Resources for LGBTQIA and gender identity studies can be found in a wide variety of fields, including anthropology, art, biology, education, film, law, music, philosophy, psychology, religion, and sociology.  Topics may range from intersex children to LGBT prisoners, and from anti-gay legislation to gender-neutral housing.   This is a very selective guide to library and other resources. For a comprehensive list of databases, see Databases A-Z.

Databases

   

CQ Researcher

 

Lesbian Periodicals Index. 1986.

Author and subject guide to 42 lesbian periodicals; retrospective index to ceased publications. Mugar HQ75.6 U5 P68 1986.

Reference Works

Battleground: Women, Gender, and Sexuality. 2 vols. 2008.

From “abortion” to “work: paid versus unpaid,” this work contains essays on “the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect in societal understandings of women’s (and men’s) lives.” Mugar Ref. X HQ1115 B38 2008.

Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia. 1997.

More than 500 entries on the “multifaceted international subculture self-identified lesbians and gay men have cultivated and refined in the second half of the twentieth century.” Includes a 75-page chronology and sources for further reading. Mugar HQ75 H63 1997.

Contemporary Gay American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. 1993.

Contains biographical, bibliographical, and critical information on 50+ gay American novelists. Entries include a biographical sketch, discussion of major works and themes, a brief overview of critical studies concerning each writer, and a list of works by and about each author. Mugar PS374 H63 C66 1993.

Contemporary Lesbian Writers of the United States: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. 1993.

Similar in format to the above-cited work, this volume contains biographical, bibliographical, and critical information on 100 lesbian writers of poetry, fiction, and drama in the United States. Mugar PS153 L46 C65 1993.

The Dictionary of Homophobia: A Global History of Gay & Lesbian Experience. 2008.

Some 70 contributors from 15 nations contributed articles on theories that may have been used to justify homophobic acts, attitudes, or discourses; historical agents of homophobia; historical victims of homophobia; different countries or regions; environments and institutions; and everyday themes of homophobic rhetoric (e.g., proselytism or AIDS. Mugar Ref. X HQ76.4 D5313 2008.

Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States. 2 vols. 2009.

“AIDS literature,” “coming out narratives, gay male,” “Dancer from the Dance,” “graphic novel, transgender,” and “Signorile, Michelangelo” are just some of the 300+ entries in this A-to-Z encyclopedia. Mugar Ref. X PS153 S39 E53 2009.

Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture. 2008.

From “Advocate, The” to Wong, B.D.,” the nearly 100 entries in this encyclopedia include both biographical and thematic entries attesting to the presence of gays and lesbians in entertainment, film, literature, music, sports, television, and theater. Mugar Ref. X HQ75.13 P76 2008.

Encyclopedia of Gender and Society. 2 vols. 2009.

From “ABANTU for Development” to “Yin-Yang,” this encyclopedia “covers the major theories, research, people, and issues in contemporary gender studies. This comprehensive, two-volume encyclopedia is distinguished by a cross-national/cross-cultural perspective that provides comparative analyses of the life experiences of men and women around the world.” Mugar Ref. X HQ1115 E54 2009.

Encyclopedia of Homosexuality. 2 vols. 1990.

Interdisciplinary work containing 770+ articles of a thematic, topical and biographical nature. Mugar HQ76.25 E53 1990.

Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex Similarities and Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender. 2 vols. 2001.

Comprehensive coverage of topics covering current scholarship on the psychology of women and gender, including lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in relationships. Mugar Ref. X HQ1115 E52 2001.

Gay and Lesbian Americans and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook. 2002.

Contains an historical overview of the LGBT movement, chapters on participation in protest politics, social movements/interest groups, politcal office-holding and political party participation, primary documents, a glossary of key people, laws, and terms, a chronology, and a bibliography and resource guide. Mugar HQ76.3 U5 S59 2002.

Gay and Lesbian Issues: A Reference Handbook. 2003.

Includes an introductory essay on the history of the gay rights movement and on gay/lesbian issues; a chronology; biographical sketches; key documents, cases, and laws; a directory of organizations; and a list of print and nonprint resources. Mugar Ref. X HQ76.25 S748 2003.

Gay and Lesbian Library Service. 1990.

Guide to print and nonprint materials on gay and lesbian issues. Includes periodicals; filmographies; discographies; and a directory of publishers, bookstores, special collections, and professional groups. Mugar XZ711.92 G37 G37 1990. Storage: Use Request Form.

The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage: A Reader’s Companion to the Writers and their Works, from Antiquity to the Present. 1995.

Compendium of nearly 400 critical essays on the gay and lesbian literary presence in world literature. Mugar Ref. X PN56 H57 G365 1995.

