The Gay Rights Historical T-Shirt Collection exemplifies the community collaboration involved in this growing collection. Textile material holdings range from the early 1980s and span the last thirty-six years of advocacy in the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, queer, and transgender community. Each items was donated by a member of the community, most as a single contribution.
Currently, the Gay Rights Historical T-Shirt Collection consists of around 139 unique t-shirts that were created for pride parades and gay rights activism; community organizations; national and local rallies; AIDs activism; local LGBTQ bars and support organizations; and as individual creations. Some t-shirts are original creations, not mass produced for an event, but instead created by a member of the LGBTQ community for a particular march or protest.
For more information on the Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York at SUNY Buffalo State, Archives & Special Collections please visit: http://library.buffalostate.edu/archives
Donate YOUR Shirts! YOU are our community. We strive to represent and document your experiences. Have one shirt? Have ten? Please DONATE them to preserve our history for future generations. Please visit our webpage or contact an archivist for additional information.
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These materials are currently hosted on both the national Wearing Gay History Project and the Digital Transgender Archive.
Wearing Gay History was founded to show both the distinctness and interconnectedness of queer identities across geographic lines; to bring visibility to smaller queer archives across the country; and to uncover often ignored history of diverse LGBTQ cultures. The project connects LGBTQ Archives around the country to display textile t-shirt materials related to the LGBTQ community. To learn more about the project, please visit http://wearinggayhistory.com/
The Digital Transgender Archive strives to increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world. Based in Worcester, Massachusetts at the College of the Holy Cross, the DTA is an international collaboration among more than twenty colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, and private collections. By digitally localizing a wide range of trans-related materials, the DTA expands access to trans history for academics and independent researchers alike in order to foster education and dialog concerning trans history. To learn more about the DTA, please visit https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/
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PRIDE, 2000
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Pride Buffalo
Back Text: Pride 2000; sponsors; Forever Proud!
Description: Blue shirt with black lettering; list of sponsors
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PRIDE, 2000
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Volunteer; Pride; Buffalo
Back Text: Pride 2000; sponsors; Forever Proud!
Description: White shirt with pink and black lettering; list of sponsors
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PRIDE, 2000
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Volunteer; Pride; Buffalo
Back Text: Pride 2000; sponsors; Forever Proud!
Description: White shirt with pink and black lettering; list of sponsors
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PRIDE, 2008
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: PRIDE 2008; NYS Assembly Member; Sam Hoyt 144th Assembly District
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with black, blue, and red lettering; image of rainbow starts
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Pride at the Pier
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Pride at the Pier
Back Text: Volunteer
Description: White shirt with purple lettering; image of a rainbow pier
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Queer
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Queer
Back Text: n/a
Description: Grey shirt with black and pink lettering; word queer repeated across the full front of the shirt
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Rugbusters
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Rugbusters; Butts on Rug
Back Text: M.C. Compton's Staff
Description: Grey sleeveless shirt with black lettering; red circle with slash through
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Secrets, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo's Best Kept Secrets; 20 Allen Street
Back Text: n/a
Description: Red shirt with black lettering
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Secrets, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo's Best Kept Secrets; 20 Allen Street
Back Text: n/a
Description: Navy blue shirt with gold lettering; collared
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Secrets, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo's Best Kept Secrets; 20 Allen Street
Back Text: n/a
Description: Hunter green shirt with gold lettering; collared
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Secrets, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo's Best Kept Secrets; 20 Allen Street
Back Text: n/a
Description: Black shirt with gold lettering
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Silence=Death
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Silence=Death
Back Text: n/a
Description: Black shirt with white lettering; pink triangle
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Stars & Stripes Forever
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Stars & Stripes Forever
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with purple lettering; image of a rainbow American flag
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The Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: GBMC; The Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus
Back Text: n/a
Description: Light blue shirt with black and white lettering; rainbow background to writing
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The Edge, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: n/a
Back Text: The Edge; Buffalo, NY
Description: Back shirt with white lettering; long sleeve
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The Jam Club, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Jam Club
Back Text: n/a
Description: Black tank with white lettering; back has altered image of a playing card
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The Names Project
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Names Project; Aids Memorial Quilt
Back Text: n/a
Description: Black shirt with purple and blue lettering; square with four images of a start; sun; heart; and flower
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The Stud, Ft. Lauderdale
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Stud; Ft. Lauderdale
Back Text: n/a
Description: Red shirt with white lettering; icon for the bar
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The Underground, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Underground; Niteclub
Back Text: Wednesday; Thursday; Friday drink specials
Description: Black shirt with white lettering
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The Underground, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Underground; Niteclub; 274 Delaware Buffalo, NY
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with hunter green lettering
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The Westlake, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Westlake; Buffalo; New York
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with black lettering; image of a man in a Speedo
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Together & Proud
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Third Annual; Together & Proud; Buddies; Compton's After Dark; Club Marcella; PRIDE Buffalo 2000
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with rainbow flag image; lettering is white in negative space
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Vicky Vogue
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: VickyVogue.com
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with black lettering; image of Vick Vogue
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Vogue
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Vogue
Back Text: n/a
Description: Black sweatshirt with puffy gold lettering; image of two women on front
