WIREDGOV

In this blog post Vicky Iglikowski-Broad, our Principal Records Specialist (Diverse Histories), explains how you can get started in researching LGBTQ+ histories through government records.

Clause 28 protest leaflet, 1988. Catalogue reference: FCO 82/1979.

Important information!

This blog references the contemporary views of our records across the last 1,000 years, including prejudice and institutional bias. Records featured here relating to sexuality and gender identity can be depersonalising, use offensive language, and include sensitive issues that remain relevant for LGBTQ+ people today.

State archives and LGBTQ+ lives

Researching LGBTQ+ histories can be rewarding and powerful but also challenging. Many of our records related to these histories have been historically under-researched and we are now working to address this imbalance.

Historically the state has had negative relationships with people whose lives didn't fit the norms of the time, including those relating to sexuality and gender identity. This presents challenges when working with collections of government records, meaning it is often necessary to engage with records relating to policing, legal action, censorship, medical regulation, public health, or policy debates. Over time our collections are expanding to cover more recent progressive legislation and campaigning-related documents.

Additionally, the reasons these records were created are often not the same as the reasons we want to research them now, which means we need to use them in creative ways. For example, many of the LGBTQ+ related records held at The National Archives were created from everyday work done by the police and courts and reflect the historic attitudes of these institutions. Meanwhile, a researcher may want to use these records to get a better understanding of how members of the LGBTQ+ community met and socially engaged with each other.

Click here for the full press release