Tag Archives: gay calgary magazine

Be your own queer historian!

October is queer history month in Canada. We want to highlight some local and digital queer history resources that are public and accessible. Curious historians take note!

The new Calgary Gay History Project Collection at the University of Calgary launched during Pride and are already being used by researchers. We’re planning a launch party on October 22 at 5 PM, details TBA.

Dr. William Bridel, Archivist Kim Geraldi, and the Calgary Gay History Project’s Kevin Allen exploring the collection. Image by Andy Nichols, 2024, University of Calgary Archives Photographs, Libraries and Cultural Resources.

Our colleagues at the Edmonton Queer History Project launched an online digitized queer Alberta magazine collection. Of particular interest to Calgarians are Outlooks, Modern Pink, and A.G.L.P. They’ve kindly pledged to add more Calgary publications in the near future.

The Central Library has hard copies of queer publications Outlook, Clue! and QC Magazine in their fourth-floor Local History collection (as well as circulating copies of Our Past Matters: Stories of Gay Calgary).

Gay Calgary and Edmonton magazine has their back catalogue digitized and online (2003-2019).

Cover August 2006 of GayCalgary Magazine

Many significant queer archives are digitizing some of their holdings and creating online exhibits—notably the ArQuives in Toronto and the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria.

When you are travelling, seek out the queer histories of the places you are visiting. We just went to Spokane, Washington, last week and discovered Spokane Pride’s queer history project online—fascinating!

1950’s newspaper advert from the Spokane Pride History Project

Finally, when you have discovered something interesting, share it! You can use the social media tags @2SQHMCan and #2SQHMCan to link up with a national conversation about queer history.

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Equal marriage, the sea change in 2013, and a song.

Although I had planned to post an article today about Calgary’s gay history, I could not help but get caught up in the sweeping changes across the world with respect to same sex marriage.  Just yesterday, New Zealand, was the latest country to adopt same sex marriage (the 13th country in the world).  The video of the New Zealand Parliament gallery breaking into song moved me incredibly.  The bill sponsor, opposition MP, Louisa Wall, an out lesbian, told lawmakers the change was “our road toward healing.”

Louisa-wall-final-reading

England, France, U.S. President Obama, even U.S. Republican Senators who had been vocally opposed to same-sex marriage are now changing sides.  Despite significant and at times violent opposition, there is a sea change we are loving through – and I am elated.  The critics opposed to same-sex marriage are using the same arguments as critics used in 1969 to protest decriminalization of homosexuality: particularly the perceived threat to children.  Let us not forget also, that the equal marriage debate in Canada’s Parliament in 2005 – our recent past – was incredibly divisive and caustic, and nearly toppled Prime Minister Paul Martin’s minority government.

I anticipate that the number of jurisdictions changing their marriage laws to accommodate same sex marriage will sharply increase in 2013.  A shout out to Joseph Atkins and his list of the top 100 marriage equality blogs.  Also, thank you to the Human Rights Campaign and their viral use of a red and pink equal sign.

I stand 2

Finally, thank you to Gay Calgary Magazine, who recently published an article about the Calgary Gay History project.  Your kind words are appreciated.