MAY 27 – JUNE 5 PRIDE
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pride on the prairies
Today’s queer community owes a debt of gratitude to our queer ancestors.
When commenting about the book Out North , Canadian comedian Rick Mercer described societal progress made in Canada. “They were loud and proud. They risked it all and they changed the world,” he said. “Every right and privilege we enjoy as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community we
owe entirely to those who fought before us. We stand on the shoulders of giants.” While many of the battles for queer equality took place in Canada’s largest cities, Manitoba’s queer community punched above our weight in fighting for equality.
BY GREG KLASSEN
1972
1973
‘30s & ‘40s
‘50s to ‘70s
During the 1930s and ‘40s, while some drag queens rode the streetcars proudly, most of Winnipeg’s queer community lived their lives underground.
The 1950s saw more lesbians in the public eye, and by the late 1960s, gay men and lesbians were increasingly going more public, creating gay bars and oth- er organizations to advocate for
Founded in 1972, Gays for Equality (GFE) was a local organization committed to radical and public gay liberation. Offering a phone line, peer counselling, support groups and information on gay political organizing, GFE was instrumental in helping many gay people to come out. Chris Vogel, who was involved with the organization, says, “The phone would ring and ring. It never stopped.”
In 1973, Chris Vogel and Richard North applied for a marriage licence, and they got married in a Unitarian church on Feb. 11, 1974. However, the Manitoba government wouldn’t register their marriage. Vogel and North took the provincial
their rights. In the mid 1970s, gay socials were springing up. When
But after the Second World War, Winnipeg flourished.
government to court over the matter, but the court ruled that
they need- ed permits, organizers
the terms of common law defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
often lied and said they were engagement parties.
FIGHTING FOR 2SLGBTQQIA+ HUMAN RIGHTS! FIGHTING FOR 2SLGBTQQIA+ HUMAN RIGHTS!
PRIDE HAPPY
NIKI ASHTON Member of Parliament Churchill–Keewatinook Aski 1-866-669-7770 niki.ashton@parl.gc.ca NIKI ASHTON Member of Parliament Churchill–Keewatinook Aski 1-866-669-7770 niki.ashton@parl.gc.ca
LEAH GAZAN Member of Parliament Winnipeg Centre 204-984-1675 Leah.Gazan@parl.gc.ca LEAH GAZAN Member of Parliament Winnipeg Centre 204-984-1675 Leah.Gazan@parl.gc.ca
DANIEL BLAIKIE Member of Parliament Elmwood–Transcona 204-984-2499 Daniel.Blaikie@parl.gc.ca DANIEL BLAIKIE Member of Parliament Elmwood–Transcona 204-984-2499 Daniel.Blaikie@parl.gc.ca
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