Arizona Queer Archives - AQA

10/08/2026

Be sure to take a look at the AQA's digital repository at Permanent. We have a number of new and old oral histories streaming there. We are continuing to migrate our digital collections into this new space and with high-resolution access. Enjoy! And learn about our peeps here in Tucson!

https://app.permanent.org/p/archive/09vw-0000/09vw-028f/2320221

10/04/2026

Arizona Q***r Zine Fest (AQZF) starts on Friday! See the attached flier for details and please plan to join all of us at the AQA for the weekend of q***r zines and zine-making!

Friday 6-7:30 pm Zine Open Mic & Desert Voices Choir Performance
Saturday 10-3 pm Zine Fair
Sunday 11-2 pm Workshops and Teach-in

09/15/2026

Here is the 2017 interview and recording of Lino Arruda about their life and work with zines and art as well as more about their dissertation project.

View Lino Arruda-5-10-2017 from The Arizona Q***r Archives Archive on Permanent.org

09/15/2026

Here is our 2017 oral history with Dea Brasgalia who died in May 2018.

Lavina Tomer wrote this about her for Southern Arizona Senior Pride's newsletter:

"Reverend Dea Brasgalla was an invincible force and a humanitarian for ALL. After retiring as a nurse, she lived on the Hopi Reservation for 15 years before moving to Tucson. Reverend Dea was ordained in 2015 by the United Fellowship Chapel, a three year program based in Sedona, AZ. She was an activist on behalf of LGBTQ+ rights, especially for the elder community. Dea was a hardworking volunteer for Senior Pride. She was the infamous roving reporter for the Senior Pride newsletter, she initiated projects, answered the phone, showed up for meetings and events and spoke out with a sweet fierceness. She was the recipient of the Steve Hall Community Volunteer Award in 2017. Dea was devoted to Wingspan, served on the City of Tucson LGBTQ Commission, as co-chair of the Senior Pride Steering Committee, as well as a leader in her church and spiritual communities. She led a vital, fascinating, and loving life. Dea was a loving, supportive friend with a special sense of humor. She has left us the legacy of her commitment to social change. She will be remembered by many friends and acquaintances and will be missed by her closest friend and caregiver Karakwennenta Peterson."

View Dea Brasgalia-07-17-2017 from The Arizona Q***r Archives Archive on Permanent.org

09/15/2026

Our AQA interns have been busy behind the scenes.

Here is our 2012 oral history interview with James Leos, who has been a great philanthropic supporter of local LGBTQ organizations for decades.

View James Leos-03-01-2012 from The Arizona Q***r Archives Archive on Permanent.org

09/01/2026

contigo, tucson.
contigo.
🕯️

08/14/2026

08/14/2026

At AERI 2026 (Archival Education Research Institute) at University of British Columbia, our FOCAS intern alum Nicole Hayes, MLIS, and Jules Baldino, MLIS, presented about their work processing collections and developing programs and exhibits to share our collections to the local public. FOCAS post-doc scholar, Maria Torres, moderated the panel with FOCAS collaborators from UCLA.

***rarchives

06/03/2026

In honor of Pride month here is our most popular display - the history walk!!

06/03/2026

June is Pride Month, and it's also Rainbow Book Month - a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives of the LGBTQIA+ community.

You can find lists of award-winning LGBTQIA+ books, tools for libraries and library workers from ALA's Rainbow Round Table, and graphics to help celebrate and spread the word on ALA's website: https://bit.ly/4kKOkOg. Is your library hosting a program you're excited for? We'd love to hear about it!

We also know that these stories are under attack. In 2025, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom found that 39% of books targeted for censorship in U.S. libraries and schools - 1,671 unique titles - represent the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color. As these stories continue to be disproportionately targeted for censorship and library workers across the country are facing threats and harassment for serving these communities, Rainbow Book Month has never been more important.

If your library is experiencing challenges to materials and programs serving LGBTQIA+ patrons, ALA has resources to help. You can report censorship to ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom and receive free, confidential support, and the Unite Against Book Bans campaign can help you activate your community to push back against censorship.

Read with pride.

📸 Photo: ALA's Gay and Le***an Task Force (now the Rainbow Round Table) marching in the 1992 San Francisco Pride March, from the ALA Archives.