CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

TIME CAPSULES HIV/AIDS: long-kept stories

The preservation of the memory of our communities, in connection with the victims of HIV/AIDS, is gradually fading as the people affected have left us, are leaving us or will leave us in the years to come. The aim of this project is to free the word by enabling people to reveal, through a story, truths that have long been kept silent by fear of the consequences, by modesty, by shame, or by difficulty in expressing them, and often in order to preserve the reputation of certain people involved. By ensuring the absolute secrecy of the stories contained in the time capsules until 2047, i.e. for the 25 years following the launch of the project in 2022, this approach aims to inspire confidence and to reveal these long-hidden truths only when they will no longer harm anyone.

Everyone is invited to join in!

Time capsules will be accepted until the end of 2025. If you are interested in the project, you can submit your capsule by hand or by mail to the Archives gaies du Québec (AGQ), the organization that will be managing this file until that date. The envelope size to be used is standard No. 10. From 2026 onwards, the capsules will be transferred to a public institution, such as a library, the national archives or a university, which will agree to keep them and make them accessible to the public after their opening in 2047.

What can be included in a time capsule

Anything that helps us understand what the participant has experienced and how it has affected his or her daily life: stories, photos, images, collages, drawings, poems, USB keys, etc.

Information on participation and potential benefits

Participants will be given an information and consent form to sign, listing the risks associated with participation, including psychological and/or emotional discomfort. Potential benefits include the opportunity to express oneself, honor the victims of HIV/AIDS and contribute to the memory of our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Person responsible for the project at AGQ :

Denis Cormier-Piché
dcp@agq.qc.ca