Oral History with Lezlie Lee Kam, PT 2 (16 June 2017)
LGBTQ seniors, police violence, Queers of colour, QTPOC, Alcoholism, Pride
Lezlie Lee Kam is a 55+, gender-mysterious, world majority person and dyke; a Trini; a Carib; Brown; and a Callaloo-a mix of Chinese, Carib, Indian, Portuguese, and Venezuelan. She was born in Trinidad and left for Toronto in 1970. In this interview, Lezlie discusses her relationship with the police in the 1970s and 1980s; in particular, she describes being the recipient of racist police violence in 1989, as well as police violence against trans women. Discusses the presence of lesbians of colour in Pride, c. 1991-1992, with the organizations Lesbians of Colour (1991) and Proud and Visible Coalition (with Anthony Mohamad, 1992). 1993-1998: World Majority Lesbians; 1999 Queer Women of Colour. 1999, they rented a big truck to put a sign up that said 'stop police violence; stop the criminalization of people of color), but the police tried to make them take the sign down. They refused, and took the sign into the parade; as a result, the police withdrew their contact with Grand and Toy, which had underwritten the truck. She discusses trying to get funding from Pride for people of colour at 1999 Pride, and having to deal with racism on the Pride organizing committee; in response, they demanded a community meeting at the 519. Discusses how Pelau Masquerade emerged after the Proud and Visible Coalition. Discusses reaching out to Caribana Mas camp people to have connections with Pride. Describes how central Mas was to her when she was a child (her dad was a band leader, and her house was a central space for Carnival preparations).
A large section of this interview discussed alcoholism. Discusses her work with LGBTQ seniors, and how a black women at one of the sites accused her of sexual harassment, sending her into a health downward spiral. She began to drink more to cope with the stress; eventually she lost her job from drinking and went on EI. 2000-2006 drinking seriously; went through all her savings, and almost lost her house. Dec 31, 2006: brother and sister-in-law took her to the hospital. In the process of going to the hospital, she passed out and went into a coma for two months; they thought she'd be a vegetable if she ever woke up. When she woke up, she went to Bridgeport for 4 months for intensive physio and occupational therapy. The medication she went on caused her to gain 50 pounds, impacting her body image. Describes her decision to go public with her history of alcoholism and why, as well as her recovery process. Now she is involved with Women's Health and Women's Hands, a women of colour health clinic. Has become involved with the Senior Pride Network, as well as Indigenous activism.
Discusses 1990s club nights for queer women of colour in the city, including organizing monthly club nights on Church Street, such as "Island Spice," focused on women of colour (1999), as well as organizing at the Red Spot, which was owned by a Sri Lankan man. Discusses current queer of colour club spaces, such as the Steady, the Beaver, Glad Day;
Discusses her history of activism having to do with violence against women in the 1980s, with a focus on immigrant and refugee women of colour. This focus was controversial for the white anti-violence feminists. Lezlie eventually worked in this field for about 10 years. She describes developing a business having to with anti-violence training in same-sex contexts.
Discusses her work as a volunteer with seniors at Bridgepoint, where she often does manicures. Eventually 5 women have come out to her, but they're all closeted now that they are in care. Lezlie discusses how she's been attacked by women for using the women's restroom, because some of the residents see her as a man. She worked for over a year to get trans positive materials in the bathroom. Now she is working on Pride, and getting seniors' programming there. Describes the current politics in Pride around black activism and Black Lives Matter. Describes her experience with Desh Pardesh, where she wasn't considered Indo or South Asian enough.
Brown, Elspeth;
Lee Kam, Lezlie
Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives
1980s-2010s
mp4
English
video
Oral History with Lezlie Lee Kam, PT 2 (16 June 2017)
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
Interview with Phillip
night life
baths
gay men
police
police violence
Part of an oral history project that collected stories from anonymous men who were arrested as found-ins during the 1981 Bathhouse Raids in Toronto.
Phillip, who was the treasurer of the Right to Privacy Committee, discusses his sexuality and relationship to the gay community, and details the physical and verbal violence of the police that he witnessed on the night of the raids. He then discusses the trials and aftermath of the arrests.
1982-11-07
Cassette Tape
English
Interview with Jack
night life
baths
gay men
police
police violence
Part of an oral history project that collected stories from anonymous men who were arrested as found-ins during the 1981 Bathhouse Raids in Toronto.
Jack discusses his sexuality, socializing in the gay community, gay bars and bathhouses and their role in the community, and the events of the night of the raids and their aftermath.
1982-08-02
Cassette Tape
English
The Body Politic on Trial with Michael Lynch
gay liberation
press
police raids
censorship
homophobia
pedophilia
Michael Lynch reflects on the 1979 police raid of the <em>Body Politic </em>offices and the subsequent trial after it published the story "Men Loving Boys Loving Men." The response to the trial touched on police brutality, obscenity laws, gay liberation, freedom of the press, and Anita Bryant's visit to Toronto. Narrated by Frank Harrad.
Interview with a found-in from the 1981 Bathhouse Raids
gay men
bars
night life
public sex
baths
cruising
vice squad
police
police raids
An interview by Michael Lynch with an anonymous man, age 41, who was arrested during the bathhouse raids.
Tape one (56 mins) covers his early life in Hamilton, coming out and family life, marriage to a woman, life in Hamilton, and gay life in Toronto from the 1950s including bars, cruising locations, and casual sex.
Tape two (56 mins) covers the barracks and other bathhouses in Toronto, and details his experiences on the night of the raids, as well as the aftermath including rallies and activities of the Gay Community Appeal.
Michael Lynch
1981-03-07
Cassette Tape
English