June 28th marks International LGBTQI+ Pride Day, particularly in the United States, to commemorate the riots that occurred in 1969 in Stonewall, New York. However, in different parts of the world this date has been expanded to be a celebration taking place during the entire month of June to advocate for the equality and dignity of the LGBTQI+ community.
Today, the International Council on Archives (ICA) would like to join these efforts by recognizing those initiatives and organizations collecting, safeguarding, digitizing and making accessible archival resources related to the LGBTQI+ community, their tireless fight and their contribution to our history.
As part of our #ArchivesAreYou social media campaign we have been talking about how the stories in the records show the bridges that archives create with the communities that are represented (or not represented) in those narratives. As the ICA keeps working to be a more transparent, accountable, efficient and inclusive organisation, I invite the archival and records management sector to join these advocacy efforts as archives are fundamental to identity and democracy.
David Fricker
ICA President