Collection Donations
In 2025, we were able to facilitate the donation and processing of several major collections. A partial list of collections placed include: an oral history with Shreveport AIDS activist Robert Darrow, documents and ephemera related to the Shreveport chapter of ACT UP, gay Carnival programs, the personal papers of Sharon Dauzat documenting the New Orleans chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, the draft of a speech delivered by James Kellogg on June 12, 1994, to Celebration ‘94, titled “Midnight in the Cathedral of Light,” a report written by Dr. Michael Kaiser and Dr. Diane Manning, circa 1987, called “NO/AIDS Task Force: A Case Study in Community Health Education,” copies of Dyke Digest, Michael Sullivan’s gay Carnival collection, video footage of Halloween New Orleans’ Lazarus Balls from 1995 to 2012 (Arthur Roger, donor), A draft of Richard Chaney’s memoir, a collection of photographs documenting John Emrold and Ray Cole (Charles Maniaci, donor), and the journals of Paul Graffeo including video footage of the 1993 March on Washington (Paul Graffeo, donor). Our Oral History initiative is ongoing.
Public Programming
We also had a robust public programming schedule in 2025. Programming included the Louisiana Queer Arts program, Cultivating Lesbian Community with Sharon Dauzat, the dedication of the new Up Stairs Lounge plaque, book signings and author talks at the B-K House and the Jefferson Parish Library, the installation of the Peter Putnum historical marker in Houma, information tables at Longue Vue House and Gardens and Connect Fest in Slidell, Winter Wonderland, and an AIDS Memorial Service at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church. The Archives Project was also featured on WWL’s “Great Day Louisiana,” WHIV’s “Expanding the Rainbow,” and a Podcast with National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund regarding the Up Stairs Lounge & Pulse Nightclub. In addition, Executive Director Frank Perez gave several talks throughout the year, including a presentation to the Ochsner employee group for LGBTQ History Month, the Tulane TIDES program, and a meeting of the Sexual Health Alliance.
Consulting
As one of the few organizations in Louisiana working to preserve local LGBT+ history, the Archives Project is in a unique position to advise and assist people doing memory work in the field. In 2025, we were pleased to consult with the following organizations and people working on a wide variety of queer history projects. These include: journalists from the British Broadcasting Corporation, author Anna Mathias, the French Deputy Ambassador, Lee Miller of the Louisiana Research Collection at Tulane U., author Channing Joseph, Karen Leathem of the Louisiana State Museum, Rev. Bill Terry, artist Kelsey Scult, graduate student George Carlson, artist JRenee, Jennifer Long of Amistad Research Center, graduate student Aaron Jura, Jarret Slonaker, several members of The Historic New Orleans Collection staff, the Up Stairs Lounge Plaque Replacement Committee, author Jackson Carwile, graduate student Kaede Polkinghorne, Elena Wise of Auburn U., Cale Arceneux (Northwestern U. student), graduate students Margaret Adams and Olivia Curcio, archivist Camille Dunbar, graduate student Davine Edwards, and a number of documentary filmmakers.
Queering the Archives
Throughout the last year, the Archives Project had a presence at the following conferences: Queer History South, Southeastern Museum Conference, the Louisiana Historical Association, the Society of Southwest Archivists, and the Louisiana Book Festival. Participating in conferences and convenings is a great way to not only network, but also to share the important work the Archives Project is doing.
We have long had a collaborative relationship with Tulane University’s Service-Learning program. In 2025, we worked with over twenty students who accomplished a variety of tasks, including: compiling bibliographies for our website, digitizing queer collections at the Louisiana Research Collection, and photographing the sites of former lesbian and gay bars.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Pictured above is the site of our new space in the French Quarter! Slated to open in early Spring, the space will feature an exhibit on queer history as well as provide an office for our volunteers and Service-Learning students. We currently have a backlog of material that needs to be scanned and uploaded to our website and the new space will facilitate that effort. Stay tuned for details in the coming months. In June, we celebrate Lesbian History with the Sapphic Fleur de Lez program, and in October we highlight Halloween New Orleans. We will also expand the content on our website by adding to our digital archive.
The Archives Project is extremely grateful for your interest and financial support. Your giving helped make 2025 a very successful year! Thank you for helping us get our history out of the closet!
