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Elizabeth Cramer LGBT activism collection, 1991-2013, Collection # M 598, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Gift of Elizabeth Cramer, 2013 and 2018.
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Cramer retired from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Social Work in 2024 after 28 years of service. Upon her retirement, she was awarded emerita faculty status and was named a VCU Distinguished Career Professor. In addition to her role in the School of Social Work, Dr. Cramer also served as a special assistant to the provost for diversity; as an affiliate faculty in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies; and affiliate faculty with the VCU Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry and Innovation's Transdisciplinary Core: Intersections in the Lives of LGBTQIA+ Communities.
Dr. Cramer earned her M.S.W. from the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in social work and a graduate certificate in women's studies from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining VCU, she taught at Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Cramer worked in the interpersonal violence field for over 40 years, including as a direct practitioner, administrator, activist, and researcher. Dr. Cramer's research/scholarship areas include domestic violence, especially abuse of persons with disabilities; LGBTQ issues; and group methods. Dr. Cramer and her wife, Jewel Stewart, retired in Richmond, and spend time with their daughter and grandkids, while still volunteering for Special Olympics, the Neighborhood Resource Center, and the Richmond Folk Festival.[1] -- [1] VCU School Of Social Work Communications. "After 28 Years of 'Doing' at VCU, Liz Cramer Plans to Stay Busy as a Human 'Being,'" August 15, 2024. https://blogs.vcu.edu/social-work/2024/08/15/after-28-years-of-doing-at-vcu-liz-cramer-plans-to-stay-busy-as-a-human-being/.
The Elizabeth Cramer LGBT activism collection mostly consists of correspondence and newsletters that Dr. Cramer collected from various LGBT activism organizations. Although some of the organizations and materials used "LGBT" or covered LGBT issues, especially during the later years of the collection, the vast majority of the collection is focused on lesbian and gay related issues. The strongest subject coverage of the collection was advocacy for legal change related to LGBT issues, most noticeably, the advocacy for marriage equality. Dr. Cramer collected largely from national organizations, with about 25% of the collection from Virginia or Richmond based organizations. The material spans from 1991-2013, with the most material collected being from these organizations: In the Family, 1997-2005; Lambda Legal, 1993-2013; National Center for Lesbian Rights, 1996-2010; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 1993-2009; and Virginians for Justice, 1996-2001. Additionally, the collection contains some organizational resources on legislative action from Equality Virginia and Virginians for Justice. Dr. Cramer also collected materials on the fight for nondiscrimination of domestic partnerships, spanning 1992-2005. Ephemera in the collection includes information from religious organizations supporting LGBT issues, a flyer for an award-winning internationally distributed weekly LGBT radio program, a newsletter from a Richmond organization called the Gatekeepers, lesbian or LGBT themed bookmarks, and LGBT themed magnets.
Folders are arranged alphabetically and, for publications and where applicable, chronologically. Within the nondiscrimination domestic partnerships binder folders, the original file organization was maintained.