As Virginia's state archive, records held at the Library of Virginia largely reflect the actions of state and local governments. Due to this reality, much of the archival records that exist in our holdings relate to marginalization, criminalization, and stigmatization of queer and gender-diverse individuals. Archival materials that do exist are scattered throughout various collections, making them difficult to locate in aggregate. Because these records were not historically prioritized, they may not be described in ways that makes the relevant material accessible to researchers.
With these limitations in mind, this page represents a starting point for identifying archival records related to queer history at the Library of Virginia. Newspaper research may be used to identify additional records, as news coverage may document interactions between individuals and government entities.
The majority of local records retained by the Library of Virginia date before 1913. Records of LGBTQ+ individuals after 1913 may remain in the circuit court of the county or city in question.
Select criminal court records, primarily before 1913, are available at the Library of Virginia. See Legal History for examples of historical state laws that applied to queer and gender-diverse individuals. Note that individuals may have been arrested or prosecuted for common-law crimes (i.e., crimes without a statutory basis) or for general offenses such as "disorderly conduct."
Examples of charges under which LGBTQ+ individuals were prosecuted include:
Petitions for change of name may be found in county or chancery court records.
box icon may contain restricted material. If you would like to consult these collections, the archives reference staff will need at least two weeks to verify that there is no restricted information protected under privacy laws. Please call Archives Reference Services at (804) 692-3888 or email archdesk@lva.virginia.gov for more information.Governors’ records contain documentation concerning policies regarding LGBTQ+ people. Relevant materials are likely to appear in correspondence or constituent correspondence. Collections of note include:
Personal Papers found in the Virginia Dept. of the Treasury Division of Unclaimed Property Records contain material documenting gay relationships:
Virginia ABC records contain information concerning the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which gave the ABC Board the explicit authority to police the activities of LGBTQ+ businesses and individuals between 1956 and 1991.
