Category Archives: Uncategorized

IDAHOBIT 2024

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Kevin Allen | 1 comment

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) was established in 2004 to shed light on the violence and discrimination experienced by individuals with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, or expressions, and sex characteristics.

The date of May 17th was specifically chosen to honour the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

This day serves as a global annual landmark to draw the attention of decision-makers, the media, the public, corporations, opinion leaders, and local authorities to the challenges faced by the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The initiative is now collectively managed in collaboration between regional and national networks working to advance the rights of gender and sexually diverse communities.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia is currently celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal. The May17.org website is illuminating in how our human rights struggle is global and how the movement continues to grow.

In Canada, since Monday we have had the Rainbow Week of Action, with thousands events and letter writing campaigns. Today, there is a rally in Calgary at 5 PM at Central Memorial Park in support of the queer and trans community. You can also send a letter to your MP through the Rainbow Week of Action website.

In Calgary, let’s support and recognize the importance of this day and work towards creating a more inclusive and accepting world for all!

{KA}

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Tagged art, bisexual, books, Calgary, gay, idahobit, lesbian, lgbt, May 17th, queer, Rainbow Week of Action, transgender

Queer History Conference

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Kevin Allen | 1 comment

We are thrilled to be attending the first National Queer and Trans+ Community History Conference in Edmonton this weekend. The conference is set to take place at MacEwan University, where researchers from all over the country will be coming together for a unique queer history immersion experience.

The conference “is designed to bring together 2SLGBTQ+ community members, non-profit organizations, heritage professionals, academics, historians, and emerging scholars who have an interest in documenting, preserving, and celebrating diverse and intersectional queer and trans+ histories in Canada. This conference serves as a scholarly community gathering space to share best practices, foster research collaborations, mobilize knowledge, and build upon existing community and professional networks.”

Registrations are sold out, and the program of outstanding scholars, community historians and activists looks stimulating. The Calgary Gay History Project is contributing a poster about the history and significance of Club Carousel—Calgary’s first gay bar—to the conference. We are happy to represent Calgary at this national gathering and hope to glean many new ideas of how to best preserve and share queer history in our City.

*Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Lois Szabo, and Councillor Evan Woolley (2021) at the opening of Lois Szabo Commons commemorating the founding of Club Carousel. Photo source: City of Calgary.*

A special shout-out goes to Dr. Kristopher Wells and his colleagues, who have been labouring behind the scenes to manifest this remarkable gathering—thank you!

{KA}

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Tagged bisexual, Club Carousel, Evan Woolley, gay, Gay history, Kristopher Wells, lesbian, Lois Szabo, Lois Szabo Commons, MacEwan University, Naheed Nenshi, National Queer and Trans+ Community History Conference, queer, transgender

Backlot Commemoration

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Kevin Allen | 1 comment

The Backlot, a historic Calgary gay bar, will be moving (again). Founded in 1976, its current and third incarnation at 10^th Avenue and 1^st Street was established in 1996. However, the City has approved this site for redevelopment despite organized resistance last year called “Save Our Backlot.”

Interestingly, the developer is keen to acknowledge the history of the site—both its contemporary importance to the queer community as well as its location in Calgary’s second Chinatown from 1901-1910.

The queer history commemoration proposal (Brief) includes a commissioned mural at the site of the Backlot and an information panel and wayfinding bench.

*A rendering of the future intersection from the Brief*.

Senior Urban Planner Zack Hoefs is looking for community feedback through a survey.

He writes:

On behalf of Truman Homes and in partnership with FAAS Architecture, I’m reaching out today to share an opportunity for discussion on a commissioned piece of art for a recently approved development called Gallery at 1001 1 ST SW and 209 10 AV SW.

The approved project involves redeveloping the Calgary Gas Co. Workshop building, which is significant to the Queer Calgarian community in its use as The Backlot and the significance of The Backlot’s name to Queer Calgarian history. There is a Brief that, on pages 16-17, outlines what our project team currently knows about the site from the perspective of Queer Calgarian History, links to documentation that we used in our research, and a description of the location of the art.

What we are missing in this work is valued feedback from the Queer Calgarian community and Backlot ownership on what they would like to see in this commissioned art. We are looking for your opinions and feedback! Our team will combine this feedback with the history we know to create a brief that future artists will interpret when bidding on the work. The main questions we will be asking are included in the Brief.

The survey will be available to complete until Friday, April 26.