Search Help

How does this work?
There are many ways to search the collections of the Freedom Archives. Below is a brief guide that will help you conduct effective searches. Note, anytime you search for anything in the Freedom Archives, the first results that appear will be our digitized items. Information for items that have yet to be scanned or yet to be digitized can still be viewed, but only by clicking on the show link that will display the hidden (non-digitized) items. If you are interested in accessing these non-digitized materials, please email info@freedomarchives.org.
Exploring the Collections without the Search Bar
Under the heading Browse By Collection, you’ll notice most of the Freedom Archives’ major collections. These collections have an image as well as a short description of what you’ll find in that collection. Click on that image to instantly explore that specific collection.
Basic Searching
You can always type what you’re looking for into the search bar. Certain searches may generate hundreds of results, so sometimes it will help to use quotation marks to help narrow down your results. For instance, searching for the phrase Black Liberation will generate all of our holdings that contain the words Black and Liberation, while searching for “Black Liberation” (in quotation marks) will only generate our records that have those two words next to each other.
Advanced Searching
The Freedom Archives search site also understands Boolean search logic. Click on this link for a brief tutorial on how to use Boolean search logic. Our search function also understands “fuzzy searches.” Fuzzy searches utilize the (*) and will find matches even when users misspell words or enter in only partial words for the search. For example, searching for liber* will produce results for liberation/liberate/liberates/etc.
Keyword Searches
You’ll notice that under the heading KEYWORDS, there are a number of words, phrases or names that describe content. Sometimes these are also called “tags.” Clicking on these words is essentially the same as conducting a basic search.

Search Results

Queer in Cuba (Part 1) Queer in Cuba (Part 1)
Date: 10/25/1992Call Number: JG/ 102Format: CassetteCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
In Part 1 of this moderated discussion recorded in 1992, Sonja De Vries and Jorge Cortinas talk about their experiences in Cuba and their observations on how HIV/AIDS and other LGBT issues are addressed in the country. De Vries spent six months in Cuba interviewing gay men and women. Cortinas spent a year in Havana, working for the National Center for Health Education. Several key topics raised during the discussion include: how the Communist party in Cuba is dealing with HIV/AIDS and LGBT issues, the impact of U.S. foreign policy, the effectiveness of sanatoriums, and different methods of safe sex education. In addition to this, both De Vries and Cortinas talk about daily aspects of queer life in Cuba, like the visibility of the LGBT community and the influence of machismo.
Queer in Cuba (Part 2) Queer in Cuba (Part 2)
Date: 10/25/1985Call Number: JG/ 103Format: CassetteCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
In Part 2, the question and answer portion of a moderated discussion continues. Members of the audience asked the speakers, Sonja De Vries and Jorge Cortinas, questions that called for a further exploration of the impact of race, class and colonialism on Cuba. De Vries and Cortinas talk about their experiences in Cuba and their observations on how HIV/AIDS and other LGBT issues are addressed in the country. De Vries spent six months in Cuba interviewing gay men and women. Cortinas spent a year in Havana, working for the National Center for Health Education. Several key topics continued from Part 1 include: how the Communist party in Cuba is dealing with HIV/AIDS and LGBT issues, the impact of U.S. foreign policy, and the effectiveness of sanatoriums.
HIV/AIDS in Cuba HIV/AIDS in Cuba
Call Number: JG/ 029Format: CassetteProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Various voices on HIV/AIDS policies in Cuba and its past and present polices on gays and lesbians. Journalist Karen Wald discuss Venceremos' old policy of not allowing gays and lesbians to join the brigade. NOTE: This tape seems to be Part 3 continuing from JG 102 and JG 103.
Women’s Liberation Movement Discuses Gay Persecution in Cuba Women’s Liberation Movement Discuses Gay Persecution in Cuba
Date: 6/25/1977Call Number: KP 521Format: Cass A & BCollection: General materials
Women’s Liberation Movement members gather on June 25, 1977 for a discussion panel in America after a somewhat recent trip to Cuba to discuss the current situation on gay rights in Cuba. The conversation begins with the question of whether or not Cuba’s anti- gay feelings come from underdevelopment or sexism. Panel members share their experiences and encounters in Cuba with those who were openly gay, closeted gay, and anti- gay. Their findings show that people who are anti- gay could not provide any reasonable political arguments supporting their stance and most of their feelings stem from beliefs held prior to the revolution. There is disagreement in the group whether or not gay Americans should go in and inspire gay Cubans to stand up for themselves or if Cubans need to be the ones to provide their own liberation.