The Lavender Library is a lending library and archive housing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) books and magazines, various media, and archival materials. It is an integral part of the Sacramento cultural community, and it is open to the general public for browsing and community events.
From its founding in Sacramento in 1998, the Lavender Library (LLACE) has been a sanctuary, gathering place, and has held our collective queer histories. The library’s visionaries and founders hoped for a future where the LGBTQ+ community in Sacramento could thrive.
As the United States faces a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ violence, rhetoric, and legislation, our commitment to fostering a safe community has only grown. We are proud to keep banned books on our shelves, host inclusive events, and create a sober and low-cost alternative to build queer community and uplift queer voices!
We rely on community support to host a super cool variety of social and support groups, including:
- FTM Sacramento Support Group - a support group for Female-to-Male transgender, transmasculine, gender non-conforming, and questioning people.
- GenderQuark - a collaboration LLACE has with the Gender Health Center's gender non-binary group. A space to meet non-binary/trans/genderqueer peers and discuss topics that affect gender non-conforming individuals.
- Queer Crafternoon - a fun and creative afternoon of arts and crafts for all ages. All materials are provided!
- Queer Writers Salon - focuses on creating a space for queer writers to work on their own projects independently but within the community, providing protected writing time in a world that makes it hard to carve that time out for ourselves. Body double with buddies and pour your little heart out onto paper/Google Docs.
- Queer Magic Monday - discussions on spirituality, tarot cards, and other witchy practices. This is a safe and inclusive space for all to learn and explore the magic of these tools.
- Bi + Pan Sacramento - a group dedicated to creating a vibrant, positive, safe, and inclusive community for anyone who experiences more than one pattern of attraction or attraction to more than one gender. Regardless of gender identity, cultural background, past experiences, or relationship status, all are welcome.
- Ace/Aro Group - a social group for those on the Asexual/Aromantic spectrum.
- Oral History Project - student-ran project to record the stories of elder queers in our own community.
- Electric? Trash? Book Club - the original LLACE book club! A reading and social group primarily focused on contemporary LGBTQIA+ fiction.
- LLACE Game Day - a game-filled afternoon. All are welcome to bring their favorite board or card game to teach others, or come and learn a new game from our community shelf.
- Banned Book Club - always features a book that has been banned recently and features LGBTQIA+ themes. All are welcome to dig into these powerful stories and reflect on the complexities of LGBTQIA+ lives.
In addition to our regularly hosted groups, we actively engage in community outreach and participate in tabling at local events, typically a few times each month. These efforts help us connect with more people in the community, provide resources to those in need, and promote visibility for LGBTQIA+ issues.