A history of GLAPN

Our History 240 The Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN) was formed in October 1994 by community-based historians to preserve the local history of our community.

GLAPN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded by Thomas Cook and friends in October 1994, with a purpose to serve the greater public interest in advancing the visibility of Oregon’s queer cultural history and also within the Pacific Northwest.

Special credit goes to Allan Berube and his national series of workshops, advocating the need for communities to start efforts in preserving their gay and lesbian heritage.

At a time when most of the United States maintained a perceptible lack of records regarding queer culture and history, a movement arose to the challenge of starting an archive here in Oregon that scholars and writers could access when documenting and researching queer source materials of historical interest.

Soon, a unique opportunity arose when an agreement was formed with the Oregon Historical Society, a private archives foundation in Portland with a mission to preserve Oregon’s collective cultural heritage. This relationship would present a dual benefit: that GLAPN would not have to budget significant sums of money to store its collections, as most archives do, and the Oregon Historical Society could now open a new library section dedicated to queer studies and with the finest resources in archival preservation.

In time, GLAPN would come to represent a respected resource in the city for matters pertaining to its queer historical record. From invitations to present tours, to conducting panel discussions, to working with community organizations and university students on interviewing and archiving efforts, it has become a welcome resource for scholarship. Researchers and writers have made use of the GLAPN collections for content, thus continually expanding the collection’s overall reach and value.

Alliances with other community resources, like The Equity Foundation, have provided funding by way of grants and deed of gifts for content material that will ultimately become part of the archive collections. In working with various community organizations, like the Portland Q-Center, queer cultural heritage is strengthened and maintained for the Oregon community at large. And to think that this could all be done with the support of volunteers and donors! Passion is what drives GLAPN’s ongoing mission and through the dedication of its members.