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We are Buddies Proud
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: We are Buddies Proud; Buffalo, New York
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with white lettering and rainbow flag background
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Winning Equality & Justice
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Winning Equality & Justice; Empire State Pride Agenda
Back Text: www.prideagenda.org
Description: White shirt with blue lettering
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Women for Joe Mesi
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Women for Joe Mesi
Back Text: Joe's fighting for us. VoteJoeMesi.com
Description: White shirt with pink outline lettering; image of boxing glove on back
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AIDS Walk '99
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: AIDS Walk 99; Sunday September 26; Delaware Park Casino; Buffalo NY; Volunteer
Back Text: n/a
Description: Purple shirt with white lettering; outlines of three people under a sun
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PRIDE, 1999
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Together with PRIDE; Buffalo; NY; 1999
Back Text: n/a
Description: Purple shirt with pink lettering; list of active verbs on front
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Together with Pride
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Pride 99 Buffalo, NY
Back Text: n/a
Description: Purple shirt with pink lettering; list of active verbs on front
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AIDS Walk '98
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: AIDS Walk 98; a pledge benefit for AIDS community services
Back Text: AIDS Walk 98 Sponsors
Description: Yellow shirt with navy lettering; front has list of speakers; back has list of sponsors
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PRIDE, 1998
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo Pride '98
Back Text: This Ain't Kansas
Description: White shirt with black lettering; rainbow stripe across front
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PRIDE, 1997
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo Pride; equality through visibility; 1997
Back Text: n/a
Description: Red shirt with black and white lettering; image of a buffalo and a rainbow on the front
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PRIDE, 1997
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo Pride; equality through visibility; 1997
Back Text: n/a
Description: Yellow shirt with black and white lettering; image of a buffalo and a rainbow on the front
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PRIDE, 1997
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo Pride; equality through visibility; 1997
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with white and black lettering; image of a buffalo with a rainbow
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Sister Spit
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Sister Spit's Ramblin' Road Show; U.S. Tour '97.
Back Text: n/a
Description: Yellow shirt with black lettering; image of a woman with pigtails smoking a cigarette over two crossed microphones. Sister Spit began in 1994 through the efforts of co-directors Sini Anderson and Michelle Tea. Sini and Michelle gathered together a group of some of the most notorious, talented, and interesting women and dykes, and went on tour all over the U.S.
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Pride without Borders
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: PRIDE without Borders; 96
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with white lettering; rainbow swish over a blue triangle with a buffalo outline
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The Underground, Christmas 1996
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Underground; Niteclub; 274 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY; Christmas 1996
Back Text: The Underground; 97; Together, Proud & Strong
Description: Gray shirt; red lettering on the front; green lettering on the back
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Because Everything Else Just Sucks
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: n/a
Back Text: Because everything else just sucks!
Description: White shirt with black lettering; image of two naked women in front of a pink triangle
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Buffalo's Community Picnic, 10th Annual
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo's 10th Anniversary Community Picnic; Sunday July 23rd; 1995
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with pink designs
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The Names Project
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Names Project; AIDS Memorial Quilt
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with black lettering; quilt image in the center; ribbon pin attached
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The Underground, Buffalo, NY
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The Underground; Niteclub
Back Text: Together Strong and Proud; PRIDE Western New York
Description: White shirt with black lettering; arms clasped image
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AIDS Walk '94
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: AIDS Walk '94; Western New York; Sunday June 5th
Back Text: n/a
Description: Yellow shirt with red, blue, and black lettering; names of sponsors listed on front
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Buffalo
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo; This Ain't Kansas
Back Text: This Ain't Kansas
Description: White shirt with black and rainbow lettering; image of a box rainbow
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Ways in being Gay
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Hallwalls; Ways in Being Gay; 1994; 4th Annual Lesbian and Gay Festival; Buffalo, NY
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with rainbow lettering; yellow box
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Buffalo Stampede on Washington
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo Stampede on Washington D.C.; for lesbian; gay; bisexual; and transgendered equal rights; April 25 1993
Back Text: n/a
Description: Black shirt with white lettering; image of Washington D.C. and herd of buffalo
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Buffalo Stampede on Washington
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Buffalo Stampede on Washington D.C.; for lesbian; gay; bisexual; and transgendered equal rights; April 25 1993
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with black lettering; image of Washington D.C. and herd of buffalo
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Dykes Do Drag
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: Dykes Do Drag; Friday April 2; 1993
Back Text: n/a
Description: Purple shirt with blue and pink lettering; imaged of a high heel and statue of liberty
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I Can't Even March Straight
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: I Can't Even March Straight; April 25; 1993; Washington
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with black lettering; black square outline
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March on Washington
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The 1993 March on Washington; for lesbian; gay and bi equal rights and liberation; April 25
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with green lettering; pink triangle with image of Washington D.C.; pin with same image attached
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March on Washington
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The 1993 March on Washington; for lesbian; gay and bi equal rights and liberation; April 25
Back Text: n/a
Description: Black shirt with white lettering; purple triangle with image of Washington D.C.
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March on Washington, with pin
LGBTQ Historical T-Shirt Collection, The Dr. Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York
Front Text: The 1993 March on Washington; for lesbian; gay and bi equal rights and liberation; April 25
Back Text: n/a
Description: White shirt with green lettering; pink triangle with image of Washington D.C.; pin with same image attached
