ONE Archives Foundation, the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the United States, announced today that the nonprofit has rebranded itself and has changed its name to One Institute. The rebrand coincides with the milestone 70th anniversary of the publication of the organization’s groundbreaking ONE Magazine, the first widely distributed LGBTQ+ magazine in the U.S. This launch precedes its inaugural Circa: Queer Histories Festival, scheduled throughout LGBTQ+ History Month in October 2023.
The rebrand includes a new logo, tagline, website URL, and social media handles, all reflecting One Institute’s ongoing commitment to envisioning a world motivated by social movements of the past to take action toward queer and trans liberation. The new design captures the essence of the organization’s rich heritage while fostering connections with younger generations.
The new logo honors the organization’s 70+ year roots by using the font of the original ONE Magazine logo, which symbolizes the boldness and advocacy of that design. This rebrand celebrates the organization’s historic past while also looking toward its exciting future.
Founded in 1952 as ONE, Inc., the LGBTQ+ organization originally established One Institute as its educational arm. Today, the organization is embracing “One Institute” as the nonprofit’s name, along with the tagline “Queer and Trans History in Action.”
“One Institute was originally established to educate and bring together queer and trans communities, and to fight against institutions attempting to control and police our identities,” said Chiedu Egbuniwe, Board Chair, One Institute. “We’re thrilled to reclaim a name that reflects our history, and our mission of elevating queer and trans histories and embracing emerging stories through collaborative education, arts, and cultural programs.”
“All of us at the USC Libraries are excited about this new chapter for One Institute, which draws on the Institute’s storied history as a leader in LGBTQ+ educational initiatives and public programs,” said Dean of the USC Libraries, Marje Schuetze-Coburn. “We look forward to building on and strengthening our collaborations with One Institute through efforts like the ONE Magazine at Seventy exhibition that will launch Circa. The exhibition features a wealth of original and rarely seen materials from ONE Archives and underscores the tremendous possibilities for what our organizations will achieve in the coming years by working closely together.”
Explore the new look and logo of One Institute in their new website at oneinstitute.org. Stay connected with them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube at their new social media handle, @oneinstitutela.
About One Institute
One Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating queer and trans histories and embracing emerging stories through collaborative education, arts, and cultural programs. Founded in 1952, One Institute is the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the United States. One of the organization’s initial programs was the publication of ONE Magazine in 1953, the first widely read LGBTQ+ magazine in the country.
Today, One Institute produces unique exhibitions and public programs that connect LGBTQ+ history with contemporary culture to effect social change. Additionally, the Institute assists in promoting the materials within ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, which houses the largest collection of LGBTQ+ materials in the world. Through distinctive K-12 teacher training, lesson plans, and youth mentorship programs, we empower the next generation of teachers and students to bring queer and trans history into classrooms and communities. One Institute is among the select few California nonprofits that offer K-12 teacher training and lesson plans to implement the FAIR Act and integrate queer history into California public school classrooms.
