Oral History with Lois Stewart, 1985
Born in 1920, Lois Stewart is a political activist and retired schoolteacher who grew up in Victoria, British Columbia. After teaching in Victoria during World War 2, Lois moved to Southern Ontario, where she taught in a number of cities and towns outside of Toronto. At the time of the interview in 1985, Lois is 65 years old and living in Toronto. The interview’s themes and topics vary widely, spanning Lois’ life from roughly 1943 to 1985. She recounts her long- and short-term relationships with women her experiences in the Toronto lesbian bar culture, primarily around The Continental Hotel; her connection to and thoughts on socialism, feminism and the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation/New Democratic Party; and her perspectives on lesbian and same-sex intimacy, sex, and love in the 1950s and 1960s.
Lesbians Making History Collective
1985
Lesbians Making History Collective
LGBTQ Digital Oral History Collaboratory
The CLGA does not hold copyright
1950 and 1960s, 1985
Oral History with Pat Murphy, 1986
Pat Murphy was born in 1941 to an Irish-Catholic working-class family in Toronto, Canada. Murphy trained as a nurse and worked initially at Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital in 1964, where she had her first lesbian relationship with a co-worker. The interview covers Murphy’s transition to activism and community work initially through Canadian Homophile Association of Toronto. The interview examines dissensions between lesbians and gay men in the political movements of the 1970s and 1980s. Murphy outlines her role as a public figure of the lesbian movement; her activism in WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against Women); and the opening of the bar, The Fly-By-Night. Murphy also details her involvement as one of the Brunswick Four, a popularly-reported series of arrests which informed the Royal Commission on Toronto Police Practices.
Lesbians Making History Collective
1986
Lesbians Making History Collective
LGBTQ Digital Oral History Collaboratory
The CLGA does not hold copyright
oral history
1950s to 1970s, 1986
Interview with Douglas Stewart on LGBTQ+ activism in 1970s-1980s
LGBTQ+ Activism, Communities of Colour
Douglas Stewart discusses his role in late 1970s- early 1980s activism in Toronto, including working with community groups ZAMI and Reunite Africa Youth (RAY).
Nancy Nicol
Clip is original footage for documentary series, From Criminity to Equality, including Stand Together (2002), The Queer Nineties (2009), Politics of the Heart (2005) and The End of Second Class (2006), Produced and Directed by Nancy Nicol. http://www.yorku.ca/nnicol/documentary.html
1970-1990, 2001
Copyright held by Nancy Nicol
.mp4
English
Moving image
2016-074
1970-1990, Toronto
Stand Together, Part One: Men of the Shadows
Gay Liberation History, Discrimination, Police Mistreatment
As an excerpt from the documentary Stand Together (2002), this video looks at lesbian and gay liberation in the 1960s-1970s in Canada. Through interviews, the video focuses on issues in Ontario such as police persecution (including blackmailing members of the gay community), job discrimination within civil service positions, and the equal rights movement.
Nancy Nicol
Original footage for documentary series, From Criminity to Equality, including Stand Together (2002), The Queer Nineties (2009), Politics of the Heart (2005) and The End of Second Class (2006), Produced and Directed by Nancy Nicol. http://www.yorku.ca/nnicol/documentary.html
2002
Copyright held by Nancy Nicol
.mp4
English
Moving image
2016-074
1960s-1970s, Ontario
Proud Lives: George Hislop Tribute
Memorial, Activist
Video is a memorial tribute to George Hislop, a leader in the gay and lesbian rights movement. The clips include documentary footage and interviews with George describing some of his experiences as a gay man and as an activist.
Nancy Nicol
2005
Copyright held by Nancy Nicol
.mov
English
Moving image
2016-074
Toronto
Interview with Tom Warner, discussing the civil rights strategy and Coalition for Gay Rights in Ontario
Equal rights, Activism
This video is an excerpt from an interview with Tom Warner (2001-11-03) as he discusses the civil rights strategy of including sexual orientation into Human Rights legislation in the 1970s. He also talks about founding the Coalition for Gay Rights in Ontario, bringing together 11 groups across the province in the face of public discrimination and harassment.
Nancy Nicol
Clip is original footage for documentary series, From Criminity to Equality, including Stand Together (2002), The Queer Nineties (2009), Politics of the Heart (2005) and The End of Second Class (2006), Produced and Directed by Nancy Nicol. http://www.yorku.ca/nnicol/documentary.html
2001-11-03, 1970s
Copyright held by Nancy Nicol
.mov
English
Moving image
2016-074
1970s, Ontario
THE FUTURE IS OURS
Lesbian and Gay
Activism
Round button with pink triangle with white text on black background.
New Pacific Academy
CLGA
CLGA does not hold the rights
Button
English
Button
2008-073
Oral History Interview with George Hislop (1987)
oral history, gay liberation, organisations, CHAT, University of Toronto Homophile Association, Toronto Gay Action Group, The Body Politic, GATE, activism, cruising, bars, Foolscap
In this oral history interview George Hislop, 59 years old, discusses growing up gay in Toronto from the 1930 until the 1980s. He describes his early life, first homosexual experiences, coming out, education, participation in the Toronto gay scene, and his later activism and involvement in politics. The interview follows a linear time, tracing the evolution of the Toronto gay scene since the 1940s. It details the different ways in which gay men socialized and organized through time, highlighting the particular turning points in the Canadian context, instead of arguing for a pre- and post-Stonewall narrative. He describes the formation of groups such as U of T’s homophile association, CHAT, Toronto Gay Action Group, GATE, The Body Politic, among others. He also describes the tensions between older and younger generations of gay men involved in activist organizations and the gay liberation movement. The interview also covers the relationship among gay and lesbians organizing, feminist and left activism in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as cruising in parks and theatres, gay bar culture in the city, private parties, and other forms of socializing.
Foolscap Oral History Project
1987-02-20
John Grube, LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory (Elspeth Brown, PI), Zohar Freeman
CLGA
PDF, WAV
English
Sound, text
2016-034
Toronto 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
Oral History Interview with Arif Noorani (2015)
oral history, queer politics, Inside Out, activists, Desh Pardesh, Queer Nation, Mike Harris, CKLN, arts festival, South Asian, neoliberalism
Arif Noorani, in this oral history, active in Desh Pardesh in the 90’s, discusses his involvement with other activist groups, notably Queer Nation and CKLN. He talks about the influence Mike Harris had on the numerous arts collectives who lost funding and the importance of community-building via arts and culture production. He examines the political basis for Desh and advises future generations against fostering identity politics. He also addresses the concerns Desh had with corporate sponsors.
South Asian Visual Arts Centre (SAVAC)
2015-07-25
Anna Malla
LGBTQ Oral History DIgital Collaboratory (Elspeth Brown, PI)
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
PDF, AIF
English
Sound, Text
Toronto, 1990s
Oral History Interview with Leah Lakshami (c.2015)
oral history, artists, South Asian, Desh Pardesh, United States, activism
Leah Lakshimi, in this oral history, recounts her experience coming to the arts scene in Toronto, where she felt included and respected as a South Asian artist. This was distinct from her experience in the United States and other areas of Canada, were she felt alienated. She discusses her experience with organizing activist groups with other people of colour, and their simultaneous exclusion from white activist spaces. She also talks about the international influence of Desh Pardesh, that brought South Asian culture to the world’s attention, and began the system of cultural appropriation which continues today.
South Asian Visual Arts Centre (SAVAC)
Unknown
Anna Malla
LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory (Elspeth Brown, PI)
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
PDF, WAV
English
Sound, Text
Toronto, 1990's