The archive contains photographs, posters, ephemera, planning documents, and personal items belonging to Lydia R. Otero, a non-binary Latinx activist, educator and author. As an activist in Los Angeles, Otero advocated for greater visibility, rights, and healthcare in the LGBTQ+ community. Most items fall between the years of 1983 and 1994 when Otero was most active in Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU), Lesbianas Unidas (LU), and Bienestar.

Lydia R. Otero (b. 1955) was active in Lesbians of Color from 1979 to 1982 and attended the First National Lesbians of Color Conference in 1983 in Malibu, California. Otero was also active in Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (or GLLU) in Los Angeles from 1983 through 1991 and served as President of GLLU for two years, from 1988-1990. Dr. Otero was one of the founding members of Lesbianas Unidas (or LU) in 1983, remaining active with the organization until 1991. Other community involvement included Bienestar, a Gay Latino AIDS Project-group central to the city's burgeoning queer, brown, and activist scene. Otero received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992 and a Master of Arts degree in 1996 from California State University, Los Angeles, and also received a PhD in History. Prior to attending college, Otero trained as an electrician and worked in IBEW Local Union 11 in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994. Their labor contributed to building some of the most iconic structures in Los Angeles, such as the U.S. Bank Tower, Universal Studios' CityWalk, the Metro Rail, as well as the reconstruction of Central Library after the devastating 1986 fire. Otero’s 2023 memoir, “L.A. Interchanges: A Brown & Queer Archival Memoir” chronicles 20 years of living in Los Angeles from 1978-98 through vividly told stories, photographs and personal archival documents, many of which are included in this collection. Part working-class memoir and part documentary history, “L.A. Interchanges” follows Lydia Otero as they move from the homes of family members, dancefloors, work sites, and Los Angeles's organizing spaces in search of brown and queer belonging. Through photographs, archival documents, and compelling storytelling, Otero weaves a gripping, passionate narrative of personal becoming amid the political and cultural currents of 1980s Los Angeles. Otero's parallel story of becoming an electrician offers a unique vantage point of a city in the midst of restructuring. Otero’s first memoir was “In the Shadows of the Freeway: Growing Up Brown & Queer” (2019), which centers on their childhood in Tucson, Arizona. They have also published: “Notitas: Select Columns from the Tucson Citizen” (2021), and “La Calle: Spacial Conflicts and Urban Renewal in a Southwestern City” (2010). Lydia Otero participated in the documentary “UNIDAD: Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos.” It aired on PBS in 2023. As a Tucson resident, Otero continues to be active in working to preserve the local history of the Mexican American community.

3.23 cubic feet (3 boxes)

This archive is open for research by appointment only in the Rare Books Room. Information about setting appointments can be found on the Library’s website at lapl.org/branches/rarebooks. Appointments can also be arranged by sending an email inquiry to rarebook [at] lapl.org. Provenance/ Source of Acquisition Donated to the Los Angeles Public Library by Lydia R. Otero in August 2023. The librarians in the Digitization and Special Collections Department first learned about Otero when Todd Lerew, Director of Special Projects, Library Foundation of Los Angeles. shared an article published in “High Country News'' in March 2022, titled “My Archive: 20 Years of Los Angeles’ LGBTQ+ Community.” A letter of interest was sent to Otero from Ani Boyadjian, Research & Special Collections Manager, on February 15, 2023, which initiated correspondence and several meetings. Lydia wrote in an email on February 21, 2023, “...Central Library holds a special place in my heart. One, I spent my summers in LA as a child and spent many hours there with my mother. Second, I worked there for several months as an electrician after the 1986 fire.”