Article on the efforts of the University of North Texas Special Collections to create exhibits featuring LGBTQ history in Dallas, Texas. From 2017 to 2019 archivists and librarians at the University of North Texas Special Collections have worked with community members and city officials to create exhibits featuring archival materials from the LGBTQ Archive. There have been several obstacles to presenting accurate historical interpretation of Dallas LGBTQ community history, including lack of sufficient archival documentation, and differences between archival sources and community members’ personal experiences. Grappling with these challenges has allowed UNT Special Collections archivists and librarians to engage community members in a personal, meaningful discussion, and ultimately have led to both successful exhibits as well as strengthened relationships to LGBTQ community members.

Photograph of the 1995 version of the UNT Scrappy mascot. The mascot costume depicts a bald eagle with a white feathered head, green body, a feathered cape, and yellow beak. The Scrappy costume also features the mascot wearing white sneakers with three black stripes on the side and a yellow band over the toes. A grey photo backdrop is visible behind the propped up Scrappy mascot costume.

Photograph of the 1995 version of the UNT Scrappy mascot. The mascot costume depicts a bald eagle with a white feathered head, green body, a feathered cape, and yellow beak. This photo shows a close-up of the mascot's head which features yellow eyes. A grey photo backdrop is visible behind the propped up Scrappy mascot costume.

Photograph of the 1995 version of the UNT Scrappy mascot. The mascot costume depicts a bald eagle with a white feathered head, green body, a feathered cape, and yellow beak. This photo shows the Scrappy mascot costume taken from a camera angle pointed from the ground up to capture the mascot from a lower angle. A grey photo backdrop is visible behind the propped up Scrappy mascot costume.

Photograph of the 2006 version of the UNT Scrappy mascot. The mascot costume depicts a bald eagle with a white feathered head, green body, a feathered cape, and yellow beak. This photo shows a close-up of the mascot's head which features white eyes. A grey photo backdrop is visible behind the propped up Scrappy mascot costume.

Photograph of the 2006 version of the UNT Scrappy mascot. The mascot costume depicts a bald eagle with a white feathered head, green body, a feathered cape, and yellow beak. This photo shows a close-up of the mascot's arm which features some white designs along the front of the green sleeve. A grey photo backdrop is visible behind the propped up Scrappy mascot costume.

Photograph of a brown squirrel sitting on top of green North Texas Daily newspaper kiosk. The squirrel is facing the camera while holding and eating an acorn. The Hurley Administration Building north entrance is visible in the background of the image.

Photograph of a person wearing an albino squirrel costume and standing on the second to the top step of the Sycamore Hall side entrance staircase. A UNT sign is visible on the brick wall behind the costumed person, as well as a large campus tree visible in the background of the photo.

Photograph of a gouache on paper painting depicting a desert landscape with a rock mountain in the background, a tree in the middle ground, and a black and white robot under the tree. The painting is signed and dated "10-03-2020" by the artist and creator.

Photograph of Lindsey Witt's weekly calendar page with a row containing the title, "The Week Of:." The majority of the page has six columns with a heading for each day of the week, except Saturday and Sunday which is grouped together to state, "Weekend." The bottom of the page has a row with the subtitle, "Notes." Witt has handwritten the date span on the top of the page, "October 26-November 1." Each day and the "Notes" section also has handwritten bullet point notes in pen pertaining to classwork due dates and Zoom meetings, as well as personal duties and obligations.

Photograph of the Pizza Snob restaurant's outdoor wooden patio and balcony. The patio has a wooden fence wall with their logo and name painted in yellow. The logo of pizza snob is a yellow outline of a cartoon face with its nose pointed up. In front of the patio balcony is grass with remnants of scattered snow. Pizza Snob is located on West Hickory Street in Denton, Texas near the Historic Denton County Courthouse block, also known as "The Square."

Photograph of a Bat City Comic Professionals in Austin, Texas branded cloth face mask. The face mask is designed with the Bat City Comic Professionals logo and images of comic book covers and superheroes.

Photograph of a typed letter from Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music's Executive Director and Board President notifying the recipient about the cancellation of the summer event due to the "current imperative for “social distancing”" and issues regarding performers traveling.

Photograph of a snow storm on UNT's campus that shows a staircase in the foreground flanked by two trees, an open field in the middle ground and a building that looks like UNT's Coliseum or "Super Pit" in the background. The entirety of the pathways, stairs, and field is covered in snow and it appears that snow is falling when this photograph was taken.

Photograph of five El Buen Samaritano food pantry volunteers posing for a photo in front of an El Buen Samaritano truck that has the name, logo and contact information for the food pantry. The logo for El Buen Samaritano is an orange shape drawn to represent a mission-style church with two outlined hands extended toward each other in front of the church.

Photograph of a snow storm on UNT's campus that shows the statue of Scrappy, UNT's mascot, in situ in front of the UNT Student Union building.

Photograph of a snow storm on UNT's campus that shows three student engaging in a snowball fight outside the UNT Student Union building near the Scrappy mascot statue. The photograph was taken from a distance near the Library Mall fountain.

Photograph of a snow storm on UNT's campus that shows the Book Arch in the foreground framing the Hurley Administration Building, which is in the background, and the Library Mall containing the Finished Fountain, also known as Jody's Fountain, in the middle ground.

Photograph of a snow storm on UNT's campus that shows the front entrance of Willis Library from the viewpoint of the Book Arch in the Library Mall.

Photograph of a red banner with a picture of University of St. Thomas' lion mascot wearing a mask and emboldened white and yellow text stating, "Let's take care of each other. #CELTNATION." The banner is hanging off an outdoor skywalk balcony on campus.

Photograph of a basket of various assorted cloth face masks and socks. In view there is a royal blue, light grey, and white with light blue stripes face masks. Both pairs of socks are white. The word "Family" is shown at the top of the image.

Photograph of a black leather trifold wallet with worn edges. The wallet is standing upright on a green cloth flat surface. The wallet holds an assortment of credit cards and cards. The center-fold pocket holds a COVID-19 vaccination card.

Photograph of Emily Mirsky in a Google Hangouts call waiting for friends to participate in a game night.

Photograph of early Covid-19 mask policies being followed even on a hike at Lost Maples State Natural Area. The early pandemic saw the use of masks in both indoor and outdoor locations, so masks were very common even in remote parts of state park hiking trails.