September 14 Ottawa Maurice Bélanger […]

When

1971-09-14

Description

September 14 Ottawa Maurice Bélanger, Michael Black, Charles Hill, Philip Bianco, Jacques Hoffman, Reg Turcotte, and Terrence Reichey met at Black and Bélanger's home at 270 Somerset Street W, no. 906, to discuss forming a gay organization for the National Capital area. The group continued to meet during September-October in private homes. On October 13, 1971, it adopted the name Gays of Ottawa /Gays d'Ottawa Gais de l'Outaouais from 1975 (GO); Maurice Bélanger and Paul Wise became GO'S first co-chairmen, GO'S mandate was to lobby the federal and Ontario provincial governments on behalf of gays and lesbians, to educate the public about homosexuality, and to act as a community organization for gay people in the Ottawa-Hull area. It sponsored many dances and produced the influential newsletter GO Info. Charles Hill, a founding member of UTHA, was a member of GO from its early days and succeeded Bélanger as president in April 1973. After November 1971 the group began meeting twice per month at St. George's Anglican Church, 152 Metcalfe Street.

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