Tag Archives: human-rights

Fairy Tales at 16 – Queer Films Saved Us!

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

The Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival starts tonight at the Plaza Theatre. It is one of my favourite times of the year!

In June 1999, this cultural institution began in Calgary, then called the Fairy Tales Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. It opened for two nights in the Garry Theatre in Inglewood (no longer a theatre, but a live music venue). There were sell out crowds as well as lots of excitement on those two sweltering summer evenings – in a venue with no air conditioning! Movie goers, fanned themselves with programs, drank cool beverages and managed to sweat buckets with no complaints: a sort-of cinematic sauna experience…

Fairytales Founders: Trevor Alberts, Kelly Langgard and Kevin Allen (from L. to R.)

Fairytales Founders (1999): Trevor Alberts, Kelly Langgard and Kevin Allen.

Seeing ourselves represented on the big screen for sixteen years now has been nothing short of alchemy for me personally. After a week of watching queer film (I am a pretty hard core festival goer), I am always disoriented to find the outside world as straight as it is.

However, it is the documentaries I have seen at Fairy Tales that have stayed with me the longest. My short list includes:

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement (whose protagonist Edith Windsor later brought down the U.S Defense of Marriage Act last summer at age 84).

Call Me Kuchu (last year’s Fairy Tales Centrepiece Gala, about Ugandan gay-rights activist David Kato, which devastated me for days).

Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride (following Vancouver’s Pride Parade Director travel to other pride demonstrations around the world – including Russia – which spontaneously got a standing ovation in the cinema afterwards!)

United in Anger: The History of Act Up (a stunning look at how AIDS activists fighting under the highest stakes, changed the world).

Every year the programming team at Fairy Tales combs through hundreds of submissions, to select the festival’s annual line-up. I am sure there are more memorable films to be seen this week at Festival #16 – check them out!

[KA]

Countdown to IDAHOT + StoryHIVE (vote)!

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

In 2014, 81 countries criminalize same sex relationships, which makes up 40% of the world’s population (2.8 billion people)! Although we have made great human rights strides in Canada since homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969, there is still stunning homophobia here.

Two recent examples spring to mind. On April 26th I was invited to speak at Knox Presbyterian Church for their Don’t Be Afraid benefit concert and forum, with special guest Scott Jones, from Nova Scotia. This anti-homophobia campaign was started by Scott after being brutally stabbed last October and left a paraplegic. He has taken the courageous step to transform his attack into something positive – reframing his world. Furthermore, just this week I was contacted by CBC reporter, Carla Benyon, to respond to homophobic tweets twittered May 12th by Calgary Stampeder, Maurice Price.

May 18th is the last day to vote for our Telus StoryHive Project.

One of the facts that comforts me when confronted by homophobia now is the incredible courage of our elders, who fought for the human rights we have today. Their stories inspire us to continue the fight against homophobia and transphobia. Our documentary project: Club Carousel: A Queer Flag in the Sand, delves into the history of Calgary’s queer community.

Looking beyond the danger, a small group of people set out open Calgary’s first gay bar. In 1968, Club Carousel quickly became the hub of LGBTQ community activities. This windowless, basement club wasn’t pretty, but it offered safety, friendship and support. It was the foundation of a hopeful community.

Club Carousel changed lives and our culture. More than just a social club: it
was a communal flag in the sand whose impact can still be felt today.

Please vote today – and madly share this with others. Voting ends on Sunday,
May 18th – just 3 days away. Helpful hints:

Register with your email address: here.
An avatar is NOT required unless you want to comment on projects.
You get 10 votes, please assign your max. of 5 votes to our project.
Spread the word and promote voting for Club Carousel via your networks.

Club Carousel Founder Lois Szabo in the 1960s

Thanks for helping us in gathering support and sharing the stories of our community.

[KA][NM]

Intrepid Jane’s Walkers who Love Queer History

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

Please remember to vote online for our short video proposal in Telus’ STORYHIVE competition. 11 more days left for voting. If successful we will get $10,000 to produce a short queer history doc. Vote: here!

The Jane’s Walk went ahead with 15 hearty souls who did not mind the sudden snow storm we found ourselves under when we awoke on May 3rd. The walk actually went longer then expected due to the nature of having a smaller group who could converse. Thank you everyone who came out and shared stories. The history project is richer because of it! Thanks also to Michael Wright for these candid Jane’s Walk photos.

Beginning walk on the steps of CommunityWise (Old Y). Note the snow in May! This building has been the defacto gay community centre since the early 1970s.

Catching a break from the elements in the Palliser Hotel - former location of the Kings Arms Pub.

Catching a break from the elements in the Palliser Hotel – the former location of the Kings Arms Pub, a much visited gay drinking hole from the 1960s.

Near the Bay downtown. Department store washroom cruising was a well-documented phenomena across North America. In this case, reading the threatening washroom notice, put up in the early ’80s to deter and intimidate gay men.