The Steven R. Pierce Collection was gifted in July 2010 to LaBudde Special Collections by Pierce. The collection ranges in dates from 1983-1993 and contains a plethora of information dealing with the AIDS epidemic during a period when there was much trepidation and ignorance regarding this disease. The materials within this collection are focused on education; myth busting and bringing overall awareness to the forefront.

Numerous entities came together to fight not only for the Rights of the Gay and Lesbian Community, but to educate all people to the danger which exist from AIDS, regardless of sexual orientation. The Gay Talk Network evolved into the Gay Services Network, which then became the Gay and Lesbian Services Network. The Condom Crusaders and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance eventually contributed to the mix. In addition to addressing AIDS, this networking catered to the counseling of all Gay Rights Issues and sponsored LBGT social and civil events.

The Pierce Collection is divided into ten series. The bulk of educational materials was generated by the Condom Crusaders Organization and contains pamphlets; books; posters and periodicals. In addition to the Condom Crusaders, other programs formulated during this movement were the AIDS Council and the Mayor’s Task Force on AIDS. Documents from those programs are archived within this collection.

The gems of this collection can be found within the ephemera and memorabilia. The leaflets; comic books; posters and other educational materials are eye-opening and the memorabilia, such as the souvenir buttons and expressive condom containers are quite impressive. Overall this collection is packed with riches for any researcher driven to this field of study. The donor delivered a collection to the archives that had been methodically organized and highlighted with informational snippets which proved invaluable during the archival process.