Tag Archives: Memorial Park Library

Cruising, Murder, and Queer History: From NYC to YYC

Posted on November 4, 2026 by Kevin Allen | Leave a comment

What connects New York’s notorious gay leather scene of the 1970s with Calgary’s Central Memorial Park? A surprising history of cruising, violence, and police surveillance.

The Calgary Gay History Project is proud to be a community partner for Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, screening at the 14th Annual CUFF.Docs Film Festival running Nov. 18-22, 2026.

Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 9:45 PM
Globe Cinema, 617 8 Avenue SW, Calgary
Buy Tickets Here

Movie Still from the *Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders*

Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz, the documentary revisits William Friedkin’s controversial 1980 thriller Cruising, starring Al Pacino. Inspired by real murders, the film provoked fierce protests from 2SLGBTQ+ activists who feared its portrayal of gay men would fuel prejudice and violence.

Meanwhile, Calgary had its own troubling cruising history.

On September 22, 1979, 22-year-old Thomas Earl Nash was fatally stabbed near the Memorial Park Library. Subsequent investigations revealed that Nash had been among three straight men harassing gay men cruising in Central Memorial Park. A confrontation escalated into deadly violence. Ironically, the alley where Nash was attacked had recently been illuminated by floodlights installed at police request to discourage homosexual activity.

The incident reveals the complicated realities of Calgary’s gay cruising culture, where public spaces offered opportunities for connection but also exposed men to harassment, violence, and police scrutiny. Like Cruising, Calgary’s story challenges simplistic narratives about victims, perpetrators, sexuality, and violence.

Schwarz, whose acclaimed documentaries include Vito and I Am Divine, explores how sensational crime stories intersect with queer history and representation.

Join us at CUFF.Docs for this provocative exploration of 2SLGBTQ+ history, and support Calgary’s independent film community!

Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders (2026)
85 minutes | Alberta Premiere

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Our Past Matters—Five Years Later

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Kevin Allen | 1 comment

Kevin Allen launched his book Our Past Matters: Stories of Gay Calgary as the first historian in residence at the Central Library on November 22, 2018. Five years on, Kevin returns to the library to share stories of queer history he learned after the book was published. This special event, celebrating the book’s success, is happening at the Memorial Park Library on November 22, 2023, from 6-7 PM. Tickets are free (but limited); register here.

*Kevin Allen in 2023: photo Kelly Hofer*

Discover new stories of AIDS activists, enterprising community choirs, and the surprising queer history of the Memorial Park Library. Learn how infamous Calgary bus driver Everett Klippert, who spent most of the 1960s in jail for being gay, retroactively had his criminal charges reversed.

Queer history is more important than ever as we face contemporary challenges to our human rights victories. Kevin’s rallying cry is our past matters!

Bonus: A limited edition hard-cover copy of Our Past Matters will be given away as a door prize!

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Posted in Gay history

Tagged bisexual, Calgary, Central Library, Everett Klippert, gay, Gay history, human-rights, lesbian, Memorial Park Library, Our Past Matters, queer, transgender

Calgary “Sex Deviates” Saved Library

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Kevin Allen | 2 comments

{This week, we have a guest post from emerging historian Jason Brooks. Digging in the archives, he discovered that the storied Memorial Park Library was saved from redevelopment due to the shady company it kept! – Kevin}

In 1962, Calgary City Council was divided over the creation of a new central public library. While all sides agreed that the growing population required a new library, the location for such a building was contested. Mayor Harry Hays advocated for a location across from City Hall on the corner of 7^th Ave and 2^nd Street (later Macleod Trail) SE. However, opponents of this plan suggested the replacement of the then 50-year-old Memorial Park Library.

In response, Mayor Hays used a police report to argue that the site was dangerous to children since, “more homosexuals hang out there than anywhere else.” Despite the Mayor’s argument, the report concluded that no assaults had occurred to children under the age of 16 within the vicinity of Memorial Park.

After the debate, the new central library was built in 1964 at Mayor Hays’ preferred location. Memorial Park and its library continued to be a significant meeting point for Calgary’s queer community for the rest of the century, regardless of police scrutiny.