A new exhibit at University of Houston Libraries features local primary sources curated from the LGBT History Research Collection.

“We the People: Exploring the American Experience through the UH Libraries LGBT History Research Collection” illuminates lived experiences represented by photos, handwritten letters, artwork, newspaper clippings, clothing, and ephemera. Presented with support from The Hollyfield Foundation, the exhibit offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience deeply individual yet publicly resonant perspectives from the 1940s to 2000s.

Artwork and a photo from the Pat Gustavson and Mignon Weisinger Papers

After thoughtful research and planning, archivist Joyce Gabiola selected rare, one-of-a-kind materials documenting extraordinary moments and milieus in Houston and LGBT history. 

“As a UH alum and professional archivist who grew up in Houston, it’s an honor and privilege to have developed the exhibit for the UH community and public,” Gabiola said. “It’s also personally meaningful. One of my favorite parts of the exhibit is the inclusion of recent UH graduates’ affective engagement with materials in the collection, which represent academic and creative possibilities of archival research.”

Some of the collections featured in the exhibit are the Botts Collection of LGBT History, Diana Foundation Records, Arden Eversmeyer Papers, Fundación Latinoamericana de Acción Social Records, Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History, and PFLAG Houston Records.

Photo from the JD Doyle Archives; correspondence from the Arden Eversmeyer Papers

UH Libraries has one of the most significant LGBTQ research collections in the country, built through decades of scholarly collaboration with members of the local community,” said Christian Kelleher, director of exhibitions and external relations. “While the exhibit only has room for a small sampling of materials from the extensive collections, it captures a sense of the personal and public, the civic, social and cultural historical primary sources represented in the archives.”

Curatorial assistant Lysandra Cruz stated that materials from the C. Patrick McIlvain Papers were especially notable for her. “It was a physical showcase of the kinds of emotions a person could go through,” Cruz said. Connected to Special Collections for a capstone course, she was motivated despite limited prior experience with physical primary sources. “What brought me to do this archival work was my want to learn more and experience a part of history that I felt also belonged to me,” she said.

Any UH student scholar, or member of the public who may be interested in exploring research collections can start with a finding aid search and connect with UH librarians and archivists who oversee the collections. 

“We the People” is on view through December 2026 and is located at MD Anderson Library floor 1. For more information or to discuss possible instruction opportunities connected to the exhibit, contact Joyce Gabiola.