The Body Politic collective household at 48 Simpson Avenue in the Riverdale neighbourhood

The Body Politic collective household at 48 Simpson Avenue in the Riverdale neighbourhood

(Front row, L-R) Gerald Hannon, Robert Trow, and Ed Jackson. (Back row, L-R) Herb Spiers and Merv Walker.

Unknown photographer
Circa 1976
Toronto, Ontario
Dye coupler print from a digital image of gelatin silver print
Gift of Ed Jackson
Courtesy of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives

Gerald Hannon, Robert Trow, Ed Jackson, Herb Spiers and Merv Walker lived and worked together on The Body Politic (TBP), Canada’s gay liberation newspaper (1971-1987). Here, Gerald and Robert were boyfriends, as were Merv and Ed. Gerald stayed with TBP to its end in 1987, while Robert later was an important advocate for anonymous HIV testing. After 1985, Ed worked at the AIDS Committee of Toronto. Herb Spiers was a significant contributor for the 1971 “We Demand” manifesto; Merv arrived at TBP in 1973 and stayed several years. Both Robert and Herb died of HIV-related causes, in 2002 and 2011 respectively.