The Thai Queer Resources Centre Needs Old Gay Magazines And Books

For your interest

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The Thai Queer Resources Centre (TQRC) is developing a comprehensive collection of Thai language publications on gay, kathoey and lesbian issues. The TQRC would love to provide a good home for old Thai gay magazines and books.

The large volume of gay, lesbian and kathoey magazines, booklets, and ephemera published in Thailand since the 1970s is a treasure trove of information on the history of some of the world’s most important homosexual and transgender cultures.

However, these valuable materials are in danger of being destroyed and disappearing completely because established institutions have not considered them “worthy” of collection and preservation. Neither the National Library of Thailand nor any university or institutional archive, whether in Thailand or the West, has collected these materials. Because of this, the only remaining copies are in the hands of private collectors.

To respond to this emergency Thailand’s gay, lesbian and transgender communities and the AsiaPacifiQueer Network have jointly established the Thai Queer Resources Centre, with the aim of saving and preserving Thailand’s endangered rainbow heritage.

On behalf of Thailand’s gay, lesbian, and transgender communities and the international community of scholars the TQRC wishes to invite you to donate well-preserved copies of any relevant materials that you may have obtained over the years. The publications and materials we seek for the Thai Rainbow Archive include:

* ALL magazines and newsletters on gay, lesbian, and transgender themes published in Thailand in both Thai and English. We are interested in receiving copies of both commercial magazines (e.g. “Mithuna”, “Neon”, “Midway”, “Morakot”, “Male”, “Weekend Men”, “Horng Ha Liam”, “K-Mag”, “Door”, “MM”, etc.) and free bar magazines (e.g. “Variety”, “Max Magazine”, “Spice”, “Gay Guide Bangkok”, etc.)

* All fiction and non-fiction books on Thai GLT issues and themes published in Thai, English and other languages, both in Thailand and overseas.

* Posters, leaflets, flyers, handouts, and other ephemera relating to Thai GLT events, movies, songs, stage plays, meetings, etc.

HOW TO DONATE YOUR OLD MAGAZINES, BOOKS, ETC.

TO MAKE A DONATION of any of the above materials please contact:

* For English speakers: <snip>

* For Thai speakers: <snip>

A PERMANENT HOME FOR THAILAND’S RAINBOW ARCHIVE?

Initially the collected materials are being stored securely at the offices of participating Thai gay community groups. The project partners are investigating possible locations in Bangkok for a permanent home where the collected the materials can be preserved safely and made publicly available for researchers today and in the future.

THE THAI QUEER RESOURCES CENTRE , July 10, 2007.