Author Archives: Kevin Allen

Queer History @ FairyTales27!

Posted on June 10, 2025 | Leave a comment

The 27th Annual Fairy Tales Queer Art & Film Festival launches this week and will run June 12-15 at Contemporary Calgary. The Festival opens with Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story, which revisits the landmark 1998 Supreme Court case that led Alberta to include sexual orientation in its human rights legislation.

The screening, followed by a “Then and Now” panel discussion, couldn’t be more timely as the province again finds itself at the center of national conversations about 2SLGBTQIA+ protections. The panel (featuring Brendan MacArthur Stevens – Blakes law firm; Amelia Newbert, trans advocate and founder of Skipping Stone Foundation; and Keith Purdy, 2SLGBTQIA+ advocate and representative of the Alberta Federation of Labour) will reflect on the legal and cultural impact of Vriend’s activism—and the ongoing work for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in Canada.

The Fairy Tales Queer Art & Film Festival is one of the longest-running and most impactful queer film festivals in Western Canada. It features 21 film screenings, an Artist Market showcasing 17 local queer artists and makers, interactive workshops, and dynamic drag performances—all celebrating the diverse intersectionality, talent, and lived experiences of queer creators.

On the Festival’s final day, join the Calgary Gay History Project’s Kevin Allen for one of his favourite films, Winter Kept Us Warm. Experience the ground-breaking film that changed Canadian cinema forever: the first English Canadian gay film ever made! This beautifully shot black-and-white gem captivated audiences worldwide upon its 1965 release, boldly depicting queer desire at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in Canada. Winter Kept Us Warm was remastered for its 60th anniversary—a time capsule of pre-liberation queer intimacy and a watershed moment in our nation’s film history. Kevin will host a talk-back session after the film. Kevin will host a talk-back session after the film.

Winter Kept Us Warm, Sunday, June 15th @ 4:30 PM.

Visit the festival website for the full schedule.

Tickets can be purchased through the Arts Commons Box Office: here.

See you at the Festival!

{KA}

YYCGayHistory has a stamp!

Posted on May 29, 2025 | 2 comments

Today, Canada Post launched its Places of Pride stamp series—and Calgary has been included!

The first stamp in the series features Club Carousel. Canada Post created a video, featuring founder Lois Szabo, to tell the story of Calgary’s groundbreaking gay club. Next week, they will install stamp art across the facade of Home & Away, a restaurant and bar at 1207 1 St. SW that occupies the original location of Club Carousel.

*2025 Places of Pride: Club Carousel – Official First Day Cover*

The second stamp in the series features Montreal’s Truxx, also with a video and a mural in Montreal’s Gay Village.

The third stamp features Hanlan’s Point Beach. A billboard featuring the stamp illustration will be installed at Toronto’s famous Church and Wellesley intersection.

The fourth and final stamp in the series features the 3rd North American Native Gay & Lesbian Gathering. A mural will be installed at the Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg.

*Canada Post’s Places of Pride Stamp Series*

The stamp issue is designed by Kelly Small of Intents & Purposes Inc., illustrated by Tim Singleton, and printed by Colour Innovations. It includes a booklet of eight Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and four Official First Day Covers.

The stamps and collectibles will be available at canadapost.ca and at select postal outlets across Canada beginning on May 30.

#OurPastMatters!

{KA}

2 Comments

Posted in Gay history, Press Release

Tagged 3rd North American Native Gay & Lesbian Gathering, bisexual, Canada Post, Club Carousel, gay, Hanlan's Point Beach, lesbian, Lois Szabo, queer, transgender, Truxx, Two-Spirit

May 17th: Celebrate IDAHOBIT

Posted on May 15, 2025 | 1 comment

The Calgary Gay History Project observes the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) every year. We like that it is a global moment of solidarity and visibility for queer communities. It connects the local to the international—the past to the present.

The IDAHOBIT 2025 theme, “The power of communities,” was announced during the ILGA World Conference 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa.

“IDAHOBIT, observed annually on 17 May, commemorates the 1990 decision by the World Health Organization to remove homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases. Since then, the day has served as a focal point for raising awareness of the violence and discrimination still faced by LGBTQIA+ people across the globe.

“The power of communities” reflects the diversity and richness within LGBTQIA+ communities, from the grassroots to the global, celebrating our varied and intersecting backgrounds, identities, and experiences. The theme for 2025 highlights the strength and resilience that emerges from our collective solidarity, recognizing the contributions of human rights defenders, LGBTQIA+ civil society groups, allies, and millions of people in our communities who support human rights and collective liberation.

IDAHOBIT is not a centralized campaign; rather, it is a shared moment for communities and allies driving change around the world to take action in ways that resonate with their specific contexts and reflect their realities and priorities. Every initiative—big or small—counts and can make an impact, amplifying the movement’s reach and contributing to a world free from discrimination and violence.” – May17.org.

We still have work to do to bring full equality and dignity to our communities in Calgary, but we should also pause on Saturday to consider how far we have come since 1990, and consider as well the challenge of queer existence in other parts of the world.

{KA}