What’s new

25 Jun, 2019 The Archives at the Goethe-Institut

On June 19 more than 80 people attended a lecture given by Antoine Idier at the Goethe-Institut of Montreal.  The evening was hosted by Monique Giroux.  Antoine Idier is the author of Archives des mouvements LGBT+ : Une histoire des luttes de 1890 à nos jours, a book about LGBT+ archiving in France.    Jonathan Dorey, PhD, archivist, translator and member of the board of the Quebec Gay Archives gave a short presentation before the lecture on the development of and challenges faces the Archives.  The evening was a great success and we thank those who made the event  possible:  the Fondatin Jasmin Roy/Sophie Desmarais, the Consulat général de France, and of course the Goethe-Institut.

29 May, 2019 An Intership at the Quebec Gay Archives

The Quebec Gay Archives are hosting a student intern from April until the end of July 2019.  Fabien Galipeau is finishing his Masters at the School of Library and Information Studies at the Université de Montréal.  Fabien also holds a bachelor’s degree in French-language literature from the same university.  As part of his internship, he will focus principally on archival work and is currently processing several specific “archival fonds”.  The Quebec Gay Archives welcome Fabien to our team for the coming months.

Credit: Fabien Galipeau

15 May, 2019 The Quebec Gay Archives are moving!

The Quebec Gay Archives are moving, but not far. Our offices are relocating one floor higher in the same building at 1000, rue Amherst.

The move will be completed by the end of June. We will continue to welcome researchers during our regular opening hours, Thursday evenings from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm, until the end of May. It is still suggested to inform us in advance of your visit by email or by telephone (voicemail).

The move will enable us to double the size of our offices, and offer our visitors a more spacious and comfortable work environment.

We thank you in advance for your understanding and your patience. Our operations will have returned to normal by the beginning of September.

From now until then, we wish you a very good summer season.

New address : in the same building but one floor higher. Only the office number will change.

Archives gaies du Québec
1000, rue Amherst, suite 201-a
Montréal (Québec) H1L 3K5

06 May, 2019 Meeting withmembers of the community group Diversité Sourds du Québec (DSQ)

On Saturday April 13, Jacques Prince, co-founder and president of the Quebec Gay Archives, met with ex-members of the now disbanded community group, Diversité Sourds du Québec (DSQ). Jacques Prince took part in this meeting to inform former members of the DSQ of the steps being taken to preserve the organizational papers, transferred to the Quebec Gay Archives at the time of the DSQ’s dissolution.

In the photo, we see Jacques Prince in the foreground to the right of Marc-André Bernier in the plaid shirt, volunteer with the Quebec Gay Archives and person responsible for organization of the DSQ papers.

We thank Mr Bernier who made possible the transfer of the DSQ papers to the Quebec Gay Archives and hence their preservation.

Photo : Kashif Ahmed Bin Arif

20 Apr, 2019 John Banks Wins the Phénicia Award

The Members of the Board of the Quebec Gay Archives are very pleased to announce that Mr John Banks, a long time friend and devoted volunteer, will receive on May 30 a Phénicia Award. This year the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Quebec is celebrating its 15th anniversary and, in order to mark the occasion, is giving 15 prizes to notable members of the LGBTQ+ communities. The award recipients include, among other, Ariane Moffat, the journalist Richard Burnett, the president and founder of Fierté Montréal Eric Pineault, the founder of Lez Spread the Word Florence Gagnon, and Dax Dasilva, founder and chief executive of Lightspeed.

Members of the Board and volunteers warmly thank John Banks for his many years of activism in the LGBTQ+ communities.

Photo: Emmanuel Galland

05 Apr, 2019 Article from Ross Higgins published on Queer Quebec in Contemporary French Civilization

Dr Ross Higgins, co-founder of the Quebec Gay Archives, published an article on Queer Quebec in Contemporary French Civilization, a scholarly journal of Liverpool University Press. In the article, the author addresses community archiving in the context of queer and trans perspectives as well as that of contemporary gender theory.

https://online.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/pdf/10.3828/cfc.2018.25

16 Mar, 2019 A Successful Ending to the 2018 Fundraising Campaign

On February 18, the Quebec Gay Archives ended its very successful 2018 fundraising campaign with a draw for the work of art generously donated by artist Louise Roy. The draw was held in the presence of the artist, of Jacques Prince, President of the Québec Gay Archives, of Iain Blair, Vice-President, and of Pierre Pilotte, Archives Coordinator. Daniel Arcand, a long time friend of the Archives and supporter of our fundraising campaigns, was the happy winner of the piece of art. During the draw, Louise Robert announced to us that she would be showing her works at ART PARIS show, to be held in the Grand Palais in Paris, at the beginning of April.

Our 2018 fundraising campaign was a great success and we did meet our objective of $20,000.00. We would like to thank all of our donors, as well as Louise Robert and the Galerie Simon Blais (galeriesimonblais.com) which acts as the artist’s agent.