The Gay and Lesbian Movement: References and Resources. 1996.

The social history of the gay and lesbian movement from 1864 to the end of 1993 presented in the format of an introductory essay and lengthy annotated bibliography of dissertations, monographs, periodical articles (academic and popular), and published interviews. Includes a list of regional gay and lesbian newspapers. Mugar HQ76.5 R53 1996.

Gay Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures. Vol. 2. 2000.

This encyclopedia covers developments in gay history and culture around the world. Entries include such topics as AIDS, associations and organizations, film, gay history, and sexology. Mugar Ref. X HQ75.13 G37 2000.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Literature: A Genre Guide. 2008.

Introduction and guide to 20th century GLBT fiction, biography and drama. Includes a history of GLBT literature. Mugar Ref. X Z1229G25 B67 2008.

glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture.

“The glbtq encyclopedia was founded with a single objective in mind: to serve as the most comprehensive, accessible, and authoritative encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (glbtq) culture. The encyclopedia’s Literature, Arts, and Social Sciences Departments feature more than 1.2 million words in more than 1200 entries. Hundreds of complementary illustrations help showcase the lives and contributions of thousands of glbtq people who have influenced society through literature, the arts, law, politics and more.”

Historical Dictionary of the Gay Liberation Movement: Gay Men and the Quest for Social Justice. 1999.

Worldwide in scope, entries represent individuals and the groups they founded to further the cause of gay liberation. Includes a bibliography and a list of acronyms. Mugar Ref. X HQ76.5 H86 1999.

Homosexuality and the Law: A Dictionary. 2001.

Introductory essay on the history of the Gay Rights Movement and 112 A-Z entries on key laws, cases, events, and persons. Includes a lengthy appendix of state and local laws, a list of advocacy organizations , a table of cases, and an extensive bibliography. Law Ref. KF4754.5 A7 S74 2001.

Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video. 1994.

Encyclopedia of films and videos written, scored, directed by, or starring gays and lesbians, and films with gay/lesbian themes or characters. Mugar Ref. X PN1995.9 H55 M87 1994.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. 26 vols. 2001.

Contains authoritative articles on sociology and related fields, including sexual orientation. Mugar Ref. X H41 I58 2001. Available (abstracts only) on the BU Web through ScienceDirect (BU-px).

Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures. Vol. 1. 2000.

From “activism” to “‘zines,” this encyclopedia covers developments in lesbian history and culture around the world. Entries include such subjects as associations and organizations, language, literature, and theory. Mugar Ref. X HQ75.5 L4395 2000.

LGBTQIA Glossary.

Glossary of terms from the UC Davis LGBT Resource Center.

Lost Gay Novels: A Reference Guide to Fifty Works from the First Half of the Twentieth Century. 2003.

Entries discuss plots and characters, summarize contemporary critical reception, and provide biographical information on lesser-known authors.
Mugar PS374 H63 S65 2003.

Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture. 2006.

Covers gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer life and culture from 1945 to the present. Topics covered include academics and scholarship, dance, film and video, fine arts, health, literature, music, politics, pop culture, religion, sport, and more. Appendix material includes international glbt archives, sex laws, and and political and community organizations. Mugar Ref. X HQ76.96 R68 2006.

Same-Sex Marriage: A Reference Handbook. 2010.

Contains essays on the background and history of same-sex marriage; problems, controversies and solutions; and worldwide perspectives. Resources include a chronology, biographical sketches, documents and data (court cases, bills, statistics), information on organizations, an annotated list of print and nonprint resources, and a glossary. Mugar Ref. X HQ1033 N494 2010.

Who’s Who in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present. 2001.

Comprehensive biographical survey of Western homosexuality. Entries include the less well-known as well as cult icons, activists, musicians, and more. Mugar Ref. X HQ75.13 W46 2001.

Who’s Who in Gay and Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II. 2001.

Biographical dictionary of 500+ important gays and lesbians worldwide from antiquity to World War II. Mugar Ref. X HQ75.13 W47 2001.

Bibliographies

Gay and Lesbian American Plays: An Annotated Bibliography. 1993.

Annotated list of plays with major characters whose gay or lesbian sexuality is integral to the play, and plays with primary gay or lesbian themes. A few non-American plays are also included. Mugar Ref. X Z1229 G25 F87 1993.

Gays in the Military: A Selected Bibliography. 2010.

ProQuest bibliography of current research.

Guide to Gay and Lesbian Resources: A Classified Bibliography Based Upon the Collections of the University of Chicago Library. 2002.

