Homosexual Humanity
HONOURS Thesis
This honours thesis examines the development of gay rights in Calgary through the lens of the Advocacy Coalition Framework. Drawing on archival records, government documents, newspapers, and community sources, it traces how changing social attitudes, legal reforms, and political advocacy influenced policy change from 1892 to 1980. The research demonstrates how interactions among local, provincial, and federal actors shaped the evolution of LGBTQ+ rights and public policy in Calgary.
Contextual Calgary
"The hole in the centre is the entrance of a cavern... I am in the centre, and there are walls all around me. I look outside, and I feel that the landscape outside is more real than inside."
A patient's description of a finger painting at the Allan Memorial Institute became the opening of my thesis because it captures the isolation experienced long before policy reform and introduces the central question of this research: Why didn't it change earlier?
Central Memorial Park Library
A longstanding gathering place for Calgary's gay community, Central Memorial Park reflects the enduring existence of queer life despite social and institutional discrimination.
Clarence Young and Hudson's Bay
Clarence Young's case demonstrates that, even without a conviction, the accusation of homosexuality could become a form of punishment in mid-century Calgary.
Omnibus Ottawa
"In Canada, we have managed to control tuberculosis. with the appropriate means, we can control homosexuality since we recognize and admit that it is a sickness."
A statement made during the House of Commons debate on Bill C-150 illustrates that, even as Parliament considered reform, many members continued to frame homosexuality as an illness. Rather than assuming consensus, this section examines the competing beliefs that shaped the Omnibus Bill.
Catalyst
Everett George Klippert (1926-1996)
The last person in Canada arrested, charged, prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned for gross indecency, Everett Klippert's case became the catalyst that transformed homosexuality into a national political issue.
Reform
Pierre Elliott Trudeau (1919-2000)
As Minister of Justice and later Prime Minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau became closely identified with the Omnibus Bill, advocating reforms that would partially decriminalize homosexual acts between consenting adults.
Opposition
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Eldon Mattison Woolliams (1912-1981)
Calgary MP Eldon Woolliams became one of Parliament's leading opponents of reform, advocating continued state intervention and reflecting the competing beliefs that shaped the Omnibus Bill.
Changing Calgary
"If you could be gay in private – why couldn't you be gay in public?"
Following the partial decriminalization of homosexuality, Calgary's emerging gay community began testing the limits of what legal reform actually meant. Through organizations, social spaces, and public advocacy, the question was no longer whether homosexuality existed, but whether it could exist openly.
Community
Organizing
Advocacy
Club Carousel
The emergence of Club Carousel marked an important step in Calgary's growing LGBTQ+ community. As one of the city's first dedicated gay social spaces, it provided an opportunity for individuals to connect openly, fostering a stronger sense of identity and community in the years following legal reform.
Gay Information and Resources Calgary
The establishment of GIRC reflected the community's shift from social connection toward advocacy and public engagement. By providing information, support, and outreach, the organization strengthened local networks while encouraging greater visibility and participation in Calgary's evolving LGBTQ+ movement.
Anita Bryant Protest
The growth of Calgary's LGBTQ+ community also coincided with renewed opposition. Anita Bryant's anti-gay campaign became a symbol of the broader backlash against LGBTQ+ rights, reinforcing the challenges activists continued to face while motivating many within Calgary to organize and respond collectively.
Image Credits
Central Memorial Park
"Central Park [Memorial Park], Calgary, Alberta.", [ca. 1919], (CU183786) by Reader W. R.. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives, Glenbow Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
Clarence Young and Hudson's Bay
"The new Bay Parkade, Calgary, Alberta.", 1956-03, (CU1139954) by De Lorme, Jack. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives, Glenbow Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
Everett George Klippert (1926-1996)
Source: Klippert family photo, via The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau (1919-2000)
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968. Photograph by National Film Board of Canada. Public domain (expired Crown copyright).
Eldon Mattison Woolliams (1912-1981)
Eldon M. Woolliams, Q.C., M.P. Photograph by J. Mackie. Courtesy of the Parliament of Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 (CC BY-SA 1.0).
Club Carousel
Roger Perkins performing at New Year's Eve at the Club Carousel. Courtesy of the Calgary Gay History Project. Source: Home & Away, Calgary Gay History.
Gay Information and Resources Calgary (GIRC)
GIRC President Bob Harris talking to police at the City Hall Rally, June 28, 1980. The Body Politic, Issue 65 (August 1980). Courtesy of the Calgary Gay History Project.
Anita Bryant Protest
"Calgarians Against Anita." Newspaper clipping depicting lesbians and gay men marching during the anti-Anita Bryant rally in Edmonton, April 29, 1978. Courtesy of the Calgary Gay History Project.