(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual, etc.).
This describes a person's sexual orientation or gender.
For Lavender Scare and other topics, see page under Civil & Human Rights.
For specific people, check the History Day Previous Topics guide to see if they are listed.
The CT State Archives received her papers.
Biographical Note (from finding aid)
Betty Hudson, née Elizabeth Bagi, was born on March 5, 1931 in Port Chester, New York, along with her identical twin sister, Mary "Re-Re." She attended Stamford High School and Michigan State University, married Donald Hudson, and settled in Branford, Connecticut. The couple had two children, Todd and Leigh, and eventually relocated to Madison, Connecticut, where Hudson began her political career. In 1974, she legally changed her first name to "Betty."
The CT Archives finding aid includes the following:
Bibliography
Articles
Roessner, B. T. "Former State Senator Continues Her Crusades From Governor's Office," The Hartford Courant, November 11, 1979, p. 37.
Books
Love, B. J. Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2006.
Websites
The Hartford Courant. Hudson, Betty: Obituary
The New Haven Register. Hudson, Donald and Doreen: Obituary
Roessner, B. T. "Former State Senator Continues Her Crusades From Governor's Office," The Hartford Courant, November 11, 1979, p. 37.
Love, B. J. Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2006.
These are only a few suggestions - there are many others that may have relevant articles, especially newspapers.
Subscription databases may require use within the Connecticut State Library (CSL) building, or a CSL library card.
Be sure to check researchIT CT databases that, depending on the database grouping, may be accessed with your school ID, a card from a CT public library, or a CSL library card.
The LGBTQ+ Rights database is a HeinOnline collection of materials relating to the gay rights movement in America, including an interactive timeline, as well as subject-coded court cases, scholarly articles, books, pamphlets, reports, and more. This collection charts the gay rights movement in America, showing the civil rights codified into law in the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the inequalities that still exist today.
These are guides created by other libraries. The Connecticut State Library will have many of the federal documents listed (if any are listed). You most likely will not be able to access any of the subscription databases listed by other libraries.
Also check the general History Day guide. There are numerous resources listed there that won't be repeated here.
These are only a few examples.
Gays in Uniform
Ask and Tell by
LIBGUIDES: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was the directive of President Clinton's 1993 military policy regarding gay and lesbian soldiers. This official silence continued a collective amnesia about the patriotic service and courageous sacrifices of homosexual troops. Ask and Tell recovers these lost voices, offering a rich chronicle of the history of gay and lesbian service in the U.S. military from World War II to the Iraq War. Drawing on more than 50 interviews with gay and lesbian veterans, Steve Estes charts the evolution of policy toward homosexuals in the military over the past 65 years, uncovering the ways that silence about sexuality and military service has affected the identities of gay veterans. These veteran voices--harrowing, heroic, and on the record--reveal the extraordinary stories of ordinary Americans, men and women who simply did their duty and served their country in the face of homophobia, prejudice, and enemy fire. Far from undermining national security, unit cohesion, or troop morale, Estes demonstrates, these veterans strengthened the U.S. military in times of war and peace. He also examines challenges to the ban on homosexual service, placing them in the context of the wider movement for gay rights and gay liberation. Ask and Tell is an important compilation of unheard voices, offering Americans a new understanding of the value of all the men and women who serve and protect them."
In July 2021, the Census Bureau began collecting information on the sexual orientation and gender identity of respondents to its Household Pulse Survey. Not all surveys collect this information, making it complex to compare data across surveys without advanced statistical analysis. Remember that terminology changed over time. Finding historic data may prove to be difficult.
These are a few suggested resources - you might want to explore information linked off these pages. Most resources report fairly current statistics, which may help when putting your research in context.
Please be advised that some of these resources--particularly those created in previous eras--contain descriptions for ancestral, racial, ethnic, and gender identity that may be offensive or harmful to individuals investigating these records, and are considered inappropriate to use in modern times. The descriptions and treatment of historically marginalized groups, women, and animals may be upsetting. Also, please note that inclusion in this subject guide does not necessarily constitute endorsement of the views therein--we encourage investigators to use their own judgment when evaluating books, websites, articles, documents, and other resources.
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