Item HT 22923 Flyer - Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender Collections Survey, Midsumma Festival, Melbourne, 2005

Summary

Single-page flyer with rainbow stripes entitled ''Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay Transgender Collections Survey 2005'. The flyer advertises the project to potential participants, and was handed out at the 2005 Midsumma Festival. It identifies interest in surveying documents, letters, diaries, books, photographs, oral histories, films, objects symbolizing GLBT sexuality, identity-specific clothing, personal mementoes and political material.

The survey was a joint project between Museum Victoria, State Library of Victoria and the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives. The project aimed for 'improved knowledge, representation and interpretation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender material in public collections. It aimed to promote the development of strategies for encouraging discussion and awareness of homosexuality in the mainstream community. It also aimed to begin to provide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Victorians with a sense of inclusion in the broader story of our heritage. The survey has provided an opportunity for the celebration of political and social achievements, and recognition of the tenets of equal opportunity and human rights for all Victorians.' (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Material Survey Project Report, Kate Davison, 2006).

Physical Description

Single-page flyer with rainbow stripes, with inscription overlaid. Reverse continues the rainbow motif with vertical stripes interspersed with text. Logos for Museum Victoria, the State Library of Victoria and the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives appear at lower right.

Significance

These documents provide an important record of community activity within and beyond the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities in Victoria in the period 2005-2006. They show a breadth of activities, including tours, exhibitions, research projects and political movements, across organisations ranging from Museum Victoria, Swinburne University, Melbourne Justice Museum and the City of Melbourne, to the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives, the New Wave Christian Fellowship Church and the ALSO Foundation.

Museum Victoria is developing a collection to improve its representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities in Victoria. The report 'Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender Material Survey: Project Report 2006' (Kate Davison) identified a clear need for further collections in this area. The collection is being developed in the context of Museum Victoria's Strategic Plan 2008-2013, Corporate Plan 2008-2013 and Research Policy 2008, all of which emphasize the importance of cultural diversity across the Museum's programs.