The Chris Gonzalez Library and Archives is an LGBTQ+-focused collection of about 9,350 items. Opened in 1995, it is named for Indianapolis activist , who founded (IYG), a nonprofit organization that serves LGBTQ+ youth. The collection is one of the largest of its kind in the United States.
Michael Bohr, a gay activist who understood the importance of preserving the history of the LGBTQ community, spearheaded the Chris Gonzalez Library and Archives in 1993 when he began seeking a space to house his collection of 1,600 materials documenting gay life in Indiana. Seeking additional donations from community members, Bohr eventually curated a collection of thousands of items.
The collection features literature about LGBTQ+ topics, as well as historical items documenting gay life in Indiana. Highlights of the collection include The Screamer (1966-1967), a gay publication, and materials from the , an AIDS activist drag organization.
Initially, the Library and Archives were housed at the Diversity Center at 1112 Southeastern Avenue. The collection changed locations over the years, often due to the closings of various LGBTQ+-centered spaces. In spring 2008, became the primary benefactor of the collection and moved it to Indy Pride’s downtown headquarters. During this time, the Library and Archives were only open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 pm, or by appointment.
In 2016, Indy Pride, Inc. donated parts of the Library and Archives to the William Henry Smith Memorial Library at the . The Michael Bohr Collection of the Indy Pride Chris Gonzalez Library and Archives features objects such as periodicals, photographs, buttons, and posters.
A year later, Indy Pride, Inc. collaborated with the to give the wider community access to the materials. At this time, it was renamed the Chris Gonzalez Collection, which was recognized in November 2019 with a display in the Simon Reading Room. The original donation included about 7,000 items. In 2020, Mary Byrne and Tammara Tracy, former owners of Out Word Bound bookstore, donated another 2,000 items to the collection, increasing content for and about lesbians. In 2021, the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation received an Indiana Authors Award grant from the 2020 winner, Saundra Mitchell, and to add more materials to the collection. The total collection reached approximately 10,000 items but did not continue to grow.
By 2025, the library’s existing LGBTQ+ collection far exceeded the size of the Gonzalez Collection, yet its legacy endured through the items retained and integrated into the Central Library collection, preserving the long-standing presence of LGBTQ+ life in Indianapolis.
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