We are cultivating a historical archive of Christian sexual and gender minorities who have gone before us, as well as those who are making history today. While many LGBTQ archives exist, the Bakos Archive has two primary distinctions.
First, the archive centers sexual and gender minorities from evangelical and other conservative Christian traditions. These faith communities often erase LGBTQ and intersex people from the record, while mainline Christian and secular archives tend to overlook them.
Second, the archive centers spiritual formation. Christian LGBTQ leaders are part of the cloud of great witnesses who offer inspiration for how to follow Jesus in this world. By remembering their stories, we learn from their spiritual wisdom and leadership, even as we ourselves strive to be models for the next generation.
The Bakos Archive is currrently under construction. It will exist online with hopes that funding can be raised for a physical location where visitors can view material in a research room. We also envision the space as a place of formative retreats.
If you are interested in supporting the Bakos Archive financially or as a research associate contact Karen Keen at 469-708-8211. We also gladly accept donations of books, letters, and other relevant documents and memorabilia.