collection of western Massachusetts (especially Northampton’s) long history of LGBQTIA+ resistance, excellence, and love.
At the SMA, we say “Never Again the Silence,” because our shared Queer and Trans history will never be silenced, suppressed, or censored as long as community-run independent archives like the SMA exist.
Dedicate a book on our shelves to a Queer person you love!
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Solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter
The Sexual Minorities Archives holds that black and brown folks’ lives, stories, and histories matter and deserve to be told, made visible, and amplified across generations. The SMA embodies archival justice by prioritizing LGBTQ people of color materials in subject files, books and periodicals cataloging that utilizes readily-found methods that elevate visibility and use. We strive to be anti-racist as a grassroots, community archives and organization, and we warmly welcome the participation of people of color as student interns, community volunteers, and on our board of directors. We remember that Stonewall – an event all too often whitewashed and sanitized – started as a riot against police violence much like the riots today, led by black/brown trans folks: Stormé DeLarverie, Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major, Sylvia Rivera, and others. Those who stand against the protests now stand on the wrong side of history. We will not rest until there is justice, peace, and a world that sees that #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackTransLivesMatter.
Please support Black Lives Matter and (Western Mass) Showing Up for Racial Justice.
Sexual Minorities Archives 