Unveiling the Queer Archive : Power, representation and intersectionality

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores the archive as a non-neutral institution of power and the empowering resistance practice of community archives. Focusing on the Archives and Library of the Queer Movement (QRAB), based in Sweden, the thesis examines how QRAB approaches inclusion and how queer subgroups are represented in the archives archival material. Grounded in critical archive theory, queer theory and intersectionality, the study includes the examination of steering documents, semi-structured interview with a key actor, and an analysis of the archive’s visual (photographs and videos) collections. The findings show that QRAB holds strong ambitions about representing the diversity of the queer community. However, the ambitions have not yet been reflected in the archival material where white, able men were identified to hold a stark dominance, while others such as POC and people with visible disability were severely underrepresented or not represented at all. The study suggests that, although community archives are important spaces of resistance, they risk reproducing the symbolic annihilation, i.e. the exclusion or one-sided representation of marginalised groups, found in traditional archives. To avoid this and ensure representation, community archives must actively work on building trust with marginalised groups within their community to ensure a variety of donations.