Tag Archives: calgary public library

Humbled Again!

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Kevin Allen | 1 comment

Thank you everyone who took the time to come to the Gay History presentation at the Calgary Public Library last Friday and the Jane’s Walk on Saturday.

We had over 100 people in attendance at the downtown library, keen to learn more about the project, and to share some stories themselves.

The Calgary Heritage Authority was kind enough to give me a historical brick, as a thank you, with a plaque commemorating the occasion.

Then, the next day the Jane’s Walk turned into a crowd. We started with about 60 people and added a few dozen along the way, making for our own kind of Historical Pride Parade.

It was a deliciously warm and sunny morning. Thank goodness the Calgary Foundation lent us a portable microphone and speaker, otherwise the walk could never have been so big! People were able to share some of their own stories along the way of the 12 sites we visited. It turned out to be a magical morning.

Special thanks to Del Rath, part of the research team, who lugged the speaker around on the walk, and to Terry MacKenzie for these candid photographs.

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Posted in Gay history

Tagged Calgary, Calgary Heritage Authority, calgary public library, gay, Gay history, history, human-rights, Jane's Walk, queer

2 Gay History Presentations this week – bring walking shoes!

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

On Friday May 3rd from 5:30 – 7:00 PM, please join me at the Castell Central Library (616 Macleod Trail SE) for an encore presentation of Calgary’s Secret Gay History. The presentation will be similar to the one I gave at CommunityWise on February 27th, but there will be some new material – as there have been new discoveries!

Come specifically to find out more about this:

The library is asking people to register in advance for this talk (free), in order to gauge numbers. As well there will be complimentary Wine & Cheese. This presentation is part of a series called Heritage Matters and is a co-production between the Calgary Public Library and the Calgary Heritage Authority.

Then on Saturday May 4th, at 10 AM, I am leading a Calgary Gay History Jane’s Walk. Expect the walk to take 90 minutes or so, and we will travel to significant historical gathering spots in the Beltline, beginning and ending at CommunityWise (the former Old Y, 233 12 Ave. SW).

Finally I need to do a few shout outs and thanks:

1) Terry MacKenzie from the Calgary Heritage Authority has been an incredible promoter and facebook provocateur for the project – thank you!

2) Third Street Theatre, Calgary’s new queer theatre company, is performing I Am My Own Wife, a historical play about German transvestite, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. The 2003 Pulitzer and Tony Award winning play has never been performed in Calgary, and Third Street does a bang-up job. There are only a few more shows…

3) Thank you Laura Lushington and Avenue Magazine for profiling the project this week.

4) Thank you Paul Karchut, Director of CBC’s Calgary Eyeopener, for the engaging interview (we did an abbreviated Jane’s Walk together today). The story can be heard online: here.

Hope to see you this weekend!

Calgary, 1965 – Anglican Pastor Wants Homosexuals in His Flock

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Kevin Allen | 2 comments

“The time has come for the church to become the Good Samaritan, instead of ignoring homosexuals as they suffer at the wayside.” So declared Reverend Richard E. Clark, pastor of the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity, Calgary, in his Sunday sermon of March 28th, 1965. The sermon caused enough sensation to be reported in time for the daily news on Monday, March 29th.

At a time when homosexuality was not discussed in polite conversation, Clark spent much of his oration describing the status of homosexuals in Canadian society, stating that the church has overlooked the problem and abdicated responsibility to both psychiatrists and government. He suggested to his congregation that they begin to recognize that homosexuals are indeed sinful but no more sinful than “normal” society.

He was inspired to this point of view by Pierre Berton’s 1965 book, The Comfortable Pew: a critical look at Christianity and the religious establishment in the new age. In it Berton makes the case that the homosexual is the modern day equivalent of the leper in our society.

Reverend Clark concluded that, “If the Anglican Church of Canada wishes to make a significant contribution to the work of God then let us announce without hedging we invite you, the homosexuals and lesbians into our pews.”

[Both the clipped article and Berton’s book can be found at the Calgary Public Library. The article was found in the Central Library’s 4th Floor Local History Room]