Our Collections
At the heart of our archive lies a treasure trove of over 15,000 items and 250 hours of recorded interviews, spanning two centuries of Kentucky's LGBTQ history. From individuals to events, and from institutions to activism, our collections reflect the rich diversity of Kentucky's LGBTQ community, serving as a vital resource for activists, scholars, artists, and museums alike.
The collections of the Faulkner Morgan Archive are unique in two ways.
We only collect material with a direct relationship to Kentucky's LGBTQ community and LGBTQ Kentuckians.
We have developed an oral-history-based methodology of collecting, wherein donors are recorded describing their collection and the stories their collection holds. In effect, artifacts become tied to the oral histories of their donors, creating a rich resource for activists, scholars, artists, and museums.
Our collections represent numerous individuals, events, and institutions from across Kentucky, and help emphasize Kentucky's important role within the broader national narrative of LGBTQ history.
Featured Collections
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Featured Collections *
All Collections
Delight Voignier
The bulk of this material relates to Womin Energy, a Lexington-based lesbian newsletter published from April 1977 to June 1979. There are also materials from other local lesbian groups, like Amber Moon Productions, as well as national lesbian groups and publications.
Lexington PFLAG
This is a collection of material from the Lexington Chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The material dates to the mid-1990s when the chapter was founded. It was given to me by the current president of the chapter, Linda Angelo.
Bill Chandler and Terry Mullins
Terry Mullins and Bill Chandler are a couple who live in Lexington, Kentucky. Terry Mullins is director of Moveable Feast—a non-profit that delivers meals to people in Lexington with AIDS. Terry was also a bartender at Crossings when it first opened in 1989. They were heavily involved in many gay organizations, including the Tri-State Gay Rodeo Association, the Lexington congregation of the Metropolitan Community Church, and a gay acting group called Act Out. The pair has been together over twenty years.
Shelbi Clarke Rhein
The material included here was gifted by Shelbi Clarke Rhein, and mostly represents material related to her brother, Lige Clarke, an important early gay rights advocate originally from Hindman, Kentucky. These items were mailed to me by Rhein on October 19, 2019. Rhein was born in Hindman, Kentucky. She is the older sister of Lige Clarke. She is the mother of New York based artist, Eric Rhien. This material was sent to me over the course of 2019 as I was writing my article on Lige Clarke.
Edwin Hackney
Edwin Hackney was a social worker and lifelong gay activist. In the early 1980s, he implemented the Gay Services Organization Gay Line which later became GLSO Pride Center. He was a founding member of AVOL Kentucky, which in the early days was a volunteer mobilization effort to do whatever it took to care for those suffering from HIV disease when resources were scarce. He gave mental health help to the volunteers who were aiding the sick. He also served as an officer for NALGAP (National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and their allies).
Jill Raymond
Jill Raymond delivered this material during her visit to the Faulkner Morgan Archive on January 15, 2019. It includes material from her time imprisoned for refusing to cooperate into the investigation of Susan Saxe and Kathy Power.
Sydney and Bobbi Smith
This interview features Sydney and Bobbi Smith, lesbians who moved to Lexington, KY in 1977 and 1978. In the interview they talk about the Saxe-Powers scandal, women’s and lesbian movements in Lexington, including off-hand manor (where Jill Raymond lived) and other women’s collectives, early activism in the Gay Services Organization and the Lesbian and Gay Pac. They also talk about lesbian meeting places, discussion groups, and publications.
Interested in USING Our Collections?
Dive into Kentucky's rich LGBTQ history with access to over 15,000 items and 250 hours of oral history. Whether you're a researcher, artist, activist, or simply curious, our archives are open to all.