Resources for lesbian ethnographic research in the lavender archives

Abstract

The problematics of undertaking lesbian ethnography and cultural history are related in part to the dearth of printed records lesbians kept or preserved for posterity. Technological, financial, and security considerations typically made it necessary for them to operate more informally and inconspicuously, hand-to-hand and by word-of-mouth. Lavender archives, nonetheless, are the repositories of lesbian cultural history. This paper preoccupies itself with the pragmatic issues of developing and maintaining accessible research venues from which to cultivate the study of multiracial and multiethnic lesbian lives. I provide a survey of available resources for doing lesbian scholarship, addressing some of the ethical issues involved with lesbian ethnographic research.