Tag Archives: lesbian

Writing Calgary’s Gay History – the Book

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Kevin Allen | 1 comment

August 25th – The Calgary Gay History Project launches the Kickstarter campaign to fund a book chronicling our community’s story. In the past two years we have presented our findings of Calgary’s gay history in the 50s and 60s multiple times as well as led a number of popular gay history walks through Calgary’s Beltline and Downtown areas – now it’s time to write the book!

Watch This History Walk Promo Video

Over the next three weeks, you can contribute to our story, by investing directly in this book’s creation. Check out our assorted Kickstarter rewards, including pre-ordering the book, or having a private gay history walking tour.

Please share the Kickstarter link to your networks!

Yours in research,

Kevin

1 Comment

Posted in Gay history, Press Release

Tagged Calgary, gay, Gay history, history, History Walk, human-rights, Kickstarter, lesbian, Pride Week, queer

Pride Week is here – We’re making history!

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

Pride 2014 is upon us, and the Calgary Gay History Project is busy. We hope you can join us for our NEW downtown walk on Wednesday, August 27th. Check out Ted Henley’s interview with me on City TV’s Breakfast Television as a preview of the some of the stops.

Alyssa Quirico wrote this week’s FFWD cover story, Pride in a conservative culture, featuring highlights from an interview she did with the history project.

Look for us at various Pride events throughout the week, culminating at our Festival Information Booth on Parade Day, August 31st. Come by and ask us questions, or share your story about Calgary’s gay history. You can even buy a t-shirt in support of the project.

Also, watch next week for the launch of the Writing Calgary Gay History Kickstarter Campaign (we are writing the book)! You will be able to pre-purchase it while at the same time commissioning the publication.

Happy Pride!

{KA}

Pride Proclamation Declined Twice by Mayor Alger

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Kevin Allen | 2 comments

Keeping with the Pride theme this month in Calgary, we would like to take you back to 1980, when Mayor Ross Alger wrote to Gay Information Resources Centre (GIRC), president Bob Harris.

Mayor Alger declined Harris’ request to formally declare June, 27, 1980 Gay Pride Day in Calgary. Unlike other politicians in his day who tended easily to casual homophobia, he wrote, “I fully respect the rights and freedoms of your organization and its members.”

Obviously, a political hot potato at the time. Alger in 1979 dodged Harris’ previous request for a proclaimed Gay Community Day on November 24th by alleging a crowded calendar, booked up into December of that year. Mayor Alger’s Executive Assistant, John Gray, was on the record saying “if GIRC resubmits its request at a later date the mayor’s office will be pleased to consider it.”

Alger’s diplomatic letter on April 2, 1980 was the conclusion of that consideration. Ross Alger died in January, 1992 from cancer. His obituary in the Globe and Mail praised him as “a gentleman politician who never stooped to low blows.”