Mass media and gays

Giovanni's Room, the oldest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) bookstore in the United States, was founded in Philadelphia in 1973 and is still in operation as of 2012. The bulk of the Giovanni's Room records, circa 1975-1991, are financial in nature.

This collection is made up of LGBT-related zines produced from the 1990s through the current day, most from the late 2000s. The term zines can refer to material ranging from a loosely-structured collection of personal thoughts to expertly designed publications, and vary widely in size. Topics include gender identity, sexuality, coming out, mental health, activism, community-building, oppression, race, and art.

Steven Capsuto is the author of Alternate Channels: The Uncensored Story of Gay and Lesbian Images on Radio and Television, 1930s to the Present (New York: Ballantine, 2000). The Steven Capsuto book research files for Alternate Channels, circa 1998-2001, are comprised of research materials, outlines, notes, and drafts of his book.

The William Way LGBT Community Center subject files on media and entertainment, circa 1970-1997, include book catalogs, playbills, photographs, clippings, advertisements, and related materials,