LGBTQIA+ people have always been a part of SUNY Oswego, and they’ve been an open part of it since at least 1972, when the first-known LGBT group on campus formed.
Over the years, groups have evolved with names like Homophile Friends, Gay Brothers and Sisters of Oswego, Gay Alliance of Oswego, GALA, Transgender Splendor, Men’s Gay Support Group, Gays for Human Liberation, and the Oswego Gay People Discussion Group. Queer and trans students, staff, and faculty have organized events, drag shows, conferences, speakers, protests, and events involving the AIDS Quilt. With support from the SUNY Oswego Shineman Endowed Fund, English Department faculty Erik Wade and Maureen Curtin have been researching the history of the LGBTQIA+ community at SUNY Oswego with the help of students, alumni, and Penfield Library's Archives & Special Collections unit. This evolving work will continue to be documented on this page.