Celebrating 35 years of Edmonton Pride, this year the Edmonton Queer History Project (EQHP) is asking the LGBTQ community for the stories and artifacts that have defined the last ten decades for them, and will help shape their future going forward.
The EQHP is collaborating with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services, the Edmonton Pride Festival Society, the Edmonton Heritage Council and the City of Edmonton to collect a variety of stories, photos and artifacts that reflect on and commemorate Edmonton’s queer past, and to ‘preserve an often hidden part of the city’s history’.
"We’ve been collecting stories with a partnership with the Edmonton Public Library and in one-on-one interviews," says EQHP Project Coordinator, and full-time Edmonton Public School Trustee, Michael Janz. "They are stories of hope, stories of anger, stories of protest, stories of joy... the first parties and the first bars and the first dances... bigoted politicians, and policy makers, and landlords... stories not just of the evolution of the city, but also the evolution of a province."
The story of a man arrested at the Pisces bathhouse raid, which prompted him to seek social justice, get involved in public work, and run for city council. The story of a bookstore where lesbian women gathered to meet. The stories of membership cards granting access to underground gay watering holes.
"We [have had contributed] all sorts of different treasures – ranging from personal things ... to photos of parties and gatherings, and the first gay Pride parade," Janz says, adding to that list the marriage certificate accidentally issued prior to gay marriage being legal in the country, miscellaneous items from the nightclub scene and meeting spaces, and police and court records filed prior to homosexuality being legal. "When law seen was as a threat, and not as a protector."
Janz says the EQHP has gotten a wonderful response since putting out the call for people’s ‘stories and stuff’, but they still need more. No matter where you are now, the project wants to hear your experience of being LGBTQ in Edmonton at any point in your life, whether that was just passing through for an event or protest, or as a permanent fixture.
"We are reaching out to everyone," he says. "Our long term goal is to build a queer Wikipedia where people can share their own stories."
Some of these stories can be seen, in short, on the project’s YouTube channel. They can be submitted in any format: writing, video, song, sculpture or dance – in person or online. Stories are also being collected in an ongoing project called Queer History Days, hosted in partnership with the Edmonton Public Library. These events take place in a library’s maker space, equipped with the means to record voice or video, scan old photos or clippings, upload digital files or burn DVDs.
"We want to make sure that we get those stories and preserve them, and take them to the city’s archives," Janz says. ""We want to reach everyone that was out and proud in the ’70s – before nature takes its course."
June 5th to 19th a carefully selected assortment of the multi media installations, art, memorabilia, pictures and written material garnered will be on display at the Art Gallery of Alberta. This exhibition will pay homage to ‘the people, places and events that built the queer community in Edmonton’.
"It’s important that we recognize our history and how far we came and, in some areas, how far we still need to go," Janz says. "[This] is a community that for years was in the underground, and was persecuted, and lived in fear; and now Pride in Edmonton is one of the biggest festivals in the city."
He notes that while Pride was once fought by city hall, it is now regarded as one of Edmonton’s marquee tourist festivals. "When the festival first happened, some people wore bags over their heads... Today there are thousands of people on the street [marching with] love."
Happily, the only negative feedback or complaint Janz has received over the last year and a half of working on the project was that people wished there was more time and more materials, "because it is impossible to tell everyone’s stories."
Janz says that province-wide people have a connection with the Edmonton community, and have fought together for equality and rights for all of Alberta.
"We’re trying to focus around broad themes with the understanding that this is just the beginning," he says, promising that Pride 50 will have even more stories, events and history to celebrate.
The EQHP is working continuously with different community partners to get more events on their roster. Stay tuned to the EQHP website for upcoming happenings, and visit their YouTube Channel to see more stories as they are edited and uploaded.
