Tag Archives: Gay history

Pride Calgary’s Origins Remembered

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Kevin Allen | 2 comments

Over the past weekend, we had our community remembering session at CommunityWise (the Old Y) about the origins of Pride Calgary and that first pride rally in Central Memorial Park, organized by the Calgary Lesbian and Gay Political Action Guild (CLAGPAG) in 1990. Hosted by the Calgary Gay History Project and the Royal Alberta Museum, we had a great time getting people into the same room who had not seen each other in years (decades…).

Stephen Lock, Nancy Miller & Richard Gregory: 1990 Pride Rally Organizers

We saw the CBC news footage of the rally, talked about the role of wearing the lone ranger masks and paper bags, and got a real sense of the times. I learned, to my surprise, that the rally took place at the Boer War Memorial, and not on the steps of the library which I had previously thought. This is a good example of how history can be mis-remembered and then propagated as fact.

Thank you Linda, Mathew, Joey, Nancy, Pam, Stephen and Richard for participating in a terrific session. We look forward to developing this story further with our partner the Royal Alberta Museum!

{KA}

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Posted in Gay history

Tagged bisexual, CLAGPAG, gay, Gay history, human-rights, lesbian, Old Y, Pride, Pride Calgary, queer, transgender

Were you at the Calgary Pride Rally in 1990?

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

The Calgary Gay History Project is looking for individuals who were present in the first Pride Rally held in Central Memorial Park back in 1990. This is the famous demonstration where some people wore lone ranger masks or paper bags over their heads. Organized by the fledgling Calgary Lesbian and Gay Political Action Guild (CLAGPAG), this event was the seed of future Pride celebrations and its organization Pride Calgary.

Calgary Gay History Walk in Memorial Park

We will be hosting a community remembering session in partnership with the Royal Alberta Museum. Museum curators will be in attendance in order to develop the context for our story in their new permanent exhibition for their museum currently being built in downtown Edmonton.

The meeting will be held from 10am – 2pm on Saturday, May 16th at CommunityWise, 223 12 ave SW. Please contact us if you would like to attend – we would love it if you would! Lunch will be provided.

{KA}

Club Carousel Concert Highlights & Other News

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Kevin Allen | 2 comments

We had two packed houses at One Voice Chorus’ Club Carousel concert last weekend, and a dozen former Club Carousel members were in attendance. Nick de Vos, a Club Carousel alumnus and photographer, took the pictures below.

Calgary Gay History Project’s Kevin Allen provided history narration between choral moments.

Club Carousel Alumni, Nick de Vos and Lois Szabo, with Kevin Allen.

One Voice Chorus receiving standing ovation from audience.

Gavin Caldwell (Piano), Kevin Allen, Lois Szabo (Club Carousel Founder) and Jane Perry (Artistic Director, One Voice Chorus) in front of the recreated Club Carousel logo.

It was a magical day, and the Calgary Hay History Project would like to thank One Voice Chorus for focusing on our city’s gay history in their artistic programming.

In other news, our colleague in queer history, Dr. Aaron Devor, the founder and academic director of the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria, let us know that their publication, The Transgender Archives: Foundations for the Future, is now a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award in the category of LGBT Nonfiction. Click on the book link for a free PDF copy; it is an absorbing read and exploration of trans histories.

The 27th Annual Lambda Literary Awards–or the “Lammys,” as they are affectionately known–kick off another record-breaking year with the announcement of the finalists. They were chosen from a record 818 submissions from 407 publishers. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Monday evening, June 1, 2015 in New York City.

Lethbridge-based artist and curator Leila Armstrong, is looking to fill her Cabinet of Queeriosities with an open call for submissions. This is the third Queeriosities exhibition, celebrating LGBTQ history, identity, culture, and pride through a diverse range of subject matters and approaches. Let all of the queer artists and historians in your network know that they have until June to submit.

In closing, I will leave you with the final poem of the Club Carousel concert, sourced from the Club’s September 1973 newsletter and written by the editor.