Tag Archives: Calgary

Queer Archives in Canada

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

In working on Calgary’s Queer history, the team has been in contact with others across Canada also conducting LGTBQQ research. It’s exciting to meet people passionate about their own projects, to look at the extensive archives and find those great nuggets of information, and read the amazing stories of courage. The types of archives varies greatly: from institutional collections focused on gender and sexuality, to smaller ones in people’s homes. We’re currently creating a database of existing archives in Canada, and have some interesting highlight to share.

The oldest in Canada is the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA). Started in 1973 in a tiny cramped office, the archive has grown to become the largest independent LGBTQ+ archives in the world. Its home in Toronto is literally an old house built in 1858. With a focus on Canadian content, their collection includes personal papers, unpublished documents, publications, audio-visual material, works of art, photographs, posters, and other artifacts. They also host exhibitions. February’s is “Code, Read: Hollywood’s Hays Code and the Queer Stereotypes of the Silver Screen.”

Transgender pioneer Virginia Prince. University of Victoria Transgender Archives

One of the few exclusive transgendered archives is at the University of Victoria. Since 2007 the Special Collections Transgendered Archives has actively been acquiring documents, rare publications, and memorabilia of persons and organizations that have worked for the betterment of transgendered people. The Transgender Archives is accessible to the public, and available to faculty, students, and scholars for teaching and research. The incredible part of this archive is the sheer amount of personal material donated from people across North America. One well-known activist Betty Ann Lind (1931-1998), a founder of the Delta Chi Tri-ESS (Society for the Second Self) chapter of Washington, DC in the early 1970s, the predecessor to the TransGender Educational Association of Greater Washington.

The Neil Richards Collection of Sexual and Gender Diversity at the University of Saskatchewan began as a private collection. Started by its namesake when he was employed by the University Library, Richards developed and help acquire many impressive collections of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender materials, including organizational documents, collections of lesbian and gay pulp literature, magazines and newsletters published in LGBT communities, documentation about theatrical cross-dressing, novels and nonfiction published before 1969, and material on the Gay Rights movement. As of September, 2014, approximately 3,319 titles had been added to the Richards collection.

For more information about Queer archives in Canada, contact us.

{TM}

Butch Bucks YYC

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Kevin Allen | 3 comments

It has been a busy couple of weeks for the Calgary Gay History Project. It seems like we’ve met with a tonne of people in Calgary recently, and on the West Coast this week. Thanks to: Gene, Joey, Tereasa, Lisa, Aaron, Lara, James, Melody, Mark, Geordie, Nigel, Jim and Ayanna for all of the feedback, memories, stories and positive regard.

However, I want to make a couple of special mentions. The Friday before last, Terry MacKenzie donated 4 bags of books to the history project – early gay readers, handbooks, social studies, and manifestos that will assist us as researchers in putting our local findings into a cultural context. Perhaps the most notable contribution though are the Butch Bucks that Terry uncovered. Sourced and retained from some fun event in Calgary in 1978 (Terry thinks the Parkside Continental perhaps), this alternative currency predates Calgary Dollars significantly! If reading this you remember more about Butch Bucks and their origins, please contact us at the project, to fill in the details.

This week I was twice at the BC Gay and Lesbian Archives to meet with archivist and historian Ron Dutton, who has been working on the project for 39 years! The archives, containing 750,000 items are amazingly in his home, but he maintains the collection as a publicly accessible archive. Ron is passionate about our community’s history and a real inspiration for the much younger Calgary Gay History Project. To get a sense of Ron and his mission check out this Vancouver Courier produced video about the archives.

Thank you Ron. Thank you Terry.

{KA}

3 Comments

Posted in Gay history

Tagged Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, BC Gay and Lesbian Archives, bisexual, Butch Bucks, Calgary, gay, Gay history, lesbian, queer, Ron Dutton, Terry MacKenzie, transgender

Stephen Lock: 2014 Chinook Fund Hero

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Kevin Allen | 1 comment

The Calgary Chinook Fund is an endowment fund housed at the Calgary Foundation which grants money to local LGBTQ organizations, and has been active since 2001. In 2013 the organizing committee launched its first community hero award, given to Delwin Vriend, whose court case in 1998 protected sexual minorities from discrimination across the country.

Then, in this October, I was delighted to present the award to another individual who fought tirelessly for our rights here in the city, and in the process created a lot of Calgary Gay History: Stephen Lock.

Stephen Lock at the Chinook Fund Cabaret, October 23, 2014.

Here was my speech:

“Hi. My name is Kevin Allen, one of the volunteers on the steering committee for the Chinook Fund. It is my honour to present our annual community hero award. This is our second annual presentation of the award, which has been lovingly made by glass artist Phillip Bandura and his collective Bee Kingdom.

Last year the Chinook Fund Community Hero Award was given to our special guest Delwin Vriend, and this year we have another special guest with us: Stephen Lock.

Stephen came out in 1979 and soon became deeply involved with Gay Information and Resources Calgary (GIRC), our first community centre. One of his highlights at GIRC was helping to organize the 1980 National Conference of Lesbians and Gay Men held at the University of Calgary.

Stephen was also involved in the next incarnation of the gay community centre: Gay Lines Calgary and coordinated the organization for 11 years. Through his involvement with Gay Lines, Stephen helped found a number of LGBTQ organizations.

AIDS Calgary
Calgary Lesbian and Gay Political Action Guild (CLAGPAG) (which began the Pride Celebrations in Calgary in the early 90s – now run by Pride Calgary).
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association
The Gay and Lesbian Community/Police Liaison Committee
Calgary Men’s Chorus
Calgary Chapter of the National Leather Association,
The annual Ides of March Leather/SM/Fetish workshop weekend
Goliath’s Defence Fund following the raid on Goliath’s by Calgary Police (2002)

I, myself, first encountered Stephen on CJSW Radio. He was volunteering for a gay and lesbian radio show called “Speak Sebastian:” which eventually he took the reign on, producing and hosting the show for 14 years.

Following the raid on Goliath’s Sauna-tel and his involvement in fighting it, he was approached to become the Regional Co-Director for the Prairies, NWT and Nunavut region of Egale Canada and was elected to that position 3 years running. It was at that time that Egale along with Canadians for Equal Marriage managed to convince the Federal Government to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada in 2005.

He has written for many of Calgary’s gay publications over the past 35 years and has had an ongoing column in Gay Calgary Magazine for 10 years, since it began.

Surprisingly I have cut out a lot of accolades and accomplishments to get this onto one page. But surely you are now as impressed as I am with respect to Stephen’s worthiness for this award. Stephen, we thank you very much for your tireless commitment to your community and would like to present you this award with our sincere gratitude.”

Stephen then received a standing ovation and gave a gracious acceptance speech, visibly moved by the moment. Thank you Stephen again!