A classified bibliography of 4500+ books and serials in the University of Chicago Library on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender themes. Arranged in 200+ subject categories and keyword searchable.

The Homosexual and Society: An Annotated Bibliography. 1990.

Annotated bibliography of 1500+ items arranged by subject, including adoption/fostering, child custody, military, discrimination, censorship, religion, and police attitudes. Mugar Z7164 S42 R5 1990. Storage: Use Request Form.

Homosexuality: A Research Guide. 1987.

Annotated bibliography of nearly 5000 items, covering general as well as specialized topics, including area studies, anthropology, lifestyles, and boundary crossing. Mugar Z7164 S42 H67.Storage: Use Request Form.

Lesbian and Gay Voices: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature for Children and Young Adults. 2000.

Provides detailed annotations and recommendations for 275+ picture books, young adult fiction, short stories, nonfiction works, and biographies for young readers. Includes author profiles of selected writers who have made outstanding contributions to this field of literature. Education Reference Z1037 D24 2000.

Lesbian Sources: A Bibliography of Periodical Articles, 1970-1990. 1993.

Bibliography of articles written by and/or about lesbians, published between 1970 and 1990. Mugar Z5866 L44 G37 1993 Storage: Use Request Form.

Lesbianism: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to the Literature, 1976-1991. 1992.

Contains annotations to articles, books, and dissertations, arranged by subject. Includes an overview of the literature. Mugar Z7164 S42 M34 1992. Storage: Use Request Form.

The NALGAP Annotated Bibliography: Resources on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Lesbians/Gay Men. 1987.

Contains citations to books, articles, brochures, pamphlets, conference papers, theses, and manuscripts on chemical addiction in the lesbian/gay community. Mugar Z7721 B47 1987 Storage: Use Request Form.

Same-Sex Marriage: A Selected Bibliography. 2011.

ProQuest bibliography of current research.

Same-Sex Marriage: A Selective Bibliography of the Legal Literature. 1997 – .

Bibliography of books, journal articles, and web resources, maintained by a Rutgers University law librarian.

Studies on Gay & Lesbian Language: A Partial Bibliography.

Unannotated bibliography compiled by a Northwestern University linguistics professor.

Transgender Population: A Selected Bibliography. 2010.

ProQuest bibliography of current research.

Uranian Worlds: A Guide to Alternative Sexuality in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. 1990.

Annotated bibliography of images and attitudes toward homosexuality in science fiction and fantasy. Mugar Z6514 C5 S43 1990 Storage: Use Request Form.

Atlas

Gay & Lesbian Atlas. 2004.

“Drawing on the most recent data from the U.S. Census, this groundbreaking work offers a detailed geographic and demographic portrait of gay and lesbian families in all 50 states plus the top 25 U.S. metropolitan areas. ” Mugar Ref. X HQ76.3 U5 G355 2004.

Websites

ACTUP Oral History Project.

“The ACT UP Oral History Project is a collection of interviews with surviving members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, New York. A transcript of each interview is available in full in PDF format, through free download via this website. You can also see streaming video clips of many of the interviews.”

The Advocate.

Contains daily news, milestones in gay and lesbian history, excerpts from the current issue’s cover story, additional information (issue links) on selected articles from the print version of the Advocate, back issues, and other information from the “New York Times of gay America.”

American Civil Liberties Union, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Project.

“The LGBT Project fights discrimination and moves public opinion on LGBT rights through the courts, legislatures and public education.”

Bay Windows.

New England’s leading gay and lesbian newspaper.

Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies.

Located at the the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School, CLAGS “is the first and only university-based research center in the United States dedicated to the study of historical, cultural, and political issues of vital concern to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and communities.”

Gay and Lesbian Studies:  A Guide to the Collections of the New York Public Library.

Detailed guide to NYPL collections on gay and lesbian studies.

Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Health.

National Library of Medicine/MedlinePlus web page on Gay/Lesbian Health, with links to recent news, general overviews, research, specific conditions/aspects of gay/lesbian health, directories, organizations, statistics, men, seniors, children, teenagers, and Spanish language pages.

The Gay Peoples Union Collection, University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.

“The Gay Peoples Union Collection presents digital copies of primary source materials documenting GPU and Milwaukee’s gay liberation movement.”

Gender Identity Disorder.

National Library of Medicine/MedlinePlus web page.

 

GLAD: Gay & Lesbian Adovates and Defenders.

“New England’s leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression.” Includes publications on anti-discrimination laws, family law, hate crime, and other issues.

GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

“The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, is working to ensure safe and effective schools for all students.” Their “online library holds a myriad of resources and documents that can help further your knowledge on creating Safe Schools.”

