Fifty years ago, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wrote to then Dean Hovde in support of the creation of a Gay Lounge.  You can read more about the fight for the lounge this post from the Columbia University Archives  and the Columbia Spectator Archive, and consult relevant documents in the Columbia University Archives.

This year, the Columbia Libraries acquired a full-text searchable database of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Papers containing several collections of ACLU records.  This database includes invaluable documents related to LGBTQ rights, as well as the civil rights of all Americans, especially those who have been the victims of discrimination and violence.  It is in three sections: The Roger Baldwin Years (1912-1950), The Years of Expansion, 1950-1990, and the Southern Regional Office Files.  The files can be cross-searched with other Gale databases Archives of Gender & Sexuality, and the Women’s Studies Archive.  Not all ACLU records are contained in these databases, to see other collections that have not yet been digitized, consult the finding aid at Princeton University.