September 14 Ottawa Maurice Bélanger […]

Graph

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.

All Places

St. George's Anglican Church Black and Bélanger's home Gays of Ottawa Ottawa

All People

Paul Wise Terry Reichey Reg Turcotte Jacques Hoffman Philip Bianco Charlie Hill Michael Black Maurice Bélanger

All Organizations

University of Toronto Homophile Association UTHA Gays of Ottawa Gays d'Ottawa GO, Gays of Ottawa Gais de L'Outaouais GO

All Periodicals

GO Info

All Citations

Paul-François Sylvestre, "Gais de l'outaouais: l'âné des organismes homophiles," Gay Montréal (25 January 1977): 3.Susan Stock, "GO," Charlatan (Carleton Univ., Ottawa), 8 August 1972, p. 15;"History," GO Info, no. 1 (1972), p. 2;Burt Heward, "Homosexuals Seek Fortune in Men's Eyes," Ottawa Citizen, 4 January 1972, p. 13;Burt Heward, "Gay Campaign: Homos Push GO Button for Self-Help," Ottawa Citizen, 4 January 1972, p. 13;Gays of Ottawa (GO) papers, 82-017, 88-041, and inventory, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Toronto;"Gays d'Ottawa," Body Politic, no. 2 (1972), p. 19;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), entries 346, 347, 996, 997;Don Butler, "Struggle to Overcome 'Dreaded Deviant' Status: Out of the Closet into Street," Ottawa Citizen, 12 July 1975, p. 39;

Graph Legend

Maurice Bélanger

Names

Biography

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