AGQ-F0011

Fonds Bernard Courte. – 1978-1991. – 63 cm of textual records.

Biographical sketch:

Bernard Courte was born in Weir, Quebec, on 22 June 1949. He studied at the Université du Québec à Montréal (master’s degree in linguistics, 1988) and McGill University (education).

From 1975 onward, Courte taught English as a second language in the Montreal area. He became involved with the Association pour les droits des gai(e)s du Québec (ADGQ) and contributed to the ADGQ’s newspaper Le Berdache, where from 1979 to 1982 he was responsible for news and the translation of texts from English-language publications. That same year, he was a founding member of the monthly magazine Sortie, becoming its editor-in-chief (1985-1986). He has dedicated himself to raising awareness of AIDS, taking part in radio and television programs on the subject from 1983 onward, presenting papers at a number of AIDS conferences and getting involved in a number of other community groups concerned with AIDS and defending the rights of lesbians and gays.

In 1986, Courte moved to Toronto, where he worked as a research officer at the Centre de recherche en éducation franco-ontarienne (CRÉFO) of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), focusing on AIDS, education and the rights of Francophones in Ontario. He acted as an advisor to a number of government organizations and continued to write a column for the magazine Sortie from Toronto, until the publication ceased in 1988. That same year, he created a Francophone section within the advocacy group AIDS Action Now! and undertook the translation of the group’s newsletter, as well as creating a French index of medical data on AIDS treatment. He helped found a French-language support group for people with AIDS in Toronto, and organized workshops on safer sex. He also contributes to the weekly magazine Xtra! and L’Express de Toronto.

Bernard Courte died of AIDS in Toronto on 19 October 1991.

Scope and content:

The fonds bears witness to Bernard Courte’s life and activities: teaching, activism and journalism.

The collection contains a curriculum vitae, course outlines, writings and translations, a press dossier, correspondence, reference material and work files.

The fonds contains the following series:

AGQ-F0011/S1 Curriculum vitæ

AGQ-F0011/S2 Teaching

AGQ-F0011/S3 Writings and translations by Bernard Courte

AGQ-F0011/S4 Articles about Bernard Courte

AGQ-F0011/S5 Correspondence produced and received

AGQ-F0011/S6 Reference documentation

AGQ-F0011/S7 Working files

Notes:

Source of title proper: Title based on the contents of the fonds.

Immediate source of acquisition: The fonds was transferred to the AGQ in 1984, 1990 and 1991 by the fund’s creator (acquisitions 1984-06, 1990-22, 1991-08, 1991-12).

Language: The documents are in French and English.

Related groups of records external to the unit being described:

The fonds AGQ-F0012 Sortie contains documents relating to Bernard Courte. The documents date from 1982 to 1988.

LThe AGQ-F0017 Association pour les droits des gai(e)s du Québec (ADGQ) fonds contains documents relating to Bernard Courte. The documents date from 1982 to 1988.

The AGQ’s periodical collection includes Le Berdache, Sortie and Xtra!

Finding aids: Digital inventory of the fonds in Excel format. Classification plan available in PDF format.