The Boston University LGBTQIA+ History Project, an initiative of the LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff, which seeks to unearth the unwritten history of LGBTQIA+ campus life at BU. The project documents and uplifts the stories of BU students, staff, faculty, and alums, and, in doing so, develop our understanding of what life has been like for the BU LGBTQIA+ community across time.
The BU LGBTQIA+ History Project has the dual purpose of 1) recording, preserving, and celebrating the history of LGBTQIA+ life at BU, and 2) creating opportunities for naming, reconciling, and providing catharsis around negative experiences many students, staff, faculty, and alums had at BU.
Goals of the BU LGBTQIA+ History Project
- Develop a timeline of key events in the LGBTQIA+ history of BU
- Write an inclusive and in-depth narrative history of LGBTQIA+ life at BU
- Lead an Oral History Project, which will record and preserve oral history interviews with BU alums, staff, and faculty
- Host focus groups with alums to reflect on their experiences at BU
- Engage and share this history with the BU community through a website, physical exhibit, virtual exhibit, and/or events
Share Your Story
The BU LGBTQIA+ History Project is seeking LGBTQIA+ alums to reflect upon your BU experience and to share your thoughts. Please complete our survey to connect with the Project and share your story.
Get Involved
- BU alums, reflect on your BU experience and share your story through our Oral History Project and/or our survey above.
- Sign up to receive more information.
- Help the BU LGBTQIA+ History Project identify alums and former staff and faculty.
- Attend a Pride Month Meet-Up in June in cities across the US.
- Donate historical materials and ephemera to the BU LGBTQIA+ History Archive as part of the University Archives in the library’s Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center.
- Donate to the BU LGBTQIA+ History Project through the LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff Fund to preserve LGBTQA+ history and further this work.
Your donation will support archival research, graduate assistant funding, a virtual and in-person exhibit, the Oral History Project, and funding for staff to attend Alumni Association and BU events across the globe to collect alum and former staff and faculty stories and oral histories.
Support the BU LGBTQIA+ History Project
We are currently exploring funding options via grants and also welcome donations. If you are interested, please email us at lgbtqia@bu.edu or be in contact with BU Alumni & Friends.
