“A ROOM FOR OUR OWN”. Queer memories and feelings in the archival practices of Queerrörelsens Arkiv och Bibliotek (Archive and Library of the Queer Movement) in Gothenburg/Sweden

Abstract

This thesis departs from the case study of the Queerrörelsens Arkiv och Bibliotek (QRAB) [In English: Archive and Library of the Queer Movement], located in Gothenburg/Sweden, to discuss how queer memories and feelings are embedded in queer archives. It focuses in some of QRAB’s practices, such as: the structure and organization of the archive, the membership, the processes of collection and cataloguing of materials, the external activities, and the relationship with the public and other organizations. From the analysis of these practices, the thesis proposes a theoretical discussion about memory, silence and remembrance, inspired by the literature that has been produced in the last two decades about queer archives. The thesis also addresses the issue of archives in a broader perspective, proposing a reflection about the role of memory and memory institutions in society, such as their influence in knowledge production, community-building and activism. The analysis also focuses on how memories, knowledge and narratives about queer people, cultures and movements are produced within queer archives and how different temporalities are intertwined in those places and projects. Besides, it offers an interpretation on how these archival practices express resistance against dominant and normative discourses.