Heritage Calgary commissioned a research project on a historic house known as the Arthur Bishop Residence in Crescent Heights. From 1995-2000, it was also known as the Black Orchid Manor, one of Calgary’s few gay-friendly B&Bs.
Researcher and writer Kerri Rubman discovers the hidden history of the house, in this Heritage Calgary blog post, featuring an interview with Don Bastian, an influential figure in Calgary’s gay history and one of the owners of the former Black Orchid Manor.
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July is one of our favourite times of year—not for the über-famous Calgary Stampede happening currently, but for Historic Calgary Week, running July 23-August 2, 2021. It is the signature event for the Chinook Country Historical Society, who program engaging history events all year long. An incredible number of volunteer hours go into making Historic Calgary Week happen; the 2021 iteration is cleverly subtitled: Unmasking Our History.
The Calgary Gay History Project’s Kevin Allen was invited on a mapmakers panel discussion on Tuesday, July 27 at 7:00 PM.
Behind the Scenes with the Mapmakers will tackle how one maps a city’s unknown histories. Kevin is joined by Calgary Through the Eyes of Writers Author Shaun Hunter and the Calgary Atlas Project’s Jim Ellis. They will chatter about charting the city’s cultural landscape, using maps to (sometimes literally) pin down the past. The panel will be moderated by Heritage Calgary’s Asia Walker and hosted online by the Calgary Public Library.
Register for Behind the Scenes with the Mapmakers: here. Registration is free, but spaces are limited.
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Legislating Love: The Everett Klippert Story has returned as a radioplay and podcast. To celebrate, the Alberta Queer Calendar Project and Sage Theatre are hosing an online Listening Party, on Saturday, February 13th at 4:30 pm. Participants will gather to listen to the episode, followed by a Q&A with members of the cast and crew at 7:00 pm {including Kevin and Tereasa from the Calgary Gay History Project}.
Legislating Love was written by Calgary author, playwright, poet, and professor Natalie Meisner. It premiered in March 2018 at Sage Theatre to critical acclaim. The play explores the story of Calgary bus driver Everett Klippert, who was the last Canadian convicted of being a dangerous sexual offender because of his homosexuality. The Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark judgment in November 1967 set a new bar for injustice: Klippert was given a life sentence.
The play is told through the perspective of aspiring historian Maxine, who is researching the story of Everett. She becomes fascinated with Everett’s case and with discovering the man beyond the headlines. Inspired and captivated, Maxine connects with a senior at a local assisted living facility she knows only as Handsome, one of Klippert’s lovers and perhaps the only person who can truly illuminate the past. At the same time, Maxine is navigating her own new relationship with Métis comedian Tonya. This heartwarming, multi-generational exploration of queer love tells the near-forgotten story of one of Canada’s quiet heroes and reminds us all that the past must be remembered as we work together for a better future.
The radioplay features the work of Jason Mehmel (director/production coordinator), Kathryn P. Smith (sound designer), as well as actors Jenn Forgie, Matt McKinney, Kevin Rothery, and Kathy Zaborsky. Details about the episode and the launch party can be found at sagetheatre.com.
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Shaun Hunter recently released an online literary map of Calgary; a product of her Historian in Residence time at the Calgary Public Library. Heritage Calgary is a partner organization in this residency and you can find the map on its website: here. Note: there are several queer spots to discover (I was delighted to find the Tegan and Sara house). Shaun has compiled an LGBTQ+ reading list that can accompany one’s geographic sleuthing.
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Finally, my own valentine, Gordon Sombrowski, has publicly released a new short story, titled Pigeon Droppings—set in Calgary—as a teaser to his upcoming collections of short stories: What Narcissus Saw.
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Calgary Gay History 