January 5 Toronto During amateur […]
When
1974-01-05
Description
January 5 Toronto During amateur night at the Brunswick House Tavern Adrienne Potts and Pat Murphy sang "I Enjoy Being a Dyke," a revised version of the South Pacific tune "I Enjoy Being a Girl," after being insulted and abused by a male customer. The tavern's management objected, and when the women and their friends Sue Wells and Heather Beyer refused to leave, police were called. Eight policemen dragged the women out of the bar and then detained and harassed them. The women were released from custody and when they returned to the Brunswick House to find witnesses they were again ejected and arrested. Three of the women (Beyer, Murphy, and Potts) were charged with creating a disturbance and obstructing the police. The group became known as the Brunswick Four. Their arrest generated anger and concern throughout Toronto's lesbian and gay community. (see also January 10, March 4, May 31, July 16, November 1, 1974, and April 1975.)
All Events
April Toronto The Royal Commission […]November 1 Toronto Constable Robert […]July 16 Toronto Police Constable […]May 31 Toronto Judgement was handed […]March 4 Toronto Judy LaMarsh […]January 10 Toronto A public meeting […]All Places
Brunswick House TavernTorontoAll People
Heather BeyerSue WellsPatricia MurphyAdrienne PottsAll Organizations
Brunswick FourToronto Police ServiceAll Monograph
I Enjoy Being a GirlI Enjoy Being a DykeAll Citations
"Women Harassed and Arrested," Other Woman 2 (February 1974): 17."Women Doused with Beer, Then Busted — Man Goes Free," Advocate (Los Angeles), no, 132 (1974), p. 17;"Uppity Women," Body Politic, no, 12 (1974), p. 1;"Toronto Cops Assault Women," Gay Tide I (April 1974): 6;Becki L. Ross, The House That Jill Built: A Lesbian Nation in Formation (Toronto: University of Toronto, 1995), pp, 47-48;"Police Harass Toronto Women," Gemini 11 2 (February 1974): 3;Agnes Kruchio, "4 Women Charge Brutality: Kicked Out of Bar," Excalibur (York Univ,), 21 March 1974, p, 2;Jay, "Women Harassed by Toronto Police: Ugly Incident," GO Info, no. 9 (1974), p, 6;Margaret Fulford, ed.. The Canadian Women's Movement, 1960–1990: A Guide to Archival Resources/Le mouvement canadien des femmes, 1960–1990: guide de ressources archivistiques (Toronto: Canadian Women's Movement Archives/ECW Press, 1992), entry 357;"The Brunswick Tavern Dykes," Long Time Coming 1 (May—June 1974): 6;"The Brunswick Tavern Dyke Bust" (interview with Heather Beyer), Long Time Coming 1 (April 1974): 2—9;" Brunswick Four " vertical file, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Toronto;
