At the founding of the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project in September 2015 we decided to focus on two core initiatives: Archives and Oral Histories. Recognizing that regional museums, libraries, and archives lack historical materials related to our own local LGBTQ history, we decided that it was important for us, as a community, to build our own archive from the ground up! Here we go!

Physical Archives

The LGBTQ History Collection is a permanent physical archives at the Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Library (706 S. Jefferson Street SW, Roanoke, Virginia 24016). The collection was founded in December 2015. It continues to grow. It is available for public access at the Virginia Room.

See a list of some of the Highlights of the Collection!

If you would like to donate regional historical LGBTQ+ materials to the archives, please contact Mr. Dyron Knick, archivist, at the Virginia Room to discuss this possibility.