LGBTQIA+ Archives

This #InternationalWomensDay we acknowledge LGBTQ+ women who have shaped history—from suffragist Dr. Mary Edwards Walker to activists Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera.

💡 Did you know? LGBTQ+ women helped fight for voting rights in the 1800s! #LGBTQ #WomenWhoMadeHistory

If you’ve been affected by these firings, bans, or policy shifts—you are part of this living history. #lavenderscare

This isn’t just cost-cutting—it’s about remaking the federal government. Then, they wiped out New Deal & Fair Deal bureaucrats. Now, it’s about eliminating so-called "deep state" officials. And just like before, LGBTQ+ workers are among the first to go.

📉 Over 100 intelligence officers were fired for alleged "sexual behavior"—eerily similar to how LGBTQ+ workers were purged as "sex perverts" in the 1950s. Meanwhile, trans military personnel are being removed, with "readiness" replacing "security" as the excuse.

Labeled "security risks" under vague accusations of “sexual perversion,” LGBTQ+ workers were forced out of government. Later reports exposed the truth: only 23.4% of firings were even tied to these claims. The Lavender Scare wasn’t about security—it was about control.

In the 1950s, Eisenhower’s K1C2 strategy targeted Korea, Communism, and Corruption—justifying mass firings to purge Roosevelt & Truman hires seen as too liberal. Under McCarthy’s influence, thousands were fired, including #LGBTQ+ federal employees in the Lavender Scare. 🧵

#federalemployees

📖 In 1933, the Nazis raided the institute, looting and burning its research in the first major book burning of their regime. They knew knowledge is power.

The fight to protect LGBTQ+ rights didn’t end in 1919—or 1933, or 1969, or 2015. It continues today.

It was a safe haven for #LGBTQ people, a hub for birth control access, and a center for gender research. A century later, Hirschfeld’s fight continues.

🔹 Trans healthcare is under attack
🔹 Reproductive rights are being rolled back
🔹 LGBTQ+ health data is being erased from records

#OTD in 1924 the Daily Worker reported on Magnus Hirschfeld's Institute for Sexual Research. It was founded in 1919, but the coverage reflected growing awareness internationally.

Bi people deserve healthcare, support, and visibility. This month, let’s make sure bi+ voices are heard. 💜💙💖

So what can we do?
✔ Support bisexual-led organizations
✔ Advocate for LGBTQ+ comprehensive healthcare & research
✔ Challenge bi erasure in media and policy

Policy decisions impact bisexual health. The U.S. government recently moved to erase LGBTQ+ health data from federal records, making it harder to track disparities. Without data, we lose funding, research, and support.

A big reason for this is bi erasure and stigma. Bisexual people often face misunderstanding from both straight and LGBTQ+ communities, leading to increased social isolation and worse mental health outcomes.

Bisexual people make up the largest part of the LGBTQ+ community, yet their health needs are often overlooked. Studies show that bisexual individuals experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and chronic illness than their gay and straight peers.

Image shows a bisexual Pride flag with white text overlayed saying "Bisexual Health Awareness Month #BiHealthMonth" and the LGBTQIA+ Archives logo.

🌈📢 March is Bisexual Health Awareness Month! Let's talk about why bi+ health matters, the challenges bisexual people face, and how we can push for change. 🧵 #BiHealthMonth #LGBTQ

Image shows a flat sky and clouds among Pride flags (Progress, Lesbian, Ace, Aro, Trans). Sparkls are affixed near the flags. The LGBTQIA+ Archives corner is in the top right. Text reads: Proud yesterday. Proud today. Proud tomorrow. You can't erase what's forever.

There have always been moments when the world told LGBTQ+ people we did not belong. Even when they tried to erase us, we carried our truth.

Proud yesterday. Proud today. Proud tomorrow.

#lgbtq #lgbtqia

🚨 100 intelligence officers fired. Workplace discussions on LGBTQ+ culture seemingly labeled “sexual behavior.” From the Lavender Scare to today’s DEI purge, history is repeating itself.

📖 Read more: archive.lgbt/blog/2025/02...

#LGBTQ #DEI

From “Security Risk” to “DEI Hire”: A Century of LGBTQ+ Workplace Purges | LGBTQIA+ Archives LGBTQIA+ stories past and present.

🚨 LGBTQ+ federal workers are being pushed out—again.

From the Lavender Scare to today's DEI rollbacks, workplace purges are nothing new. With over 100 intelligence employees fired for alleged inappropriate behavior, history is repeating in real time.
archive.lgbt/blog/2025/02...

🏳️‍🌈 Help preserve LGBTQ+ history!

Got old Pride photos, zines, or protest flyers? Submitting to the archives is simple:
📂 Scan or photograph your materials
📤 Upload via archive.lgbt/submissions
📖 Help keep queer history alive!

#LGBTQHistory #LGBTQ

Help us save history before it's deleted. Photo shows a rainbow progress window in a retro style with the text "queer history is downloading" "archive.lgbt"

LGBTQIA+ content is disappearing. We’re preserving it—send us your history before it’s lost! 🏳️‍🌈

Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week February 16th-22nd. Relationship status: Thriving without romance.

💚 It’s Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week! 💚

Romance? Cool for some. Not required for everyone.

The aromantic spectrum (aro-spec) includes people who experience little, no, or rare romantic attraction—and that’s completely valid! 💚

#ASAW #arospec #aropride

Erasing transgender and queer communities from LGBTQ+ history is dangerous and dishonest. The Stonewall Uprising—led by trans women like Marsha P. Johnson—cannot be rewritten for political gain. History deserves the full truth, not selective edits.