With LGBTQ2+ history month in October right around the corner, it is a perfect time to look toward the future of the BC Gay and Lesbian Archives photo identification project. With East Side Pride, the Pride Proclamation, and the Sunset Beach Festival, it was a busy summer for the Archives and we are excited for what the coming months will hold. Photo identification and community engagement are ongoing processes, and we have some exciting things planned for the fall to ensure that there is continued work being done with the BC Gay and Lesbian Archives. For now, we have a couple important announcements regarding the project.
We are pleased to announce that our online tool for photo identification is up and running and can now be accessed here. This online mechanism provides instructions for how to browse and search the photos on the Archives’ website as well as tools to supply information and comments. Photo identification is fundamental for developing historical research on LGBTQ2+ history in BC as well as being important for the access, remembrance, and sharing of these photos within the community. We are hoping that this tool allows people to more actively engage with the BCGLA photo collection and have an accessible way to share their knowledge.
We are also in the process of organizing a formal photo identification event later this fall. We will be putting on a large scale version of what we had at our Pride booths with even more binders and digital copies of the photos. We are excited for the future of the BCGLA and would love to hear from you if you have any insights on potential groups or organizations that would be interested in attending photo identification events or would like to be in touch with the Archives team.
If you would like to get more information on the photo identification tool or events, please feel free to send us an email at archives@vancouver.ca. You can also stay tuned on both Facebook and Twitter for updates regarding this event and other BCGLA news.