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender Historical Society.

Located in San Francisco, ” the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender Historical Society (GLBTHS) collects, preserves, and interprets the history of GLBT people and the communities that support them.”

Hatred in the Hallways: Violence and Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students in U.S. Schools.

” In this report, Human Rights Watch documents attacks on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth who are subjected to abuse on a daily basis by their peers and in some cases by teachers and school administrators.”

Human Rights Campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian and gay political organization in the United States, was founded in 1980. “This site contains much of the same information and resources that our staff uses to educate members of Congress and the public about issues of vital importance to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Americans — such as ending workplace discrimination, combating hate crimes, fighting HIV and AIDS, working for better lesbian health, and protecting our families.”

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

“The mission of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is to secure the full enjoyment of the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or expression, and/or HIV status. A US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), IGLHRC effects this mission through advocacy, documentation, coalition building, public education, and technical assistance.” See their Publications section for reports and updates.

Intersex.

National Library of Medicine/MedlinePlus web page on Intersex.

Lambda Legal.

“A national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, the transgendered, and people with HIV or AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.”

Lavender Legacies Guide.

Society of American Archivists’ Lesbian and Gay Archives Roundtable guide to primary source material relating to the history and culture of lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgendered (LBGT) people held by repositories in North America.

Lesbian Health Resource Center.

A part of the Institute for Health & Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, the Lesbian Health Resource Center “enhances clinical practice and informs policy about the health care needs of and delivery of services to lesbians, bisexual women, and transgendered individuals through a program of research, postgraduate education and training, and public service.” Resources include “links and listings for articles, research reports, white papers and other professional documents on topics related to lesbian health. ”

Lesbian Pulp Fiction Collection, Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture, Duke University Libraries.

Highlights the lesbian pulp fiction collection at Duke University; includes an introduction to the genre.

Massachusetts Commission on LGBT Youth.

“The Commission is an independent agency of the Commonwealth and has a mandate to investigate the use of resources from both the public and private sectors to enhance and improve the ability of state agencies to provide services that protect and support the health and safety of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth in the schools and communities of Massachusetts, with a focus on suicide prevention and violence intervention policies regarding harassment and discrimination against LGBT youth.”

Massachusetts Law about Gender Identity or Expression.

Guide from the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries.

Massachusetts Law about Same-Sex Marriage.

Guide from the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries.

The Michael D. Palm Center.

Located at the University of California, Santa Barbara, “the Center promotes the interdisciplinary analysis of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other marginalized sexual identities in the armed forces by forging a community of scholars, creating a forum for information exchange and debate, offering itself as a launching point for researchers who need access to data and scholarly networks, and supporting graduate student training.”

National Center for Transgender Equality.

“The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. By empowering transgender people and our allies to educate and influence policymakers and others, NCTE facilitates a strong and clear voice for transgender equality in our nation’s capital and around the country.”

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

“National progressive organization working for the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, with the vision and commitment to building a powerful political movement.”

ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.

Web site of the world’s largest research library on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered heritage and concerns. While international in scope, the collection has a special focus on Los Angeles LGBT history.

People With a History: An Online Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* History.

“People with a History presents the history of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people [=LGBT]. It includes hundreds of original texts, discussions, and [soon] images, and addresses LGBT history in all periods, and in all regions of the world.”

Public Agenda Online.

“A nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research and citizen education organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1975 by social scientist and author Daniel Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.” See their issue guide on Gay Rights: “the Understanding the Issue section lays out the facts and policy alternatives, while the Public Opinion section offers a detailed profile of public thinking about the issue.”

Queer Arts Resource.

“Since 1996 we’ve produced over 50 exhibitions that suggest the range, depth, and importance of queer artistic expression. QAR is expanding the range and depth of knowledge about contemporary and historical queer art, and making this information freely available on our website.”

Queer Resources Directory.

Contains links to more than 25,000 files on aspects of gay and lesbian culture, including, youth, health, religion, marriage and parenting, media, events, culture, and history.

QueerTheory.com: Queer Studies, LGBT Studies, Gender Studies and Related Fields.

“QueerTheory.com provides you with the best online resources integrated with the best visual and textual resources in Queer Culture, Queer Theory, Queer Studies, Gender Studies and related fields.”

Sexual Orientation Issues in the News: A Resource Center for Journalism Educators from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication.

“SOIN works to assure that journalism education addresses issues affecting sexual minorities along with other groups in our diverse society.”

Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA Law School.

“The Williams Institute advances sexual orientation law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates it to judges, legislators, policymakers, media and the public. A national think tank at UCLA Law, the Williams Institute produces high quality research with real-world relevance.”