Library Friends Exhibit & Webinar - Celebrating Pride: 50+ Years of LGBTQ+ History at Illinois
(URBANA, IL) As part of LGBTQ+ History Month, the University Library has curated an exhibit exploring 50+ years of LGBTQ+ student history on campus. The exhibit featured photographs, posters, newspaper clipping, archivals records, and artifacts that tell the story of LGBTQ+ community, culture, and activism at Illinois. The exhibit is on display on two floors near the Main Stacks of the Main Library (1408 W Gregory Drive) and will run through Friday, October 30th - if you haven’t checked it out, we highly encourage you to do so. Discover the history of the Gay Illini, formed in 1975 and later recognized as an official Registered Student Organization, and learn about the continued legacy of LGBTQ+ communities at Illinois, including I-PAN’s own launch in 2025.
Additionally, as part of Champaign-Urbana Pride Fest 2026, the University of Illinois Library and I-PAN partnered for a special Library Friends webinar reflecting on 50+ years of LGBTQ+ community, culture, and activism on campus and in the local community. This webinar featured Larry Cohen and Curt McKay from I-PAN’s leadership team; Siobhan B. Somerville, Associate Professor of English and Gender & Women's Studies; and Ellen D. Swain, Professor and Archivist for Student Life and Culture, University Library. CLICK HERE for a recording of the October 16, 2026 webinar and slides.
"I especially appreciated the work of Professor Siobhan Somerville and her students. They're doing an important job of finding, preserving and promoting the stories of Queer folk at the UI." shared Curt McKay.
Larry Cohen shares the following: “I endorse that, and on behalf of I-PAN wish to express thanks to the staff at the Library. They were great partners on this project, fantastic to collaborate with, and so wonderfully supportive of the idea from the start.”
