Led by local heroes Deb Edel and Joan Nestle in the 1970s, a group of young lesbians, frustrated by misogyny and homophobia within academia, huddled together and built an accessible archive of lesbian documents and artifacts for those conducting research, both professional and personal. The location: a bedroom in a modest apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
The Lesbian Herstory Archives was founded out of a political movement in 1974 by members of the Gay Academic Union. The archives consist of novels, photographs, love letters, clothing and any memorabilia from the lesbian community to be protected and preserved for future generations. Many began donating items, some consisted of journals with written love confessions about women they secretly loved as they were too afraid to come out. Co-Founder Joan Nestle began housing the items in her apartment until the archives couldn’t fit any longer.
Every member volunteered, spending hours going through boxes, carefully inspecting its contents. They cried as they read intimate love letters that were hidden never intended to be discovered. They speak of the importance of preserving these items for future generations to understand the contribution that Lesbians gave to this world but is rarely spoken of.
I loved this documentary, it takes you through an emotional journey of the history of lesbian women wanting to be heard, recognized and accepted. The novels, poetry, movies, art, and photography that came from talented women in the Lesbian community can now be viewed and appreciated by the public. I only wished it included stories from more women of color, as they have made an immense impact in the community and without their contribution visible, generations to come will never acknowledge their existence.
“The Archivettes” recently had its New York Premiere at the 2019 New York LGBTQ Film Festival
