Calgary Pride to include gay history walk through downtown
Posted Aug 20, 2014 1:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Research Lead for the Calgary Gay History Project says Calgary has come a long way toward acceptance of its LGBTQ community.
As part of Calgary Pride 2014, Kevin Allen will lead a walk through the core August 27th, that will stop at city spots that are significant to the city’s pride movement.
Allen promises the walk will offer a startling look at how much things have changed since the 1960s, when homosexuality was illegal, and most gay men lived ‘double lives.’
“Gay men were closeted,” says Allen. “So they sought out sex with men in public places, parks and department store washrooms.”
Allen says police would conduct “stings” where they posed as gay men soliciting sex.
Those arrested would see their names, addresses, and occupations published in local newspapers.
The history walk starts at the Memorial Park Library Wednesday, August 27th at 7:00 pm.
For a full list of Calgary Pride events visit www.pridecalgary.ca
