The libraries at several top universities contain large collections of LGBT pulp fiction, books which were written when homosexual behavior was criminalized in many areas of America.

According to a report by The College Fix, many of America’s most prestigious universities house collections of LGBT pulp fiction novels. These texts were mostly written in the early 20th century when homosexuality was illegal in many areas of the country. As a result, LGBT people, primarily gay men, expressed their sexuality in fantasy novels.

The website for New York University’s gay pulp fiction collection explains that authors in this niche market would write under pseudonyms to avoid violating the law.

“To avoid the law, publishers would often change their names and addresses, and writers wrote under pseudonyms. However, the books in the genre dealt with social and political issues along with issues around sexual orientation and erotic expression presenting these subjects in a unique historical perspective,” the New York University website reads.

Brown University’s collection is curated by Heather Cole. Cole told a local radio station that the collection serves as a reminder of the experiences of gay and lesbian people in the 20th century.

“If you think about gay communities before the internet was around, before it was legal in many places to engage in gay relationships, in gay sexual activity, this was a way that they could kind of explore their interests, which is a pretty tame way of saying it,” Cole said.

These collections are hardly a creation of the more recent “social justice” crusade on campus. Brown University’s collection was established in 1997 and has grown since.

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