During the draw at the artist’s studio, from left to right: Louise Robert, Jacques Prince and Iain Blair
Photo: Pierre Pilotte

Presentation of the work to Daniel Arcand on the left with Jacques Prince in the center and Iain Blair.
Photo: Daniel Thérien

14 Feb, 2019 The Order of Canada honours a friend of the Quebec Gay Archives

Mr Léopold L. Foulem, an internationally recognized ceramic artist, was recently awarded the Order of Canada. Mr Foulem has contributed for the past several years to the fundraising campaign of the Archives. The members of the Board of Directors, employees and volunteers of the Quebec Gay Archives congratulate Mr Foulem for this much deserved honour. Mr Foulem was one of the artists shown at the McCord Museum in 2015 as part of the exhibition Camp Fires: Le baroque Queer, along with Paul Mathieu and Richard Milette.

Photo: Julie D’Amour-Léger

08 Jan, 2019 The Quebec Gay Archives would like to thank …

The members of the Board of the Quebec Gay Archives thank the estate of the late Frank W. Remiggi for its generous financial donation. Professor Remiggi, a long time friend and supporter of the Archives, passed away in September 2018. We thank his family and most particularly his sister, Maria Remiggi.

We would also like to thank Gregg Blachford and David McGillivray, who organized a benefit event in their own home in early December as part of the Quebec Gay Archive’s annual fundraising campaign. It proved to be a very beneficial event for the organization.

Finally, we thank the family of the late Jacques Pétrin, and most particularly his daughter Julie Pétrin, for their gift of selected books, publications and DVDs from the collections of the deceased.

08 Jan, 2019 Ross Higgins received the Senate 150th Anniversary Medal

Dr Ross Higgins, co-founder of the Quebec Gay Archives, received on December 19 2018 the Senate 150th Anniversary Medal from the Honorable Serge Joyal on behalf of the Speaker of the Senate. Dr Higgins received this commemorative medal in recognition of his years of service to the community.

Congratulations Ross.

From left to right, Ross Higgins, co-founder of the Archives gaies du Québec and recipient of the medal, the Honourable Serge Joyal and Jacques Prince, co-founder of the Archives gaies du Québec and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Photo Credit: Sara Teinturier

The obverse of the medal bears the Senate emblem and the reverse illustrates the Senate Chamber. A space is provided for the name of the recipient.

28 Dec, 2018 The Quebec Gay Archives team will be back on January 10th

28 Nov, 2018 Quebec Gay Archives Fundraising Campaign 2018: A Work of Art as Grand Prize

Each fall, the Archives hold its annual fundraising campaign.  Once again this year, we are offering a grand prize of a work of art to those who support our mission financially.

The Quebec Gay Archives had been more active than ever this year, both in terms of work in our collections and public events which celebrate our 35 years of existence.  All our activities this year have only taken place thanks to you, the generous members of our community.

As our organization receives no sustained funding from public sources or private foundations, we turn to you once again in order to continue our mission.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRAND PRIZE

A message from Jacques Prince, President of the Quebec Gay Archives:

For 35 years now, the Quebec Gay Archives have acquired, conserved and promoted materials that records the history of LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations.  Researchers and visitors from Quebec and from abroad come to consult our varied collections and archival records while the organization simultaneously organizes events and expositions centred on our materials and our mission.  In this 35^th year of our existence, our importance has been acknowledged by articles in Fugues, Le Devoir, La Presse Plus, The Montreal Gazette, Le Lien Multimédia and L’Itinéraire. 

All of these activities can only happen thanks to the determination of a dedicated group of volunteers as well as to the donations and support offered by a rich and diverse community.  The financial support which you offer each year during our fundraising campaign permits us to maintain our mission, to affirm our collective presence and to ensure the transmission to future generations of our rich history.

Each and every donation, no matter how large or small, is of great importance to us.  A tax receipt is offered for every donation of $25 or more.  This year, as part of our fundraising campaign, we can offer for each cumulative donation of $50 a chance to win the draw for a framed artwork by painter Louise Robert, with an estimated value of $4000.00.

We are relying on you and your ongoing support to allow us to continue our essential work.  The members of the board as well as the many volunteers of the Quebec Gay Archives thank you in advance for your generosity.

You can now make your donation securely on line at agq.qc.ca/en/make-a-donation or, as always, with the attached donation form (page 3 in English).

Louise Robert, « No 827 », November 2013
Oil, colored pencils and graphite on paper, 51 cm x 61cm / approx. 20 x 24 inches
Photo Credit: Guy L’Heureux. All right reserved.
The artist is represented by Galerie Simon Blais.

06 Nov, 2018 Robert Schwartzwald on two exhibitions about sexuality in Berlin and Vienna

On the AGQ website under the tab “Resources” and then “Conferences” you will find a series of texts of interest to our community.

Robert Schwartzwald offers us the most recent addition titled “A Queer Travelogue:  Two Exhibitions in Berlin and Vienna”.

Schwartzwald is Professor in the Département de littératures et de langues du monde at the Université de Montréal.

His professional profile and research interest can be found on the website of the Université de Montréal:
https://llm.umontreal.ca/repertoire-departement/vue/schwartzwald-robert-2

“Fig. 3 – Anti-Masturbation Belt” (Vienna)
Photo Credit: Robert Schwartzwald. All rights reserved.