Gay and lesbian studies is the examination, analysis and interpretation of the phenomenon characterized by romantic and affectional orientation by individuals for others of the same sex. It is by nature cross-disciplinary, covering a wide range of intellectual bases: literature, history, religion, psychology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, medicine, law, fine arts, and others.  In some universities, the field is called sexual diversity studies.

To get started, try a keyword search in OASys. Keyword searching is less specific than searching Library of Congress subject headings, but may provide more results. Need more? Click over to LINK+ and continue your searching there. Need even more? WorldCat includes over 54 million entries from more than 45,000 libraries. You may also place Interlibrary Loan requests. (Slower than LINK+). Below are a few sample keyword searches for you to start with. Be creative, come up with your own, and use keywords from the works you find to improve your future searches.

Suggested Keyword Searches:

keyword: gay*

keyword: lesbian*

keyword: homosexual*

keyword: queer

keyword: queer studies

keyword: queer theory

keyword: gay rights

keyword: gay liberation

keyword: transgender*

keyword: bisexual*

keyword: metrosexual*

keyword: asexual*

For more assistance with searching for books, please see Finding Books.

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Library of Congress Subject Heading Searching on OASys and LINK+

LC Subject Headings are classifications agreed upon by all US libraries and be an invaluable tool when you are searching for information. While keyword searches may bring up more titles, LC Subject searching can bring up more accurate lists of works specifically related to your field of study. Need more? Click over to LINK+ and continue your searching there. Need even more? WorldCat includes over 54 million entries from more than 45,000 libraries. You may also place Interlibrary Loan requests. (Slower than LINK+)

Suggested Subject Headings searches:
 

LC Subject: Homosexuality

LC Subject: Homosexuality, Male

LC Subject: Lesbianism

LC Subject: Homosexuality and Art

LC Subject: Homosexuality and Literature

LC Subject: Homosexuality and Music

LC Subject: Homosexuality and Education

LC Subject: Homosexuality -- Fiction

LC Subject: Homosexuality -- Genetic Aspects

LC Subject: Homosexuality -- History

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Alternative Press Index (FirstSearch)  
Get citations to over 250 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines with a focus on focus on the practice and theory of socialism, national liberation, labor, indigenous peoples, gays/lesbians, feminism, ecology, democracy, and anarchism.

Arts & Humanities Search (FirstSearch)
Find journal articles  in the arts and humanities. Offers citations with lists of articles cited. Can be used to find citing articles.

JSTOR
Full-text archive of high-impact academic journals in many disciplines. Included journals generally begin with full-text from the first issue up until 3-5 years ago. Full-text is not available through JSTOR for recent issues. You can browse journals by discipline, by title or search articles by keyword.

Project MUSE
Full-text of over 40 scholarly journals in the humanities, the social sciences and mathematics from Johns Hopkins University press.

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCO Trial)
This database provides coverage of nearly 550 full text journals, including more than 500 peer-reviewed titles. Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection covers topics such as emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. Nearly every full text title included in this database is indexed in PsycINFO.

Social Sciences Full Text (WilsonWeb)
Find citations, abstracts, and substantial full-text for international, English-language periodicals in sociology, anthropology, geography, economics, political science, and law.

Sociological Abstracts (CSA)  
Find citations and abstracts for journal articles, serials, monographs, and dissertations in sociology and related disciplines.

For more assistance with searching our databases, please see Finding Articles.

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Reference

websites

American Heritage Dictionary

Oxford English Dictionary: OED online

Oxford Reference Online

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Dictionary.com

reference books

Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures

Clapp Library Reference  HQ75.13 .E53 2000

Cassell's encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit

Clapp Library Reference BL795.H6 C65 1997

Handbook of lesbian and gay studies

Clapp Library Reference HQ75.15 .H36 2002

The Gay Almanac

Clapp Library Reference HQ76.3.U5 G367 1996

The Lesbian Almanac

Clapp Library Reference HQ75.6.U5 L35 1996

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Style Manuals

For a comprehensive list of style manuals, please browse the Library Style Manual Webpage.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

American Psychological Association (APA) Format

American Anthropological Association (AAA) Format

Chicago (Turabian) Style Format

Occidental College Online Writing Center
This elaborate writing guide will help you formulate paper topics, construct theses, create outlines, and cite sources as part of paper drafting.

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Tired of Googling? try a different search engine or a subject directory found on our Public Internet Search Tools page.

For example, go to the Librarian's Index to the Internet, and try these searches: 

queer                  gay OR lesbian                  homosexual*                  bisexual*                  transgender*

Below are just a few of the web pages discussing queer studies.

For more assistance with searching for web sites, please see Finding Public Web Pages.

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Selected Books

Homosexuality

Beyond The Closet : The Transformation Of Gay And Lesbian Life 

The Church And The Homosexual

Disorienting Sexuality : / psychoanalytic Reappraisals Of Sexual Identities

Homosexuality, Male

The gay mystique: the myth and reality of male homosexuality

Lesbianism

Amazon expedition; a Lesbian feminist anthology

Homosexuality and Art

The sexual perspective : homosexuality and art in the last 100 years in the West

Gay Liberation Movement

Activating Theory : / lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Politics

Homosexuality, Power & Politics

Sexual Identities, Queer Politics

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