International Archive
of
Gender Diversity
This project is an international and intergenerational collective initiative, built through the collaboration of dozens of trans and intersex people since the mid-1990s. Our mission is to preserve the historical materials and to support scientific and humanistic research by facilitating access to primary sources documenting media representation and social discourse around gender diversity.
The archive focuses on the diversity of well-known gender identities and expressions, for example, transgender, transsexual, cross-dressing, queer, intersex, non-binary, drag, gender-fluid, etc., and others from around the world, such as Two-Spirit (USA, Canada), muxhe (Mexico), hijra (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal), baklâ (Philippines), kathoey (Thailand), bacha posh (Afghanistan, Pakistan), fa'afafine/fa'atama (Samoa), māhū (Hawaii, Polynesia), leitī/fakaleitī (Tonga), vakasalewalewa (Fiji), palopa (Papua New Guinea), akava'ine (Cook Islands), sipiniq (Alaska, Canada, Greenland), etc.
The physical archive spans approximately 55 linear feet (17 meters) and it includes books, magazines, newspapers, posters, audiovisual media, and other materials. It contains original publications dating from 1690 to the present, originating from more than 20 countries. Most materials are in English, followed by Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, plus additional content in over 10 other languages.
The digital archive comprises more than 600,000 news articles and stories in text, scanned, and video formats, as well as archived web pages from now-defunct platforms such as GeoCities, alongside academic and scientific publications.
Researchers, academics, and LGBTQI+ activists are welcome to consult the archive in person, free of charge, by appointment only. The archive is located in the Borderplex region of El Paso, Texas – Las Cruces, New Mexico – Juárez, Chihuahua, a binational metropolitan area of approximately 2.7 million residents along the U.S. – Mexico border.
We gratefully welcome donations related to diversity in gender identity and expression, including books, magazines, newspapers, photographs, and other relevant materials. Donations may be made in your own name, in honor of someone else, or anonymously. This is an independent project, founded and stewarded by trans people.
You can reach us by using the contact form at the bottom of this page.
