Category Archives: Gay history

Next Gay History Walk & Other News

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

We are excited to be participating again this year with Jane’s Walk, an event coordinated by the Calgary Foundation. There are over 40 community walks to take in. Our Downtown Gay History Walk (new) will take place Saturday, May 3rd at 10 AM. Our meeting point will be at the front steps of CommunityWise (the Old Y) at 223 12 Ave. SW. Everyone is welcome.

To be perfectly honest the full walk has not been scripted yet. If you have a good downtown gay history story, contact us in the next week or so, and we will try to incorporate it.

It has been a sad time in Calgary with the murder of five young University of Calgary students. Of particular note, is the passing of Lawrence Hong, who was an active and visible volunteer in the queer community.

The Calgary Herald’s Val Fortney and Xtra.ca’s Douglas Boyce have both written lovely memorial articles. Calgary Transit’s touching gesture of creating bus route 430 in honour of Lawrence was quite moving, with funds raised to support our very own Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival.

One can often find solace in the arts, and I wanted to note Third Street Theatre’s original theatrical production, The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus has opened this week.

Created by the lauded Queer Theatre Creation Ensemble, this three-person historical drama is on original work based on the controversial true story of two Roman soldiers married by the Christian church in 300 AD and martyred for their faith by the Roman Empire. The production runs April 22^rd – May 3^rd, 2014 at EPCOR CENTRE’s Motel.

[KA]

Slaying Premiers – Then & Now

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

The recent abdication of Premier Alison Redford as head of the Alberta Progressive Conservative (PC) Party caused a reflection here on political transitions in the past, and former culture wars between the government and Alberta’s queer community.

Premier Don Getty was also chased out by his party in the early 90s, which started the reign of “King Ralph” Klein who became Premier in December 1992. He then took the PCs to an electoral victory in June, 1993.

The run-up to that provincial election was marked with high-profile anti-gay comments from Alberta Government Cabinet Ministers. Then Deputy Premier Ken Kowalski, publicly mused on CBC Radio that: “taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be used to support people with ‘abnormal’ lifestyles.” He was referencing provincial government arts funding that had gone to the Banff Centre who had supported a performance art piece which dealt with themes of lesbian sexuality.

Diane Mirosh, the PC Cabinet Minister responsible for the Human Rights Commission said that: “gays and lesbians had [already] too many rights and perhaps they should be rescinded.” The irony, of course, is that they had fewer rights than other Albertans because sexual orientation was then not a protected ground of the Alberta Individual Rights Protection Act: the provincial human rights legislation of the day.

The Calgary queer community was vocal in its outrage and organized an anti-PC campaign during the election, which happened to be the same month for Calgary and Edmonton’s Pride Celebrations. This was also the year Edmonton’s Mayor Jan Reimer proclaimed Edmonton Gay and Lesbian Pride Day, in sharp contrast to the ruling provincial government’s position.

Despite the dodgy comments from PCs about human rights, they cagily advertised in Calgary’s gay press for their candidate, Stephen Yu, in Calgary Buffalo, long considered the queerest riding in the city (he came in 2nd, taking 40% of the vote).

Interestingly, in the last provincial election (2012), it was widely believed that anti-gay comments from Wild Rose Party candidates were a deciding factor in Alison Redford’s sweep into power despite polls predicting her demise. The PCs rhetoric around tolerance in modern times is in stark contrast to the past. However, the fact that the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party takes down its own leaders – from within – remains similar.

[KA]

Cabaret Update and CBC Radio Interview

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

The Club Carousel Cabaret is sold out! I went to the dress rehearsal a couple of days ago, and for the lucky people who have tickets, it will be a treat – in fact – I found it very moving.

The Calgary Gay History Project and Third Street Theatre have been getting a lot of media attention in regard to the cabaret. Perhaps the most heartfelt interview to date was on CBC Calgary’s Homestretch with host Doug Dirks. It was a 10 minute interview was with Lois Szabo, Club Carousel Founder and Kevin Allen from the Calgary Gay History project, on what life was like for gay people in the 60s. Here is an audio link: Calgary’s First Gay Nightclub, Jan 27, 2014.

Lois will be my special guest on a history panel discussion at the Cabaret, along with Calgary filmmaker, Michelle Wong, and Fairy Tales Executive Director, James Demers.

Issue of Club Carousel Capers from exactly 40 years ago.

Club Carousel was the foundation of an organized gay community in Calgary and we owe those brave volunteers who founded and operated the club a great amount of respect and gratitude. The Cabaret tonight is a gesture in this regard – thank you elders!

[KA]