Tag Archives: Lois Szabo

YYCGayHistory has a stamp!

Today, Canada Post launched its Places of Pride stamp series—and Calgary has been included!

The first stamp in the series features Club Carousel. Canada Post created a video, featuring founder Lois Szabo, to tell the story of Calgary’s groundbreaking gay club. Next week, they will install stamp art across the facade of Home & Away, a restaurant and bar at 1207 1 St. SW that occupies the original location of Club Carousel. 

2025 Places of Pride: Club Carousel – Official First Day Cover

The second stamp in the series features Montreal’s Truxx, also with a video and a mural in Montreal’s Gay Village.

The third stamp features Hanlan’s Point Beach. A billboard featuring the stamp illustration will be installed at Toronto’s famous Church and Wellesley intersection.

The fourth and final stamp in the series features the 3rd North American Native Gay & Lesbian Gathering. A mural will be installed at the Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. 

Canada Post’s Places of Pride Stamp Series

The stamp issue is designed by Kelly Small of Intents & Purposes Inc., illustrated by Tim Singleton, and printed by Colour Innovations. It includes a booklet of eight Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and four Official First Day Covers.

The stamps and collectibles will be available at canadapost.ca and at select postal outlets across Canada beginning on May 30.  

#OurPastMatters!

{KA}

YYC Pride Roundup

Phew. Queer history was popular during Calgary Pride 2024!

The Calgary Gay History Project was featured in The Scene (twice) and on CityTV. A couple of podcasts dropped featuring interviews with Kevin Allen: Late in ’88 and Passing Time With Craig.

To round things out, we hosted gay history walks, a book signing at the Pride Festival, and Pride at Shelf Life Books, which featured history, poetry, and drag.

Pride at Shelf Life Books: Kevin Allen, Dogiichow, Osmo Cis, Skylar Kay and Bret Crowle on Sept 4, 2024.

If you missed the sold-out Involve: Stonewall & Carousel event last year, Lawrence Interior Design, just released a video which documents the conversation between Jason Brooks, Martin Boyce and Lois Szabo.

Martin Boyce and Lois Szabo in conversation at Involve: Stonewall & Carousel

Finally, until September 23rd, catch the pop-up exhibition about the LGBT Purge at the Central Library. The Canadian government investigated thousands of 2SLGBTQI+ employees, military personnel, and members of the RCMP during the Cold War. Many of these employees and personnel were forced to resign, ruining lives and careers. But they fought back, and survivors won a major class action lawsuit against the government in 2018. The exhibition “Love in a Dangerous Time” is an appetizer for the Canadian Museum of Human Rights’s large-scale museum show in Winnipeg next year.

David Robert Van Norman forced to resign from the RCMP after being labelled homosexual in 1964. Photo: Elenore Sturko.

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Queer Summer in the City

In the lead up to Calgary Pride, the city gets decidedly queerer. Thank you to everyone who came out for our park-side gay history event on Monday with Lois in Lois Szabo Commons. It was the perfect evening. Thanks also to our sponsors, Calgary Pride and Historic Calgary Week {whose final events are happening this weekend}.

Kevin and Lois sharing history in Lois Szabo Commons. Photo courtesy of Mr. Fab.

We are doing a queer history walk with Calgary Outlink on Monday, August 12th at 6 PM. It’s free, but you have to register in advance—a $10 donation is encouraged for all the great work Outlink does in supporting our community.

Drag sensation Francheska Dynamites messaged us about a Queer in Alberta documentary screening on Friday, August 16th, in collaboration with Lavender Club YYC. Tickets are $5 or pay what you can at the door—check it out.

{KA}