Queer X Archives Workshop (John D’Emilio + Nancy Godoy)

Join the Queer X Humanities Initiative for a Queer X Archives Workshop, which will highlight the heightened importance of LGBTQ+ archives, queer historical methodologies, and Queer and Transgender Studies research in our contemporary political climate. This workshop will be co-facilitated by Visiting Historian John D’Emilio, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Illinois, and Nancy Godoy, the Director of the ASU Community-Driven Archives Initiative and the Bj Bud Memorial Archives of LGBTQ history in Arizona. 

From recent books such as Marsha! The Joy & Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline to swoon-worthy Instagram accounts such as Queer Love in History by Kate, the production of queer historical knowledge is, at once, an endeavor of academic research and one that has proliferated in local communities by everyday practitioners. John D’Emilio and Nancy Godoy will provide examples of their archival praxes and preservation efforts for LGBTQ+ history.  

Through hands-on activities and guided discussion, participants will learn how archives reveal stories of queer and trans* life, activism, and community—and how they also reflect the silences of the past. This workshop highlights the power of archives to shape the stories we tell about identity, memory, and justice. Open to ASU Faculty and Students. 

Breakfast will be served and starts at 9:30 am.

To apply for one of 25 participant spots, submit an application form by October 5th, 2025 by 5:00pm MST.    

Bio of John D’Emilio

John D’Emilio is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Illinois, Chicago and is the author or editor of more than half a dozen books, including Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: the Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States (University of Chicago Press, 2nd ed., 1998); Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, with Estelle Freedman (University of Chicago Press, 2nd ed., 1997); Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin (Free Press, 2003), a National Book Award finalist; and The World Turned: Essays on Gay History, Politics, and Culture (Duke University Press, 2002).  D’Emilio has won fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities; was a finalist for the National Book Award; and received the Brudner Prize from Yale University for lifetime contributions to gay and lesbian studies. A former co-chair of the board of directors of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, he was also the founding director of its Policy Institute. Intimate Matters was quoted by Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy in the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas case, the historic decision that declared state sodomy statutes unconstitutional. Today, D’Emilio continues to research and write about the U.S. since World War II, social movements, and the history of sexuality. 

Bio of Nancy Godoy:

Nancy Liliana Godoy (She/They) is the Associate Archivist and Director of Community-Driven Archives (CDA) Initiative. Under their leadership, the CDA team is reimagining and transforming 21st century academic libraries and archives by developing innovative solutions that address erasure and trauma. Deeply influenced by Queer BIPOC Feminist theory, CDA services and programs dismantle traditional power structures by centering historically marginalized people as memory keepers and community healers. Godoy's work and scholarship have been recognized by several local and national organizations. More recently, they received the 2022 Archival Innovator Award from the Society of American Archivists. In addition, Godoy has received over $1 million in grants, including one from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 

For a full listing of all the Humanities Institute events visit https://humanitiesinstitute.asu.edu/events