AIR#14. Archives Against Erasure: The NYC Trans Archives



October was Archives Month and LGBT History Month, and one way to celebrate was attending the online panel discussion Archives Against Erasure: The NYC Trans Archives. The NYCTA was founded in 2023 and is distinguished as the first and only trans community-based archive in the Eastern United States. The NYCTA is run completely by and for trans people, collecting ephemera often passed over by traditional archives that highlights trans liberation and social justice. Each speaker brought their own unique skillset and insight into the past, present, and promising future of this archival initiative.
 
The panel consisted of NYCTA co-founders and members Red Washburn, Eli Erlick, Gabriel San Emeterio, Riah Lee Kinsey, and Elvis Bakaitis along with moderators Rachael Dreyer, Racine Amos, and Eric Fasick of Penn State’s Eberly Family Special Collections Library. Rachael opened and centered the talk by making a poignant connection between the work of the NYCTA and the 2016 article “To Suddenly Discover Yourself Existing”: Uncovering the Impact of Community Archives by Michelle Caswell, Marika Cifor, and Mario H. Ramirez in which underrepresented community members are able to see representations of themselves in an archival setting for the first time and how important it is to find that sense of belonging.

Red began the panel with a glimpse into the inception of the NYCTA, which began during their previous work with co-founder Elvis at the Lesbian Herstory Archives. They both observed gaps in trans representation within those collections and with the blessing of Dr Flavia Rando began to establish an archive dedicated solely to trans histories. Raising questions like “who is deemed to have a liveable life?” solidified the need to preserve those stories often overlooked.

Eli discussed the following organizational questions addressed by the NYCTA:
  • What are archives for?
  • How does one build an archive?
  • Who is left out of the archives and why?
  • How do we use the archives for social change and social justice?

Gabriel focused on their project involving trans community members living with disabilities and HIV by documenting their lives through the lens of what helps make their lives livable(caretakers, equipment, etc).

Riah expanded on coming to the NYCTA with a background in family research as well as their work deciphering historical records and newspapers to discover information about trans members of the community in the past.

Elvis closed the panel with a discussion of the underlying theme and motivation of the NYCTA and any community-based archive, which is activism. They also discussed the steps NYCTA has taken in learning from other local peer organizations, finding funding, and continuing outreach and collection development. They explain how these steps not only provide the framework for the NYCTA, but can be used by anyone that wants to start a community-based archive.

I came to the panel discussion as an early career member at the intersection of academia and institutional archives. While the groundwork is still being laid for my practice, it is archival initiatives like the NYCTA that I want to learn from. Asking important non-traditional questions of the collections like “who is deemed to have a liveable life” opens up room at the table for everyone to see themselves represented in history and this can help early career members like myself build a more inclusive practice.

There are several ways to support the NYCTA right now. Apply to volunteer, fund the physical repository in Brooklyn opening in 2026, donate materials about trans lives, host a workshop or sign up for the email list. The complete recording of the panel discussion can be viewed here.

Madison Newport, Library Assistant III, Archives, Birmingham Public Library, AL, and 2025-2026 DSGS Early Career Member.

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