September Montréal The first […]

When

1972-09

Description

September Montréal The first anglophone gay organization in Québec, GAY (later called Gay McGill), was formed at McGill University. About 150 people attended the founding meeting. The group had emerged out of popular gay-consciousness discussions offered by instructors Bruce Garside, Linda Page-Hollander, and John Southin in the course "Biology and Social Change," dating back to the 1971-72 school year. James Young became the first president of GAY, and Patrick Ormos acted as liaison officer. The movement by gay students to organize at McGill was opposed from the start, particularly by a group known as the Society for the Repression of Homosexuality (SRH). The SRH'S flyers, distributed on campus, described homosexuality as a "repugnant mental illness"; the group's aim was to "oppose (by peaceful means) the passive acceptance of homosexuality by today's lax society" and "to encourage psychiatric treatment as a viable alternative for homosexuals." GAY was originally devoted to study groups, consciousness raising, and discussion, and soon attracted anglophone members from outside the University. Community services became a focus, with the establishment of a gayline information service (active until November 1973), a women's committee, a speaker's bureau, a newsletter, drop-in nights, and community dances (to summer 1973). Many of these community services and activities were taken over by the Centre d'accueil homophile/Gay Community Centre and by the AHM/GMA after their formation in June 1973. Gay McGill's activities were focussed around the school year, but for most of 1975 it was not active at all. In the autumn of 1975 Gay McGill attempted to revive the McGill dances but was ultimately unsuccessful. (see also June 27, 1973)

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