Tag Archives: Kim Geraldi

Launch Party for the YYCGayHistory Collection

Yahoo—it’s queer history month! On Tuesday, October 22nd, from 5-8 PM, we will celebrate the accession of the Calgary Gay History Project Collection into the University of Calgary Archives. Please join us for a wine & cheese reception, with short speeches at 6 PM and collection tours throughout.

Contact archives@ucalgary.ca to RSVP and for more information!


Presented by Archives and Special Collections, Libraries and Cultural Resources with support from the Calgary Institute for the Humanities, the reception will be at Gallery Hall on the main floor of the Taylor Family Digital Library. Its address on campus is 410 University Ct NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4. 

The Calgary Gay History Project’s Kevin Allen’s first look at the collection with Archivist Kim Geraldi—image by Andy Nichols, 2024, University of Calgary Archives Photographs, Libraries and Cultural Resources.

We’re delighted that these documents and artifacts are now publicly accessible (and are already being used by researchers)! The collection has been gathered from many community organizations and donors, including: Calgary Outlink, Calgary Pride, Kevin Allen, Stevie Lee Anderson, Jonathan Brower, Kelly Ernst, Matt Gillespie, Richard Gregory, Robert Lawrence, Terry MacKenzie and Kenneth Peach, Neil McMullen, Nancy Miller, Judy Moore, Pam Rocker, Gene Rodman, Joey Sayer, Michael Wright, and several anonymous donors.

The Calgary Gay History Project Collection. Image by Andy Nichols, 2024.

Please join us next Tuesday. Everyone is welcome!

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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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The YYCGayHistory Collection Launches

It is with delight, wonderment, and gratitude that we announce the launch of the Calgary Gay History Project Collection at the University of Calgary Archives.

Image by Andy Nichols, 2024, University of Calgary Archives Photographs, Libraries and Cultural Resources.

This now publicly accessible collection consists of published material, photographs, audiovisual material, ephemera, and other material related to the Calgary Gay History Project. This includes magazines, business directories and informational brochures, material from sporting events such as Western Cup, Outgames, and gay rodeos, show logs and audio recordings of radio shows, material from theatrical events such as Fairy Tales Film Festival and Third Street Theatre performances, as well as other 2SLGBTQ+ issues and concerns.

Dr. William Bridel, Archivist Kim Geraldi, and the Calgary Gay History Project’s Kevin Allen exploring the collection. Image by Andy Nichols, 2024.

The collection has been gathered from many community organizations and donors, including: Calgary Outlink, Calgary Pride, Kevin Allen, Stevie Lee Anderson, Jonathan Brower, Kelly Ernst, Matt Gillespie, Richard Gregory, Robert Lawrence, Terry MacKenzie and Kenneth Peach, Neil McMullen, Nancy Miller, Judy Moore, Pam Rocker, Gene Rodman, Joey Sayer, Michael Wright, and several anonymous donors.

Pride Flag with historic buttons donated by Richard Gregory. Image by Andy Nichols, 2024.

We thank all the donors to the collection who entrusted us with their materials over the past decade. We are grateful to Dr. William Bridel, a professor at the U of C (and queer historian himself) who facilitated the transfer of materials from Kevin Allen’s overloaded condo to the University. Finally, we thank archivist Kim Geraldi, who handled our collection so enthusiastically and tenderly.

William, Kevin and Kim looking at early Fairy Tales Film Festival Posters. Image by Andy Nichols, 2024.

A launch party for the Calgary Gay History Project collection is tentatively being planned for October. Our Past Matters—now future generations of researchers can explore queer Calgary’s storied past!

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