Miller-Stephens GLBTQ UA Student Organization Collection
Collection
Identifier: MSS-3594
Scope and Contents
The Miller-Stephens GLBTQ UA Student Organization Collection documents the history of the Queer Student Association, the undergraduate LGBTQ student group at The University of Alabama. The collection is divided into two series.
The Student Organization Materials Series contains material pertaining to and produced by the student group, including correspondence from the group’s officers, faculty advisers, and University of Alabama officials. It also includes meeting minutes, administrative documents such as group constitutions and communications from the Coordinating Council for Student Organizations (CCSO), newsletters, clippings, T-shirts, event posters, flyers, photographs, floppy disks, CDs, videocassettes, and audio recordings. There is a small amount of financial material. Several files of clippings and correspondence cover the early years of the group’s incorporation on The University of Alabama campus.
The Reference Materials Series contains general published materials related to the LGBTQ community in Alabama and the United States, including clippings and copies of articles from local and national newspapers and magazines that were collected by members. It also contains essays, literary magazines, book catalogs, pamphlets, and mailings sent to the student organization.
More information can be found in the Scope and Contents notes for each series and in the Related Materials note for the Miller-Stephens collection.
The Student Organization Materials Series contains material pertaining to and produced by the student group, including correspondence from the group’s officers, faculty advisers, and University of Alabama officials. It also includes meeting minutes, administrative documents such as group constitutions and communications from the Coordinating Council for Student Organizations (CCSO), newsletters, clippings, T-shirts, event posters, flyers, photographs, floppy disks, CDs, videocassettes, and audio recordings. There is a small amount of financial material. Several files of clippings and correspondence cover the early years of the group’s incorporation on The University of Alabama campus.
The Reference Materials Series contains general published materials related to the LGBTQ community in Alabama and the United States, including clippings and copies of articles from local and national newspapers and magazines that were collected by members. It also contains essays, literary magazines, book catalogs, pamphlets, and mailings sent to the student organization.
More information can be found in the Scope and Contents notes for each series and in the Related Materials note for the Miller-Stephens collection.
Dates
- 1974-2012
Conditions Governing Access
On-site access is restricted. Please see digital versions of materials here: https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/collection/u0003_0003594.
Please note that some digital versions may be redacted for privacy or restricted for copyright concerns.
Please note that some digital versions may be redacted for privacy or restricted for copyright concerns.
Biographical / Historical
The group that became the Gay Student Union at The University of Alabama started meeting in January 1983, and first sought recognition as an official university student organization in February of that year. The university’s Student Government Association recognized the Gay Student Union in September 1983. During Spring 1983, the university newspaper, the Crimson White, printed numerous letters to the editor, cartoons, articles, and columns from students and faculty who supported or opposed the idea of an LGBTQ student organization on campus.
The organization went through seven total name changes between 1983-2007. It was called the Gay Student Union (GSU) from 1983-1985; Gay/Lesbian Support Services (G/LSS), 1985-1991; Gay/Lesbian Alliance (GLA), 1991-1993; Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Alliance (GLBA), 1993-1999; Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Alliance (GLBTA), 1999-2003; Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA), 2003-2007; Spectrum, 2007-2021. Today, the group is called the Queer Student Association.
The group’s first faculty adviser was English professor David Miller. Annabel Stephens, a professor in the university’s School of Library and Information Studies, was the group’s adviser from 1988-1996. American Studies professor Rose Gladney was the faculty adviser in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A later adviser, Joshua Burford, also served as president of the Capstone Alliance, an organization on The University of Alabama campus for LGBTQ and allied staff, faculty, and graduate students.
The organization went through seven total name changes between 1983-2007. It was called the Gay Student Union (GSU) from 1983-1985; Gay/Lesbian Support Services (G/LSS), 1985-1991; Gay/Lesbian Alliance (GLA), 1991-1993; Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Alliance (GLBA), 1993-1999; Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Alliance (GLBTA), 1999-2003; Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA), 2003-2007; Spectrum, 2007-2021. Today, the group is called the Queer Student Association.
The group’s first faculty adviser was English professor David Miller. Annabel Stephens, a professor in the university’s School of Library and Information Studies, was the group’s adviser from 1988-1996. American Studies professor Rose Gladney was the faculty adviser in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A later adviser, Joshua Burford, also served as president of the Capstone Alliance, an organization on The University of Alabama campus for LGBTQ and allied staff, faculty, and graduate students.
Extent
12.4 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Overview
The Miller-Stephens GLBTQ UA Student Organization Collection documents the history of the Queer Student Association, the undergraduate LGBTQ student group at The University of Alabama that was first established in 1983. The collection includes meeting minutes, newspapers, correspondence, electronic records, photographs, and other materials.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of multiple donors, including David Miller, Annabel Stephens, Rose Gladney, Rachel Barrow, David van der Griff, and Joshua Burford, 2008-2012.
Processing Information
Processed by Erin Ryan, 2019.
- Title
- Guide to the Miller-Stephens GLBTQ UA Student Organization Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2017; 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository