Kootenay Gay History Project

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An Evening with Tom Symington at Shelf Life Books

Posted on August 13, 2026 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

As a warm-up for Calgary Pride, on Wednesday, August 26 at 7:00 PM, join us at Shelf Life Books for a conversation with Tom Symington, author of Not So Normal: Memoirs of a Gay Boomer, hosted by the Calgary Gay History Project’s Kevin Allen.

*Tom’s excellent book will be for sale at the event, too!*

Tom grew up in post-World War II Calgary in a loving home and, as a child, didn’t think of himself as “different.” But as he got older, he found himself navigating a world where being gay came with social pressures, discrimination, and very real legal consequences.

In Not So Normal, Tom looks back on that journey with honesty and warmth. His story takes him from Alberta to Sierra Leone, France, and beyond, while tracing the enormous changes in gay life and gay rights that took place around him. It’s a deeply personal coming-of-age story, but also one that captures a remarkable period of Canadian history—and reminds us that progress can never be taken for granted.

There’s a personal connection behind this event, too. Kevin met Tom while researching the Kootenay Gay History Project. Their conversations about Tom’s life and experiences helped reveal some of the queer history of Invermere and the Columbia Valley.

Expect an engaging conversation about growing up, finding your place in the world, the changes Tom has witnessed over his lifetime, and why sharing these stories still matters.

There will also be a Q&A, so bring questions and join the conversation.

{KA}

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Kevin Allen | 2 comments

Readers of the Calgary Gay History Project might be interested to know that Kevin Allen has launched a new research initiative: the Kootenay Gay History Project, which explores queer history in rural South-Eastern British Columbia. The goal is practical: to preserve local history and make it available through a website, archival and display materials, and eventually, a book.

The project, commissioned by the Fernie Pride Society, is collecting stories, records, and local research about 2SLGBTQ+ people in communities across the region. Rural queer history sometimes stumps historians; it is more hidden and less networked than urban queer history, but Kevin relishes the challenge and has a local connection.

For 20 years, Kevin has had two homes, one in Calgary and one in Fernie {because he married an East Kootenay guy}! He says that starting the Kootenay queer history initiative has been an intriguing counterfoil to the Calgary project. In fact, many Rocky Mountain queers decamped for the cities of Calgary and Vancouver to seek a larger gay community, only to return to their hometowns in later life. Consequently, the two History Projects inform each other and highlight how queer mobility affected rural activism.

And Calgarians went to the Rockies, too! Perhaps you participated in the annual Fruit Float weekend down the Slocan River in the 80s. Or did you attend the Nelson-based lesbian performance festival Sappho Sez in the 90s? Do you have a queer Kootenay connection you’d like to share? Email us at kootenaygayhistory@gmail.com or see our Instagram page @kootenaygayhistory.

During a West Kootenay research trip, we were given a direct-action sticker from the early 70s by Michael Wicks, founder of the Nelson Queer Archive. The sticker was produced by the Canadian Gay Activists Alliance (Vancouver), one of Canada’s earliest Gay Liberation organizations.

*Original Direct Action Sticker from the early 1970s*

Michael said the stickers were put on telephone poles for fun and consciousness-raising on Davie Street in Vancouver. Another version had: “SMILE if you’re GAY” with the same Cheshire Cat. Well, we’re stuck on history.

Happy Spring!🌞

{KA}